Harckham Secures $604K for Community Organizations

Peekskill, NY – New York State Senator Pete Harckham announced today that he secured $604,500 in an end-of-year resolution in the State Senate for additional grant funding for important youth workforce training and community programs distributed to 15 different recipients.

The funding, awarded at Harckham’s discretion, comes from several areas in the enacted FY2025-2026 State Budget, including the state’s Division of Criminal Justice Services, Division of Housing and Community Renewal, Department of Health, Department of Labor, Department of State, Office of Mental Health, Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance and Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation; State Education Department, Urban Development Corporation and New York State Council on the Arts.

“These investments are important to organizations that are providing frontline services to our most vulnerable residents,” said Harckham. “Many of these are nonprofits operating on shoestring budgets and they accomplish so much. I am glad to have secured this funding because these programs will help empower residents and benefit them in so many ways. Each of these recipients is deserving of our support, and I thank Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins for acknowledging the impact of their work in our communities.”

Among those receiving funding through the end-of-year resolution:

• Hope’s Door, Inc.: $50,000 for Crisis Response, Outreach Expenses
• Neighbor’s Link, Inc.: $57,500 for Legal Services to Immigrant Community
• Prevention Council of Putnam, Inc.: $7,000 for Operations and Educational Programs
• Putnam Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center: $35,000 for Advocacy Outreach
• WMC Health Network / Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital: $80,000 for Sickle Cell Anemia Program
• City of Peekskill: $50,000 for Workforce Training programs for Young Adults
• CAREERS Support Solutions: $85,000 for Operations and Educational Programs
• Daisy Jopling Music Mentorship Foundation: $25,00 for Operations and Programming
• Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA): $25,000 for Operations and Outreach
• My Brother Vinny, Inc.: $50,000 for Operations, Storage Costs and Vehicle Maintenance
• CURE 100, Inc: $25,000 for Educational Programming
• Latino U College Access, Inc.: $25,000 for Educational Programming
• STEM Leadership Center, Inc.: $25,000 for Educational Programming
• Support Connection, Inc.: $25,000 for Educational Programming
• The Ossining Micro Fund, Inc.: $20,000 for Operations and Advocacy Outreach

CarlLa Horton, Executive Director of Hope’s Door Executive, said, “Hope’s Door gratefully acknowledges Senator Pete Harckham for his tireless efforts to secure critical financial support for Hope’s Door. These funds not only will help promote safety and support for domestic violence victims but also will fund our prevention work with teens in middle schools and high schools. Pete has been a staunch advocate for Hope’s Door, and we could not be more grateful for all he has done over the years to end domestic violence and to help survivors empower themselves to achieve safety, independence, and healing from the trauma of abuse.”

Tina Cornish-Lauria, Executive Director of CAREERS Support Solutions, said, “The funding provided to CAREERS Support Solutions by Senator Harckham is truly life-changing for the individuals with disabilities who rely on our services. The Senator’s commitment to our mission enables clients to receive the job training, job placement assistance, and ongoing long-term support they need to help them find, and keep, jobs they can be successful in. Providing initiatives to help individuals with disabilities become financially independent, while also gaining self-esteem through work, is simply invaluable.”

Carola Otero Bracco, Executive Director of Neighbors Link, said, “During these challenging times, the need for immigration legal assistance and other wraparound services has increased significantly. Neighbors Link is deeply grateful to Senator Pete Harckham for his assistance in securing $57,500 in state grants to support immigration legal aid and other services for immigrant families. Last year, Neighbors Link served more than 10,000 immigrants in our community. This funding will allow us to continue this critical work. We not only appreciate this funding, but also Senator Hackham’s steadfast commitment to building communities that recognize the dignity and value of every resident.”

Jessica Grainger, Associate Executive Director of Putnam Northern Westchester Women's Resource Center, said, “This grant represents more than financial support, it’s a vital lifeline that enables us to continue providing compassionate, dignified care to survivors of violence. It also allows us to enhance our confidential shelter, ensuring it remains a safe, healing, and hopeful space for those in need.”

Paula Miritello, founder and director of My Brother Vinny, Inc., said: “On behalf of My Brother Vinny, Inc., I extend my heartfelt gratitude to Senator Pete Harckham for securing the funding to support our mission. This generous support empowers us to continue furnishing hope and dignity to our formerly homeless U.S. Veterans throughout the Hudson Valley. Together, we are making sure no hero starts over alone.”

Kristen McConnell, Executive Director of the Putnam Prevention Council, said, “We’re incredibly grateful to Senator Harckham for championing public health and supporting our prevention efforts. This grant helps us continue educating students and community members about the risks of substance use while expanding harm reduction opportunities across our region. With this support, we’re building a healthier, more informed community together.”

Patty Buchanan, board member of Croton100 and CURE100 (Communities United to Reduce Emissions 100%), said, “We are thrilled to be the recipient of this important grant by Senator Harckham, which will empower CURE100 to support its Croton100 chapter and help produce a professional short documentary film to advance our mission in educating residents about decarbonizing solutions that are taking hold in Croton. This grant will help us to grow our impact by sharing inspiring, scalable and replicable examples of action by local government, businesses, public facilities and households that are leading the clean energy transformation as showcased through Croton100’s series of Climate Action Quilts.”

Daisy Jopling, violinist and founder of the Daisy Jopling Music Mentorship Foundation, said, “We are profoundly grateful for a generous grant from Senator Pete Harckham. This grant will be invaluable to our organization and will help us expand our Ovation Strings free after school string music lessons for underserved children to Ossining and Mount Kisco. Our Foundation has served over 7,000 children in the last 14 years, giving them free music lessons, exposure to music, and opportunities to perform with professional musicians on major stages. We have seen time and again how these opportunities can transform a child’s life, giving them lifelong learning skills and confidence, and empowering and uplifting not only the children, but also their families and communities. Thank you, Senator Pete Harckham, for providing these amazing opportunities to our children, who are our future!” 

Jennifer Molinoff, President of the Ossining Micro Fund, said, “The Ossining Micro Fund is grateful to receive a $20,000 grant from Senator Harckham, whose support strengthens our mission to provide no-interest loans to hardworking individuals facing financial hardship. With 20 years of experience as a trusted community microlender, we’ve seen firsthand how access to emergency funds—most often for housing or transportation—can stabilize lives and prevent crisis. This grant will bolster our operational capacity, allowing us to meet growing demand and lay the groundwork for a more sustainable future.”

Shirley Acevedo Buontempo, Executive Director and Founder of Latino U College Access (LUCA), said, “We are deeply grateful to Senator Pete Harckham for championing educational opportunity and supporting the LUCA Scholars program. At a time of significant changes and challenges to higher education, the Scholars program helps turn confusion into clarity and access into opportunity. This critical funding ensures that first-generation students have the guidance, resources, and information needed to pursue and achieve their college dreams. With this investment, we are building brighter futures and strengthening our entire community.”

Jermaine Archer, Executive Director of Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), said, “For nearly 30 years, Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) has worked inside New York State correctional facilities, utilizing theater, visual art, music, writing, and dance to help incarcerated individuals develop emotional resilience, communication skills, and leadership abilities. We are honored to receive this discretionary funding from Senator Harckham, which will strengthen our core arts education programs, support our Reimagining Myself® reentry initiative, and expand our alumni engagement through public performances, community gatherings, and continued partnerships with local nonprofits. This critical funding will ensure that our participants can experience the full arc of the creative process that honors their effort, their voices, and their potential.” 

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