Kingston, NY- County Executive Mike Hein and Office for the Aging Director Kelly McMullen announce a new partnership with the United Way of Ulster County where senior volunteers from the Office for the Aging will work collaboratively with the United Way’s women’s initiative, Raising HOPE: Women Mentoring Women to Success. This initiative coincides with the conclusion of Older American’s Month and the theme “blaze a trail,” acknowledging the perennial contributions of older adults to our nation as they advocate for themselves, their peers and their communities.
Michael P. Hein, Ulster County Executive
“Our seniors are a valuable resource with many talents, skills and community connections which they can share with women participating in Raising Hope, women who have the will to succeed, but not always the way,” said County Executive Mike Hein. “I am pleased that our Office for the Aging is partnering with the United Way of Ulster County in this important endeavor which will positively change lives.”
Stacey Rein, United Way President and CEO
“Raising HOPE has had many successes since its inception in 2008,” said United Way’s President and CEO Stacey Rein. “But a continuing challenge has been finding a stable cadre of volunteers who can work with the women participating in our women’s mentoring program. This new partnership with the County’s Office for the Aging provides Raising HOPE with a superlative pool of role models and advocates who can help the women in our program achieve their goals.”
Kelly McMullen, Director of Office for the Aging
Office for the Aging’s Director, Kelly McMullen concurs, “We have such a tremendous pool of talented, generous women in our volunteer program and I am certain that there would be many candidates interested in an opportunity to positively impact the life of other women in our community. Raising HOPE seems like the perfect vehicle for them to do just that and I appreciate County Executive Hein’s support in this effort.”
The partnership will begin with a small pool of volunteers who will have the opportunity to volunteer for both short-term and longer-term commitments, depending on their preference. Volunteers may be asked to simply accompany a woman to a medical appointment, or to assist her in completing a job application. Some volunteers may be interested in a longer commitment in which they work with a woman to establish a plan of action to achieve specific personal and professional goals. In either case, the Office for the Aging volunteers will be helping to “blaze a trail” for their counterparts, creating an avenue for her future success.
For more information, please contact Pat McDonough at the Office for the Aging at 845-802-7935, the United Way of Ulster County at 845-331-4199, or visit http://www.raisinghopeulster.org.
