The Red Hook Community Center (RHCC) has been a growing partner in the Red Hook community since it was established in 2017, providing programming “that serves to stabilize and enrich the lives of people who are at-risk and/or vulnerable in any way.” The RHCC provides a variety of programming, workshops, and events, including No-Cost markets, Teen Groups, Senior exercise classes, computer labs, and much more. In the past, the AFF has provided grants to support the Teen Program and the Makerspace. This year, the Ascienzo Family Foundation worked with executive director Sara Ugolini to provide a two year grant to the RHCC a for a total of $25,000! This support will help sustain, and in some cases expand, several important programs: the Teen Group, social programming for people with disabilities, the Client Advocacy and Crisis Intervention program, . Funding for the Teen Group will allow the group to split into a middle school and a high school group, with each enrolling sixteen youth annually and providing service projects opportunities, life-skills, recreational, health-centered, and other activities. Funding for the RHCC’s peer group for adults with disabilities and their caregivers will allow the program to become significantly more accessible and sustainable and remove barriers for family participation, and funding is also provided to allow the RHCC to great a teen group for teens with disabilities and their caregivers. The Client Advocacy and Crisis Intervention program is focused on providing “participants with increased economic and social stability.” The AFF grant will continue to enable the RHCC to help people who are in crisis. Since July 2020, the RHCC has been able to assist people “through the distribution of gas cards, grocery cards, utility vouchers, and 1x payments of larger expenses.” Lastly, the AFF rant will help RHCC to create a small budget to “sustain and increase the reach and productivity” of its flagship program, the Free Community Clothes Cost (which is volunteer led), and the Bags of Kindness program. Both provide much needed clothing, hygiene products, and other basics to hundreds of community members.
We are happy to partner again with the RHCC to support such great programs!