Service Dogs for Children with Autism (Aired on June 5, 2022)

Radio Rotary co-host Jonah Triebwasser and producer Kathy Kruger interview two Red Hook Rotary Interactors about their project of raising a puppy for the Bluepath Service Dogs, an organization that supplied trained service dogs that work with autistic children ages 5 to 12. The sisters, who both are active in service projects for in Interact and the Girl Scouts, also volunteer for the local food pantry as well as being part of the school yearbook team and play alto saxophone in the jazz band. They often “puppy sit” for Bluepath service dogs during times when the dog’s owners are on trips or otherwise unavailable, but their main project has been raising a dog for the program, teaching the puppy to be sociable and follow commands. The adult dogs help their owners reduce stress. protect them during times their autism might endanger them and offer a way to more independent living.

Learn More:
Bluepath Service Dogs: https://www.bluepathservicedogs.org/
Interact Clubs: https://www.rotary.org/en/get-involved/interact-clubs
Red Hook Rotary: https://www.redhookrotaryclub.org/
ShelterBox USA: https://www.shelterboxusa.org/
Aquabox: https://www.aquabox.org/

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June 10, 2022 · Posted in Developmentally Disabled, Service Organizations  

Helping Vets and Others Prepare for Jobs (Aired on May 15, 2022)

Ron Ferris, Operations Manager at Mid-Hudson Works in Poughkeepsie, visits Radio Rotary to describe how this unique 75-year-old nonprofit helps veterans and persons with disabilities find work in the Hudson Valley. In 1947 as World War II veterans, many still in their early 20s or even younger, returned home and needed work, IBM (then International Business Machines) started a program to train these veterans, many of whom had never held a job outside the armed services. Today this work continues in a huge brick building on Washington Street in Poughkeepsie, a place that hires, trains, and places today’s veterans along with others who may need training for such work as packing or assembling, skills useful in the many distribution centers of the Mid-Hudson region. Paying work also takes place within the building, providing a useful aid for local businesses.

Learn More:
Mid-Hudson Works: https://midhudsonworks.org/
Mental Health America of Dutchess Country: https://mhadutchess.org/
MHA Veterans Programs: https://mhadutchess.org/services/vet2vet/
Dutchess Country Veterans’ Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Veteran-Services/Veterans-Services.htm
Think Dutchess (Dutchess Alliance for Business): https://thinkdutchess.com/

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May 23, 2022 · Posted in Business Assistance, Developmentally Disabled, Service Organizations, Veterans  

Dutchess County Thinks Differently (Aired on February 27, 2022)

Dr. Toni-Marie Ciarfella, Deputy Commissioner for Special Needs of Dutchess County, comes to RadioRotary’s microphone with news of the county’s several programs available for people with special needs. The campaign, which includes local businesses as well as the county, is called Think Differently. Related to it are the awards and events dealing with employment, called Think Jobs, and an educational program run by Dutchess Community College called Think Ahead. Some fifteen local agencies, such a New Horizons, ARC, the Anderson Center for Autism, and the Down
Syndrome Association of the Hudson Valley are part of the effort, which was started by Country Executive Marcus Molinaro in 2015. The Anderson Center is central to the program, which focuses much of its energy on making the county a place where those on the autism spectrum can be comfortable.

Learn More:
Think Differently: https://www.thinkdifferently.net/
Think Jobs: https://thinkdutchess.com/about-us/careers/
Think Ahead: https://www.sunydutchess.edu/academics/academicsupport/opportunityprograms/think_ahead.html
Anderson Center for Autism: https://www.andersoncenterforautism.org/
Dutchess Country Department of Children and Family Services: https://www.dutchessny.gov/Departments/Community-Family-Services/Community-and-Family-Services.htm

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March 7, 2022 · Posted in Developmentally Disabled, Dutchess County, Mental Health, Quality of Life  

Astor Services for Children & Families (Aired on February 20, 2022)

You may have heard of the Astor Home for Children in Rhinebeck, NY, but that is only the original part of what has become since 1966 a wide-ranging service for mental health and education that is a major humanitarian force in the Hudson Valley and the Bronx. Sponsored by the Archdiocese of New York, Astor Services is now an essential part of many of the programs for children and young persons, including Head Start, Health Homes, Home Based Crisis Intervention, Probation Based Services, and much more. Learn about the wide reach of Astor Services in English and Spanish from this RadioRotary interview with Kim Stella, Assistant Executive Director for Care Management and Prevention at Astor Services.

Learn More:
Astor Services for Children & Families: https://www.astorservices.org/
Astor Home for Children: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astor_Home_for_Children
History of Astor Services: https://www.astorservices.org/about/history/#:~:text=Astor%20Services%20for%20Children%20%26%20Families%20%E2%80%94%20originally%20the%20Astor%20Home%20for,reduce%20the%20need%20for%20psychiatric

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March 1, 2022 · Posted in Addiction Recovery, Children, Developmentally Disabled, Education, Mental Health, Service Organizations, Youth  

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