HVCS is providing free Hepatitis C testing and a bag lunch on 4 dates in May (which is Hepatitis Awareness Month). Testing and lunch incentives will be given at our SEP van (or in the Monticello office, on May 16th).
Here is the full schedule:
Thursday May 12, 2022 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Municipal Parking Lot @ Mill St.
between N. Hamilton and Catherine St., Poughkeepsie
Friday May 13, 2022 from 1:30 to 3:30 pm
Parking lot behind 280 Broadway, Newburgh
Monday, May 16, 2022 from 12:00 to 2:00 pm
20 Crystal St., Monticello
Tuesday, May 17, 2022 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm Elmendorf St. between Broadway and Tremper Ave., Kingston
HVCS’ signature Drag Brunch returns to Gunk Haus in Highland for 2022! Join us on Sunday, February 27th for amazing performances hosted by Trixie Starr, tantalizing brunch entrees, games, prizes and more. This event benefits HVCS’ programs and services, like HIV. STD and Hepatitis C prevention.
All attendees must show proof of COVID vaccination at the door. Ticket includes choice of brunch entree and bottomless non-alcoholic beverages.
In mid-December, we received an email from the Ulster County Department of Mental Health. They asked if we would be interested in signing on as a subcontractor on a grant from NACCHO: the National Association of City and County Health Officials. Specifically, they wanted to know if we would be up for reviving or rebooting our Mid-Hudson Project Reach Out (PRO) program to provide support and referrals to Ulster County residents with substance use disorder issues. We said yes, collaborated on a grant application, and were very pleased to learn that it was funded!
Though we wish we could bring back PRO to the entire Mid-Hudson, we are thrilled to restore it to one county at least, and to have found a brand-new funding partner in Ulster County Department of Mental Health.
There is some important news for clients of our Nutrition Outreach and Education Program (NOEP).
New York State has taken the necessary steps to ensure that February recurring SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) will be issued to all SNAP recipients in New York State by January 20th. If you are one of our NOEP clients, please note that this January 20th SNAP benefit is not an extra payment, but rather an early issuance of February’s benefit. Your NOEP Coordinator will work with you on how to budget accordingly since it will be coming earlier. It is also important to note that all households that require recertifications for February should complete all the necessary steps as soon as possible and before January 18th. Local SNAP offices are working hard to have these recertifications processed before January 31st. At this time, there is no information about how March benefits will be impacted. If you have any further questions please reach out to the NOEP Coordinators in your county:
For Dutchess County please contact Elena Dalia at (845) 360-9722
For Ulster County please contact Catherine Cortale at (845) 579-2558
For Orange County please contact Debbie LaBoy at (845) 522-5761
For Sullivan County please contact Pat Ocasio at (845) 842-1232
Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate the official opening of our new Kingston office on Thursday, April 12, 2018! We moved our existing Kingston office to a larger, brighter space and combined our staff with those who worked at a former Lake Katrine office. Special thanks to Congressman John Faso for sending a certificate of recognition and Jude McGrath from the office of NYS Assemblyman Kevin Cahill.
Welcome to our open house!
Members of our Kingston staff!
Board Members Aretha Thompson and Michael Hall, with Andi Straus and Lisa Carr
Flowers from the Newburgh office.
Andi Straus, current Executive Director, with Jeff Kraus, former ED.
Presenting the certificate from Congressman Faso’s office
A certificate of recognition from Congressman Faso’s office
Kingston’s mascot, Fred Finstone
Jackie Perez and Joel Ruuska
A sign posted in the Kingston office.
Jeff Kraus, Andi Straus and Jude McGrath
Mary Beth Davis-Steyer and J. Dewey
J. Dewey introduces the next speaker.
Andi Straus, Executive Directors, welcomes everyone to the new office.
Board VP Michael Hall says a few words of thanks.
Michael Hall with former Executive Director Jeff Kraus
It’s time once again for delicious brunch food, mimosas, drag performers and Match Game! Liz, Dirk and the staff of Gunk Haus in Clintondale invite you to the 2018 Drag Brunch, a fundraiser for Hudson Valley Community Services. Hostess Trixie Starr is sure to sweeten the deal with the always-fun games and spicy banter. Local superstars including JoJo Gerard, Boxxa Vine and Valkyrie Hail will perform classic favorites and pop hits that will get you grooving to music by Superior Sounds. Plus, don your best gender-bending outfit and vie for the Best Audience Member Outfit prize and enter to win great prizes.
Tickets are $30 each and include choice of brunch entree, coffee, tea and juices–plus a donation to HVCS.
HVCS’ Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) is pleased to announced that it now serves Sullivan and Ulster counties, in addition to Dutchess and Orange. The New York State Department of Health’s Harm Reduction Unit recently approved our plan to expand our successful syringe exchange van program to Kingston and Monticello.
The discrete SEP van will be located in Kingston at Elmendorf Street between Broadway and Tremper Avenue on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10:00 am to 12 noon and 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm.
The van will also operate in Monticello on Mondays and Fridays from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm and 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm, but interested clients and referring agencies must call (845) 476-2190 OR (845) 234-5225 for location.
The SEP program has kept thousands of used syringes off of the streets and out of the Poughkeepsie and Newburgh communities thus far. Program staff regularly offer trainings on the overdose prevention drug Narcan/Naloxone, and have saved several lives. Staffers estimate that the clients they have trained to administer Narcan themselves revive between three and five overdosing peers each month.
For more information on SEP, please call (845) 476-2190 or (845) 234-5225.
This just in! The Queens and Kings of New Paltz announced that their HVCS fundraiser, “Testing All Queens,” extends beyond the on-campus dinner and show this Saturday night with an official afterparty at Village Pizza! Join them for more shenanigans, $11 pies, and drink specials at this popular New Paltz hangout starting at 10:00 pm. Plus, there will be a surprise drag show at midnight so you get two shows in one night! $2 cover to benefit HVCS.
18 and up, 21 to drink. For more info on Testing All Queens see our previous post.
SUNY New Paltz’ Queens & Kings of New Paltz, an on-campus drag club, presents the 2nd Annual “Testing All Queens!” drag show fundraiser on Saturday, December 3rd from 6:00 to 9:00 pm in the Student Union Building. This outrageously fun holiday-themed event features performances by future drag all-stars, dinner by Pasquale’s, DJ music by Dangerboy, and a guest speaker from Love Heals. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for non-students, all to benefit HVCS. Our Project INFORM team will be on hand with sexual health info, condoms, lube and other goodies, too.
Last year’s event was a ton of fun, and we were so inspired by these talented drag kings and queens that we wound up hiring them for our other drag events later in the year! This is one event you don’t want to miss!
