Senator Metzger Applauds State Funding for Ulster YouthBuild

(KINGSTON, NY) Ulster YouthBuild, LLC. in Kingston will be receiving $380,600 as part of the state’s Workforce Development Demonstration Project initiative to provide at-risk youth with alternatives to gang involvement. YouthBuild provides hands-on job training, education and leadership development to low-income and at-risk youth and young adults from the surrounding communities, teaching important vocational and life skills.

“In January, I met with some of the students from Ulster YouthBuild and I was incredibly impressed with their drive and commitment, and with the enormous impact that YouthBuild has had not only on their lives but the lives of those in the surrounding community,” said Senator Jen Metzger. “This funding is an important investment in the future of young people who might not otherwise have opportunities to learn trades, and the hands-on training YouthBuild provides results in tangible improvements to neighborhoods and communities.”

For over 21 years, Ulster YouthBuild has served more than 500 young people, as well as the surrounding community. YouthBuild has rehabilitated and constructed houses, teen centers and waterfront structures. They have built accessibility ramps for those with disabilities, put a new roof on the VFW Center and replaced the floors at a local center for the homeless. They also rehabilitated a building to house the Ulster County Community College (UCCC) Clean Energy Technology Training (CETT) center.  

Jen Metzger represents the 42nd Senate District, which includes all of Sullivan County and parts of Delaware, Orange, and Ulster Counties. Senator Metzger serves as Chair of the Agriculture Committee and sits on the Environmental Conservation, Education, Health, Energy and Telecommunications, Local Government, Women’s Issues, Domestic Animal Welfare, and Legislative Commission on Rural Resources Committees.

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