Thank You!

45 Years: Thank You for Your Generosity

We are enormously grateful to the countless neighborhood residents, government officials and individual and corporate donors who so generously gave of their time and resources this past year. 2013 marked our 45th year of facilitating community development in Troy and Rensselaer County. As in every prior year the credit truly goes to the community. We are impressed and humbled by the trust you have put in us and we look forward to working with each of you in a busy and impactful 2014. Our best to you and your families.

Thanks to our 2013 Donors!

Wally & Jane Altes, Anonymous, Architecture+, Bank of America, Charles Barnes, Judith A. Barnes, Bartle McGrane Duffy & Jones, BBL Construction, Berkshire Bank, Tony Behan, Robert & Mary Brand, Bob & Sheryl Burke, Callanan Industries, Cannon Heyman & Weiss LLP, Capital Bank, Capital District YMCA, Karen Carlson, Nancy Carroll, Carroll Realty, Joanne Carter, Joe Cary, CDWA Legal Project, Andrew Chase, Joyce and John Chupka, Citizens Bank, Chris Collins, Commission on Economic Opportunity, Community Loan Fund of the Capital Region, Susan Cummings, Andrea Daley, Michael and Rebecca Danforth, Tony Dawson, DeFazio Imports, Garrett and Shellie Degraff, Jessica Derrick, Honorable Bob Doherty, Doug Dylla, Emma Willard School, Lorraine and Jeff English, Carl Erickson, Michael Esposito, Joe & Barbara Fama, Donald & Lisa Fane, Marion Field, First Niagara Bank, First United Presbyterian Church, Joseph and Claudia Fleming, Melissa Franklin, Charles Freihofer, Sandra Garrity, Marie Gavazzi, Tim & Kathy Gilchrist, Colleen Goldston, Jude Goldwin, Honorable Jim Gordon, Honorable Peter Grimm, Groff Networks, Hannaford, David and Katie Haviland, John & Karen Hedley, Barbara and Gary Higbee, Hilton Garden Inn Troy, Alane & Paul Hohenberg, Penny Holmes, Hoosick Valley Contractors, Hudson River Bank & Trust, Rev. David and Mozella Irving, Honorable Kathy Jimino, Liza Johnson, E. Stewart Jones Jr., Joseph Mangione Inc., Sam Judge, Paul Keely, Charles Keels, Key Bank, Nancy Klepsch, Honorable Lynn Kopka, Gwen Krause, Hilary Lamishaw, Bernice Bornt Ledeboer, Joseph Lomonaco, M&T Bank, Bob and Janet MacLasco, Cara Macri, Patrick Madden, John Madden Jr., Joseph P. Mangione, Honorable Kathy Marchione, Roger & Maria Markovics, Morris and Esther Massry, Norman Massry, Jillian Mayott, Kim Mazor, Denise Mazzariello, Jack McCann, Honorable John McDonald III, Thomas McGuire, Elizabeth McLaughlin, Honorable Steven McLaughlin, Honorable Rich McNally Jr., Honorable Mike McNulty, Heinrich Medicus, Carole Montepare, Ovsanna & Mihran Mooradian, Townsend Morey, Steve and Mary Muller, NBT Bank, Edward Nash, Marilyn Neal, Christine Nealon, Barb Nelson, Theresa Newton, Nina Nichols, Jeanette Nicholson, Kevin and Pat O'Bryan, Tim O'Byrne, Thomas O'Connor, Jane Otto, Gail Padalino, Elsie Pastor, Peony Ventures LLC, Pfeil Hardware, Sandy Phoenix, Pioneer Bank, Ratna Randive, Marsha Ras, George Regan, Steven Rein, Edward Reinfurt, Rensselaer County Regional Chamber of Commerce, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Reverus, Jay Richardson, Honorable Lou Rosamilia, Ken & Dorcas Rose, Honorable Ellen McNulty Ryan & Mark Ryan, Michael Rynasko and Susan Troll, Peter Sawyer, Nancy Scarchilli, Bill Shroeder & Wendy Pattison, SEFCU Mortgage Services, Christopher Shaw and Bridget Ball Shaw, Yvette Smalls, State Farm Insurance, Stewarts Shops, Dr. Mary Theresa Streck, Sunmark FCU, T. McElligott Inc. Trustco, Michael Tucker, Turner Construction Company, Unity House, Tina Urzan, Value Options, Peter Fox and Erica Veil, Betsy Voss, Danielle & Rob Wattsman, Charles Weisman, Amy Williams, Patty Williams, Wiltshire Energy, and Wojeski and Co.

TRIP depends upon charitable contributions to support its work in community revitalization, affordable housing, and resident leadership development. Thank you for your role in revitalizing Troy and its neighborhoods. TRIP is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Click here to make a secure online donation.

Or

Please make checks payable to:

Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, Inc. or TRIP 

Mail to:

TRIP

415 River Street

Troy, NY 12180

Make a Difference - Volunteer with TRIP

Here are some specific ways you can help.

Or if you have a specific skill, let us know.

We can put it to use!


Social Media:

• help with updates to Facebook and Twitter about events and relevant info
• write drafts of articles for monthly newsletter

We Appreciate Your Generous Support

Your Donation Matters

"TRIP rents apartments at affordable prices."

"Really? I thought TRIP helps people become homeowners."

"No, TRIP is about rehabbing old, unmarketable homes and making them useable again."

"Hmm, I thought TRIP supported neighborhood leaders and associations."

Many people don't know that TRIP does all of the above... and more. These core activities enable us to work towards our mission and vision, which is about people, homes, and communities.

We hope you will take ten minutes to watch a video entitled "TRIP - More Than Housing: Building Leadership." it will give you an idea of the impact we can make upon one individual and where that can lead. Enjoy!

To make a secure donation to the work of TRIP, click here.
Or
Please make check payable to:
Troy Rehabilitation and Improvement Program, Inc. or TRIP and mail to:

TRIP
415 River Street
Troy, NY 12180

Congratulations!

Congratulations — again — to Marion Field, a leader in Troy’s Little Italy neighborhood and other initiatives.  In addition to being feted as this year’s Troy Treasure at TRIP’s annual HomeComing Dinner, she recently was awarded the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award at its headquarters in Albany.   She was recognized for her “diligent efforts and contributions to the city of Troy.”  We could not agree more.  Congratulations to our Troy Treasure, Marion Field, with our gratitude for all you do in our city!

Click here to view the article in The Record:

http://www.troyrecord.com/general-news/20131209/troy-woman-honored-by-fbi-for-community-leadership

Helping Others

By Helping Oakwood this Holiday Season

Oakwood Community Center, a recently designated National Historic Site on Hoosick Street in Troy, is raising money this holiday season to support three important community initiatives: 

• The Oakwood Soul Cafe, which provides a "pay what you can" meal once a month.
• Oakwood Food Pantry, which serves an average of 35 families every Saturday
• Neighborhood Compost and Gardening program

To contribute to this initiative, click here.

Connect with Oakwood Community Center on Facebook.

What Will Troy’s Future Hold?

Help Determine it!

December 10 | 6:15 - 8:30pm | ICC 1450 5th Ave.

The second of three deliberations of “Building A Stronger Troy” will be held on Tuesday, December 10 at the Italian Community Center from 6:15pm - 8:30pm. 

The meeting is free and open to the public.
 Click here to register. 

For information about the first deliberation held on November 19, go to http://www.buildingastrongertroy.org/wordpress/?p=87. 

Building Civic Capacity for a Stronger Troy has been funded by The Louis and Hortense Rubin Community Fellows Program. The funding will support three public deliberations throughout Troy, giving Troy residents the opportunity to focus on the future of Troy. It is organized by Dr. Peter Sawyer of Hudson Valley Community College in collaboration with Russell Sage, Rensselaer, Emma Willard, and other groups. 

For more information, visit www.buildingastrongertroy.org.

Energy Savings Tips

Visit http://aceee.org/consumer

This is the time of year when the heat goes on and utility bills increase – just when we prefer to spend money on holiday gifts or events.   Fortunately, there are many things we can do to save energy and money, but it can often be overwhelming to know exactly what could provide the biggest “bang for your buck;”  i.e., what kind of difference will your actions make. Fortunately, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy put together this handy list.  Click here for the full list. 

It is broken into 4 sections:

• Things to do right away, like: 
• Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120°F).  You will not only save energy, you'll avoid scalding your hands.
• Start using energy-saving settings on refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers
• Replace some of your incandescent lights (particularly the 60-100W bulbs used several hours a day) with compact fluorescents (CFLs). These lights can save three-quarters of the electricity used by incandescents. 
• Things to do this week, like:
• Visit the hardware store. Buy a water-heater blanket, low-flow shower heads, faucet aerators, and compact fluorescents, as needed.
• Things to do this month, like:
• Schedule an energy audit (click for NYSERDA page) for more expert advice on your home as a whole.
• Things to do this year, like:
• Insulate. If your walls aren't insulated, have an insulation contractor apply blown-in insulation (cellulose or fiberglass) to the walls. Bring your attic insulation level up to snuff.

(Read the rest of the list here)

Faces at TRIP: Michele Desormeau

Michele Desormeau: Maintenance Team

Meet Michele Desormeau, TRIP’s newest employee at 3 months and one day.  She is quick to tell people that her nationality is French although based on the different ways that people pronounce her name, it changes from Italian to German to …..

Michele joined TRIP’s maintenance team in September and has many years of experience in this field.  She feels working in maintenance is challenging and rewarding work, particularly since it is not the “same old thing” every day.  The work changes daily, whether it is making repairs or meeting tenants.  She is exhilarated to be working at TRIP, doing everything from repairs to “make readies,”   where she enjoys working alone as well as working with other maintenance staff on joint projects. 

When Michele is not working she loves traveling in her RV, which is currently vacationing without her in warm weather in Knoxville, TN.  Michele recently rescued a Jack Russell terrier who she named “Jack.”  Before you accuse her of having no imagination, she will tell you that her grandson thinks it’s cool when he googles Jack Russell and photos of Michele’s dog pops up. 

She used to be fussy about her hair in order to look her best, which she thought was important until her best friend was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a radical mastectomy.  Now she cuts it as soon as it reaches 8 inches (every 18 months) and donates it to Locks of Love to make wigs for cancer patients.  She explained that she often has clips in her hair, not because she thinks it looks “cute,” but to keep the hair out of her face so she doesn’t cut it before it’s long enough to donate. 

Michele is an awesome worker and a great team player.  In addition to her excellent work, we enjoy seeing her smiling face when she comes into the office.  Welcome, Michele!  

Gang of 9

Troy’s New City Council 

We want to congratulate the nine elected officials who will serve as members of Troy’s City Council beginning January 1, 2014.  We welcome the three new members:  Erin Sullivan-Teta is an at-large delegate, Jim Gordon will be representing District 1 and Anastasia Robertson will be representing District 2.  Additionally, we look forward to again working with the six incumbents who were re-elected:  at-large delegates Rodney Wiltshire (who will become council president) and Lynn Kopka, District 3’s representative Dean Bodner, District 4’s representative Bob Doherty, District 5’s representative Ken Zalewski and District 6’s representative Gary Galuski.  

We look forward to great things in Troy in 2014!

Go Team!