LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Equinox Inc. upon the occasion of cele-
brating its 40th Anniversary on April 24, 2009

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to recognize that the
quality and character of life in the communities across New York State
are reflective of the concerned and dedicated efforts of those organiza-
tions and individuals who would devote themselves to the welfare of the
community and its citizenry; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor
Equinox Inc. upon the occasion of its 40th Anniversary to be commem-
orated at its Celestial Celebration on Friday, April 24, 2009, at the
Franklin Plaza, Troy, New York; and
WHEREAS, Founded in 1969, Equinox is a non-profit community services
agency addressing the needs of homeless and high-risk youth, victims of
domestic violence and individuals struggling with addictions; and
WHEREAS, Equinox is committed to providing assistance in a safe and
supportive environment to individuals and families to help them find the
resources within themselves to grow and to make positive and lasting
changes in their lives and within their communities; and
WHEREAS, Equinox is the primary domestic violence service provider in
Albany County, offering shelter to 144 women and their children, and
advocacy and counseling to 508 individuals in 1998; the innovative tech-
niques used in the shelter and throughout the long term care programs
have been praised by other human services agencies because of their
ability to build self-confidence, self-esteem, and educational and
employment opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Due to its success, the Equinox Domestic Violence Program was
recently awarded a grant to relocate and expand Albany County's only
domestic violence shelter; the new shelter, to be located at a confiden-
tial location, will house up to 30 individuals, providing more program-
ming and living space as well as wheelchair accessibility; and
WHEREAS, The Equinox Youth Shelter is a place troubled youth can find
a safe haven, food, clothing and emotional support; it has been operat-
ing a small youth shelter serving this population since 1975; there is
no other agency in the area that provides emergency housing to youth age
15 and younger, and this is the only shelter that will take kids right
"off the street" without a funding stream attached; its model shelter is
designed to serve up to 18 youth; the goal of the program is to reunite
youths with their families or, when this solution is not possible, to
find a safe and permanent alternative; and
WHEREAS, Many children in need of services are too old to stay in the
Youth Shelter, or are at a stage in their lives where they need
"assisted independence"; these clients can enter the Equinox Independent
Living Program (ILP); each client receives his or her own apartment,
financial support and counseling; the program is very structured; kids
are required to finish high school, maintain a job and budget their
money with the assistance of their case manager; and
WHEREAS, Once kids successfully complete the ILP they become eligible
for Project Independence; at this time, they move out of the Equinox
apartments and into apartments they have chosen for themselves; however,
Equinox continues to support them as they successfully transition into
the community; and
WHEREAS, Equinox houses dozens of youths in its apartments and assists
thousands of young people through its Outreach Services; its goal is
that each young adult leaving the Youth Program will exit with a struc-

ture for living and a foundation for success, as well as the ability and
strength to make a positive contribution to the community; and
WHEREAS, From a single volunteer driven program of drug intervention
and referral, Equinox has grown into a multi-service agency assisting
clients with issues relating to the homelessness of teens and young
adults, domestic violence, and substance abuse; as the agency has grown
and matured, so have the services offered in its Substance Abuse Coun-
seling Center; and
WHEREAS, The goal of substance abuse counseling is to help abusers
achieve sobriety and recover their lives through innovative, cutting
edge techniques that help clients regain the self that was abandoned
long before an addiction started; its professional, affordable, confi-
dential services give clients the courage to change and the opportunity
to manage their lives with dignity; and
WHEREAS, In addition, Equinox offers a free Medical Exam Night which
is the result of a collaboration of volunteer medical students from
Albany Medical College, volunteer physicians and key Equinox staff; this
service is offered to the clients of Equinox's Domestic Violence
Services, Counseling Services and Youth Services; the medical exam does
not replace or duplicate services that are offered elsewhere in the
community; rather it tries to serve as a gateway to needed services, a
safe and non-threatening way to enter the medical system; and
WHEREAS, The Adventure-Based Course offers a high-ropes course and
climbing wall for use by Equinox clients in all programs; this experien-
tial learning course, combined with counseling, works to build confi-
dence, trust, teamwork, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills;
it is the largest indoor course of its kind in the region; and
WHEREAS, The many achievements of Equinox have only been possible due
to the involvement and support of a caring community; this support is
never more evident than on Thanksgiving Day when more than 1000 volun-
teers come together to prepare, package, deliver or serve more than 8000
traditional meals to hungry, homeless, or homebound neighbors; and
WHEREAS, Today, Equinox continues to initiate new and innovative
responses to community needs as they emerge; in the past year, it began
to offer services to immigrant, disabled, and elderly victims of domes-
tic violence; and
WHEREAS, Equinox also recognized the economic challenges its clients
faced in maintaining their independence after leaving its shelter
programs; in response, Equinox initiated long term services to assist
clients while they establish themselves as independent, contributing
members of the community; its counseling center, the original of program
of Equinox, continues to enhance its services to engage hard to reach
clients and keep them in treatment; and
WHEREAS, A symbol of hope in the community for 40 years, the success
enjoyed by Equinox is in direct correlation to the efforts of its found-
ers, supporters, staff and the thousands of volunteers who have
supported the development of the organization over the years; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when organiza-
tions of such noble aims and accomplishments are brought to our atten-
tion, they should be celebrated and recognized by all the citizens of
the great State of New York; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Equinox Inc. upon the occasion of celebrating its 40th Anniversary
on April 24, 2009; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Equinox Inc.