I wanted to share with you the following article that was published by the Rome Sentinel:

MARCY — SUNY Polytechnic Institute’s Psychology and Sociology Club, West Indian and African Club and Veteran Club have raised $14,000 for Johnson Park Center.

Over the past 12 years, the SUNY-Poly students have raised over $100,000 to help various organizations in the area.

Johnson Park Center is located in the Johnson Park-Cornhill community of Utica. In 1995, Center founder The Rev. Dr. Maria A. Scates, a formerly homeless veteran, came to Utica and went to Cornhill, which was “known for drugs, crime, violence, gangs, murder and full of trash, garbage and debris,” the college noted.

Through supportive housing and various programs the Center teaches program participants the ABCs: to be accountable for your actions, set boundaries in your life; and be committed to positive change. The group has added D — make a decision to do it.

To date, the Center has received over $10 million dollars for capital projects and operational funds, which has created 31 safe and supportive low-income permanent housing opportunities for homeless mothers, children and single females. The group also provides emergency housing services for traditional and non-traditional families and women. Strategies for community development includes recreation, education, positive socialization for children and their families, a food pantry, a community garden and a meal feeding program as well as mentoring, advocacy and life coaching.

Published May 18, 2015 at 4:00pm