Service Summit

15th Annual
UlsterCorps Service Summit

when: Friday April 25th, 2025, 8:30am-12:30pm
where: SUNY New Paltz

Volunteerism & Service for Affordable Housing

The 15th Annual UlsterCorps Service Summit will be held Friday April 25th, 2025 from 8:30am – 12:30pm at SUNY New Paltz and is co-sponsored by the Center for Student Engagement, the Benjamin Center for Public Policy at SUNY New Paltz, and Ulster Savings Bank.

Each year since our founding in 2009, UlsterCorps has hosted a Service Summit at SUNY New Paltz bringing together students, volunteers and community leaders from the nonprofit, business, higher education and governmental sectors to address the work and value of volunteerism and collaborative projects in Ulster County. The focus for the 2025 Summit will be volunteer opportunities and service in support of affordable housing. It will feature panel discussions of successful case studies, new models, and best practices. As always it will include roundtable discussions giving all attendees an opportunity to participate and network. Members of the community interested in volunteering with these initiatives are welcome to attend.

Speakers/Roundtable Discussion Moderators include:

• Michael Berg, FAMILY of Woodstock
• Janice La Motta, HomeShare Ulster County
• Christine Brady LaValle, Ulster County Habitat for Humanity
• Kai Lord-Farmer, Ulster County Planning Dept, Ulster County Housing Smart Communities Initiative
• Darcy McCourt, Rebuilding Together Hudson Valley
• Laura Nordstrom, Director of Housing and Homelessness, Ulster County Department of Social Services
• Kevin O’Connor, RUPCO

The Summit, which is free to participants, is part of the on-going work of UlsterCorps to deepen the knowledge about volunteerism and to find ways to strengthen a culture of service and collaboration in Ulster County. A locally-sourced, healthy breakfast is included. Registration is limited to the first 70 individuals to register by emailing register@ulstercorps.org or calling/texting 845-481-0331.

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2024 Service Summit

The 14th Annual UlsterCorps Service Summit was held Wednesday April 17th, 2024 from 8:30am – 12:30pm at SUNY New Paltz and was co-sponsored by the Center for Student Engagement, the Benjamin Center for Public Policy at SUNY New Paltz and Ulster Savings Bank. The focus for the 2024 Summit was environmental issues and sustainability, specifically ways that young people can and are making a difference.

Speakers/Roundtable Discussion Moderators & Shared Resources included:

• Lizabeth Cain, Ed.D., SUNY New Paltz, Repair Cafes
• Manna Jo Greene, Ulster County Legislator, District 19
  • View Presentation – Volunteering for Climate Solutions!
  • Calendar of Upcoming Climate Related Events
  • For Municipal Teams working to achieve 70% Renewable Energy Generation by 2030: Understanding Municipal Electric Loads and the Interconnection Queue
  • For promoting responsible Refrigerant Management: The Ulster County Coolest Recycling Event — May 2024
  • Past Presentation – How Waster Diversion Can Help Promote Landfill Siting and Longevity
  • Past Presentation – Global Climate Crisis – Science and Solutions
• Melissa Iachetta, New Yorkers for Clean Power, Climate Smart Kingston Commissioner, Kingston Repair Cafe Co-facilitator
  • View Presentation
• Wren Kingsley, EVP of Student Association, SUNY New Paltz, Sustainability Ambassador
• Jen Metzger, Ulster County Executive
  • Ulster County Climate Corps Internship Program
  • 2024 Climate Corps Flyer
• Stiles Najac, Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County Food Security Program Manager; GleanMobile; Nourish New York
• Cal Trumann, New Yorkers for Clean Power, Climate Smart Kingston Commissioner, AmeriCorps VISTA 2008-09; AmeriCorps State & National 2010-11
• Chaya Huber, Climate Smart Kingston Commissioner, Bard College Center for Civic Engagement
  • How Climate Change Affects Our Mental Health, and What We Can Do About It
  • The Little Book of Green Nudges – a quick guide to reducing your campus’ environmental impact through behavioural change in the form of a concise and user-friendly publication

2024 Service Summit Agenda

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2023 UlsterCorps Service Summit
Speakers included:

• Keynote Meg Sheeley, SUNY Ulster
• Jesse Brown, HUDSY TV – view videos “What Makes HUDSY Different?” and “Taking Back Our Stories – One Town at a Time“
• Wailly Comprés Henríquez, Brothers@
• Nina Dawson, Ulster County Youth Bureau
• Mariel Fiori, LaVoz, Radio Kingston – view presentation slides
• Melanie Forstrom, Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County
• Alessandra González Latina Singer, Teaching artist, Zumba Instructor, Latin Outreach Unity & Development (LOUD), Center for Creative Education (CCE) volunteer & PlayWell volunteer
• Johann Huleatt, Bruderhof
• Martha Williams & John Scilipote, Culture Shift Agency, BreakBread World – view presentation slides
• Cicily Wilson, Bard Center for Civic Engagement

2023 Service Summit Agenda

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2022 Service Summit
Presenters included:

• Lester Strong, founder & Executive Director, Peaceful Guardians Project
• Amy Nitza, Ph.D., LMHC, Executive Director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health at New Paltz
• Christine Hein, Executive Director, People’s Place & Fatima Deen, Wellness Empowerment Center Facilitator
• Ev Mann, Center for Creative Education founder, MaMA founder, Sunday Gatherings at MaMA co-founder, Director of Education, Peaceful Guardians Project
• Jess Robie, RN, Holistic Health and Wellness
• Karla Vermeulen, Ph.D., Deputy Director of the Institute for Disaster Mental Health and Associate Professor of Psychology at SUNY New Paltz
• Andy Reynolds, Volunteer Programs Manager, Mohonk Preserve
• Bryant “Drew” Andrews, Executive Director, Center for Creative Education
• Rev. Evelyn Clarke, Town Councilwoman at Town of Esopus & Pastor, New Progressive Baptist Church; Rev. Dr. Renee House, M.Div., Ph.D. Retired Pastor, Old Dutch Church Kingston; and Rune Jacobson, The Hudson Valley School of Tai Chi Chuan
• NYS Senator Michelle Hinchey

Speaker Bios
Wellness Resources shared by presenters

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2021 (Virtual) UlsterCorps Service Summit
Resilience in the Time of COVID

Presented by UlsterCorps and
SUNY New Paltz Alternative Spring Break

Thursday April 15, 2021, 3-4pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI7PoKjEsM8

How have local nonprofits adapted during the pandemic?
Can volunteers continue to play an important role?

Join us for a virtual summit featuring recorded interviews with leaders from six local nonprofits and a panel discussion to share best practices for remaining resilient in the time of COVID.

Featuring leaders from:
American Red Cross, Eastern NY Region | Catholic Charities | Dutchess Outreach
Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative | New Paltz Youth Program | Rondout Valley Food Pantry

Thank you to:

• The Alternative Spring Break team (Raqui, Brooklyn, Salam, Anabel, Crystal, Alison, and Jenny) for their work in interviewing and storytelling;
• Rachael Quimby (New Paltz alumna) and Alison (ASB) for their editing work;
• Niamh Hoban for presenting to our group about best practices for making a documentary;
• and representatives from the six local organizations who took the time to tell their stories- Erin Musto, American Red Cross, ENY Region | Dominique Mills, Catholic Charities | Sarah Salem, Dutchess Outreach | Troy Ellen Dixon, Kingston Emergency Food Collaborative | Jim Tinger, New Paltz Youth Program | Charlotte Knapp, Rondout Valley Food Pantry

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2020 SERVICE SUMMIT
Fostering Collaboration and Youth Engagement

Reconfigured for 2020 due to COVID-19, to a series of Service Conversations via zoom

• Lester Strong, Executive Director, The Peaceful Guardians Project
  https://youtu.be/jDXX_Jnhuq4
• Guy Felixbrodt, Director, J-Teen Leadership/ UJA Federation of NY
  https://youtu.be/nxADLwP3fZE
• Ilene Cutler, Chris Nostrand and program participants
  Generation to Generation Living History Project
  Watch excerpts on our YouTube channel

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2019 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:

– 2019 Summit Agenda
– 2019 Summit Speaker Bios
– 2019 Summit Participants List
– Volunteer Engagement Cycle Graphic and Narrative from the American Red Cross

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2018 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:

FEATURED SPEAKERS:

Grace Bonney, Design*Sponge
Mariel Fiori, La Voz magazine and La Voz at Radio Kingston
Kerst de Jong, Andrew Simmons, Ben Bruschke, Camphill Village USA
John Oles, SUNY New Paltz

– 2018 Summit Agenda
– 2018 Summit Speaker Bios
– 2018 Summit Participants List
– PowerPoint by Grace Bonney, Design*Sponge

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2017 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:
– 2017 Summit Agenda
– 2017 Summit Speaker Bios
– 2017 Summit Participants List
– Photos from the 2017 Summit
– Discussion Brief on Volunteerism in Ulster County

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2016 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:
– 2016 Summit Agenda
– 2016 Summit Speaker Bios
– 2016 Summit Participants List
– Photos from the 2016 Summit by Nicci Cagan and Sheila Blair
– Google Map of Ulster County Food Pantries with hours
developed by UlsterCorps & Family of Woodstock, 2016
– Google Map of Food Pantries & UCAT bus routes
developed by Ulster County BOCES New Visions Health Career Explorations students & UlsterCorps, 2011-2016
– Google Map of Ulster Farms, Farmers Markets & Food Pantries
developed by UlsterCorps, 2009-2016
– PDF Map of Pantries and UCAT bus routes
developed by UlsterCorps, 2011-2016
– en Espanol
Creado en 2016 por UlsterCorps y La Familia de Woodstock
– PDF Text List of Pantries with hours
developed by UlsterCorps, 2010-2016

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2015 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:
>> 2015 Summit Agenda
>> 2015 Summit Participants List
>> 2015 Agency Survey

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2014 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:
>> 2014 Summit Agenda
>> 2014 Summit Speaker Bios
>> Community Animal Response Team Presentation
– by Dr David Chico
>> Photos from the 2014 Summit

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2013 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:
Service Summit 2013 Agenda
Service Summit 2013 Speaker Bios
Service Summit 2013 Participants List
Photos from the 2013 Service Summit
Video from the 2013 Service Summit – Part 1 | Part 2
 Thanks to photgrapher/videographers Ilene Cutler and Pam Kray!

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2012 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:
Service Summit 2012 Agenda
Service Summit 2012 Speaker Bios
Service Summit 2012 Participants List
Service Summit 2012 Roundtable Discussion Summary
Service Summit 2012 Evaluation Forms
Hunger Project Mind Map
Hunger Project Map of Food Pantries – Poster for UCAT Buses
Generously funded by Lifebridge Foundation and PDQ Printing

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2011 SERVICE SUMMIT Info & Materials:
New Visions Hunger Project Research Documents Presented at the 2011 Summit:
Research Document 1 – Ulster County Soup Kitchens + Food Pantries
Research Document 2 – NV Hunger Project Logic Model
Research Document 3 – Interactive Map of Food Pantries, Supermarkets & UCAT Bus Routes
created by Ulster County BOCES New Visions Health Career Explorations students, 2011
2011 Summit Agenda
2011 Summit Participants List
2011 Service Summit Evaluations

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2010 SERVICE SUMMIT Info + Materials:
Listen to Greg Fry’s report on the 2010 Summit on WAMC
2010 Summit Agenda
2010 Summit Participants List
2010 Summit Evaluation Responses
2010 Agency Survey Report
2010 Volunteer Survey Report