Giving Thanks to Our Community Supporters

Joe Fama and Andrew Lynn

The TRIP/RCHR Annual Homecoming Dinner on October 24th was another wonderful event. The Troy Treasure Award  went to Andrew Lynn of The Troy Bike Rescue. Andrew writes, "We had a great time at the dinner.  We were truly honored to recognized by TRIP and to share the spotlight with TAP, two organizations that are so highly regarded in the Troy Community.  We have a great amount of respect for Joe Fama and have known about his work and role in revitalizing Troy for some time.  It feels pretty amazing to be recognized as a Troy Treasure also because we are a small all-volunteer non-profit, but we have big ideas and this means that Troy is taking us seriously. Thank you!!! Thanks TRIP!!! and thanks to our amazing community of supporters."

The Citizenship Award went to Joe Fama of Troy Architectural Project, Inc. (TAP) Joe says, "The three nicest things about being named a Community Citizenship Awardee are, first, the honor and amazement I feel at joining the list of previous recipients; people that I have admired and appreciated for their commitment and accomplishments to our community. Second, the evening itself. It was deeply moving to see so many dear friends, many that I had not seen in a very long time and many that have been with me every step of the way. Third, the deep sense of gratitude and kinship I feel with TRIP and its excellent staff and board who have shared this forty year labor of love in Troy, New York; our fabulous, funny and fascinating city." Thank you, Andrew and Joe, for all you do so tirelessly to make our city a great place to live.

A moving video presentation highlighted the evening with heartfelt words from several people expressing their gratefulness for the work of TRIP in their lives. It was an extraordinary and inspirational night. Thank you to all who made it special and to those who support the work of TRIP. If you would like to volunteer your time to help with planning next year's dinner, please call 272-8289. If you or your organization would like to donate to the work of TRIP and RCHR, please visit the donor page at our website.

Pastor Willie, Thanksgiving 2011: We Need Your Help!

Missing Link Street Ministry, led by Pastor Willie Bacote, recipient of the 2010 Troy Treasure award at the TRIP/RCHR Homecoming Dinner, will again be sponsoring a Thanksgiving Day Community Dinner to help out families and individuals around Troy.  Last year, over 1100 people were fed due to the generous support of people and businesses in our city.

Rev. Willie writes, "This year we are having great difficulty with our fund-raising efforts and are reaching out to you for help. Please volunteer your services or donate generously to feed the hungry, and to bring joy and love to Troy on Thanksgiving Day." Check out the video above for more info on how you can help.

Rev. Willie Bacote and E. Stewart Jones at last year's TRIP/RCHR Annual Homecoming Dinner

Complete dinners will be available from noon - 3pm on Thanksgiving Day, November 24th at the church or deliveries can be made by calling 421-5222 to make arrangements. Donations are being accepted and volunteers are needed to cook, serve, deliver and clean up.  Please respond by contacting Reverend Willie D. Bacote, Missing Link Street Ministry, 3370 Sixth Avenue, Troy, NY 12182 or by phone at 421-5222 or 279-7096.

Meet the Candidates Night 2011

Informed voters are the source of effective government leaders, and it is each citizen’s responsibility to gather as much available knowledge before casting his or her ballot. In an effort to educate members of the community, TRIP (Troy Rehabilitation & Improvement Program) and TNAC (Troy Neighborhoods Action Council) are sponsoring a Meet the Candidates Night to connect voters with those running for Troy Mayoral Office and City Council positions. Taking place on Tuesday, October 4^th, 2011 at School 12, 475 1^st Street, Troy, candidates will present their platforms and answer questions starting at 6:30pm and running until 9:00pm.

Attendees will hear each candidate’s opinions and solutions to issues facing the City of Troy, and thus be more confident in who to vote for come Election Day, November 8, 2011. Questions about the event should be directed toward the TRIP office at (518) 272-8289.

Annual TRIP and RCHR Homecoming Dinner

This year’s TRIP and RCHR Annual Homecoming Dinner is sure to leave attendees with a glowing sense of community pride as well as full stomachs. Scheduled for Monday, October 24th at 5:30pm, guests will gather in the Franklin Terrace Ballroom, 126 Campbell Avenue, Troy. Joe Fama and Troy Bike Rescue will be greeted as the 2011 honorees. 

Joe Fama is being recognized as the current Community Citizenship Awardee for his efforts over many years in serving the City of Troy with Troy Architechtural Program. (TAP)  

Troy Bike Rescue has earned honors this year based on their ever-growing efforts to improve North Troy. Their workshop at 3260 6^th Ave. is the hub of bustling activity for both children and adults, providing a space to build and repair bicycles as well as friendships.

Those attending should plan to enjoy the event and RSVP by October 14, 2011. Any questions can be directed to the TRIP office, (518) 272-8289.

Two Fundraisers for Hurricane Irene Victims

TEXAS HOLD 'EM FUNDRAISER

All proceeds from the tournaments will be used to help repair the damage to the Military Order of the Purple Heart that occurred during the Hurricane Irene flooding.
Dates: Sat., October 15th, Sat., November 12th, Sat., December 10th
Register: 1pm.  Tournament Begins: 2pm
$65 Buy in: $10,000 in Chips.  After 1st Hour: $20 Add-On, $5,000 in Chips
Includes Soda & Food
Tournament held at: Military Order of the Purple Heart 761 3rd Ave. in Lansingburgh
Top 7 or 8 finishers will be awarded money.
If you have any questions, please call PJ Higgitt 221-3428

AND

Hell and Highwater, or Lessons for When the Sky Falls

Wednesday Oct 26 7-11pm @ Russell Sage 
Hell and High Water is a poetic, surprisingly funny, sharply satiric, and at times brutal play. A fantasia on the theme of security in America, Hell and High Water is based on the playwright's personal experience of surviving Hurricane Katrina.  

"Was it morning in America or were we mourning America? I couldn't tell. It was fall in America. Or maybe the fall of America. I just couldn't tell." - Teacher Alice from Hell and High Water.

Working with Troy Shares, a local time bank which initiated flood clean-up, Troy Area United Ministries (TAUM) will direct all monies raised to benefit people affected by the recent flooding in Troy.

One of the organizers of the fundraiser, Amanda Santiago, whose home was flooded, is really excited about the partnership between Russell Sage and the community. "Its awesome! A lot of people whose homes were damaged or who lost items after the storm are elderly like my next-door neighbor who is in his 70's and lives by himself. My own family lives paycheck to paycheck. This fundraiser will be really helpful and it's great to see community taking care of community, and Russell Sage is part of that."

See this event on Facebook

Saving Our Housing Programs

If you support the homeownership and housing services that TRIP and our sister organization, Rensselaer County Housing Resources (RCHR), provides to your neighbors, your communities -- and perhaps even you -- in Troy and the entire county, you might be shocked to know that the proposed State budget will eliminate and/or severely cut them. Here is why and what you can do.

The proposed State budget slashes funding for the Neighborhood and Rural Preservation Programs in half. These programs provide core funding to TRIP and RCHR to keep our agency, including our HomeOwnership Center, operating day-to-day. Therefore, these funds support many of our services including First-time Homebuyer Education, one-on-one financial counseling, Mini-Repair services and Landlord Training, among others. The small State investment is leveraged many times over, providing a great “bang for the buck.” For example, in 2010, through our HomeOwnership Center we counseled 436 families, produced 78 new homebuyers, provided home improvements and repairs to 220 seniors and 58 very low income families, and trained 64 landlords. This generated more than $10 million in mortgages, $1.8 million in local business, kept small contractors working, and more.

The proposed State budget eliminates funding for the Foreclosure Prevention Services Program. This program has provided resources for foreclosure prevention housing counselors (such as at TRIP’s HomeOwnership Center) and legal assistance providers to help homeowners prevent mortgage foreclosure when possible. Last year, TRIP’s foreclosure counselors helped 84 families in Rensselaer County who were facing foreclosure. This year, we expect to see many more families at risk of foreclosure due primarily to job losses or hours cut. In fact, the Federal Reserve Bank of NY found that in September 2010, in Rensselaer County there were 530 loans in foreclosure and just as many (525) where homeowners were more than 90 days late in their mortgage payment, leading to imminent risk of foreclosure. Experts believe that NYS is not even halfway through the foreclosure crisis, which means that foreclosure prevention services must continue in order to help homeowners navigate the very complicated foreclosure process. In turn, foreclosure assistance will help communities which also suffer when lenders foreclose: home conditions deteriorate, property taxes go unpaid, and surrounding housing values decline. Without additional funding for the Foreclosure Prevention Services Program, TRIP will likely lose our foreclosure counselors (1 FT, 1 PT) when our contract ends in December.

If you care about these services, your neighbors and your communities, we urge you to call your State representatives below and ask that they show their support for these housing programs by contacting their leaders.

- State Senator Roy McDonald at 455-2381

- Assembly-member Ron Canestrari (AD 106, much of Troy, Rensselaer, & Greenbushes) at 455-4474

- Assembly-member Steve McLaughlin (AD 108, various towns in Rens. Co) at 455-5777

- Assembly-member Tony Jordan (AD 112, eastern parts of Rens. Co) at 455-5404

Call as soon as possible as decisions are being made quickly to ensure a State budget agreement by April 1.

Troy non-profit tackling troubled neighborhoods

News 10 also picked up our story. Check out the excellent video clip of the interview with Executive Director Patrick Madden

News 10
Posted: Dec 29, 2010 10:51 PM EST 
 

Video: TRIP helping to rebuild Troy

TROY, N.Y.-It's not obvious, but Fifth Avenue in Troy is once again in the middle of a rehabilitation project.

"The interesting thing is, one building can ruin a block. When this building wasn't managed well, we had other tenants in our adjoining properties and wanted out. They wanted to leave," said Patrick Madden of the Troy Rehabilitation Improvement Program, or TRIP, did exactly what his non-profit organization has been doing since 1968.

TRIP bought the building, completely gutting it, rebuilding the inside from top to bottom.

"It's important for us to not only get this building for this building. But, for this block," said Madden.

TRIP has renovated about 150 properties around the city many of them on Fifth Avenue. All are then rented to lower-income families. This particular one was bought a year ago but, work on the inside just began last week.

Crews are making the inside as green and energy efficient as possible, realizing utility costs can often break the bank.

People living nearby saying the rehab projects are clearly better than the alternative, which are neglected properties and vacant lots.

"I think it's great," said Chris Wise. "If they aren't being used otherwise and they're all run down, I think it's great they're trying to build them back up make it a better place."
The current venture on Fifth Avenue is expected to be completed by April or May.