New York continues to see a decline in population, with rural counties being hit the hardest, according to a report commissioned by the Rural Housing Coalition. The State of Rural New York report highlights that the population loss is twice the rate of urban counties, with Chenango, Delaware, Franklin, Herkimer, Madison, and Schoharie County experiencing the biggest losses between 2010 and 2020. Schoharie County, in particular, suffered a 9.3% decline in population. The report also reveals that rural populations have a higher average age and lower education levels than their urban counterparts, and have lost more job opportunities than urban counties. This situation is further compounded by the aging housing stock and high cost of accessibility modifications for seniors, making it challeng...
Albany Advocacy Day is Tuesday, February 13th! Please plan to join fellow members for an in-person Advocacy Day on February 13, 2018. We will be meeting at 9am in Room 211 in the Legislative Office Building. (Please note, we may use the offices of the Commission on Rural Resources as a ‘home base’ during the day.) Members are responsible for setting up their own appointments. Contact Sara Wall Bollinger who is maintaining the master list to join the NYSARH team or to get further information. This is a great opportunity to network with colleagues while being the Voice for Rural New York, don’t miss out!
The Board of Directors engaged in a Strategic Planning process during 2017 that culminated in a vote to approve the plan in December. During this process, seven priority areas were identified: Advocacy Capacity Building Communication Finances Membership Networking System Transformation. You can view the full Strategic Plan here or see the Strategic Priorities Grid here.
There is a growing movement behind understanding the impact of trauma on our region and advocating for Western New York to become a trauma-informed community. Trauma-Informed Care (TIC) is an approach that shifts thinking from “what’s wrong with you?” to “what’s happened to you?” with an understanding of the pervasive nature of trauma. As a result, members of the Community Health Foundation Fellows Action Network are accepting applications for the upcoming Trauma Informed Care Learning Collaborative. This free 7-month program is based on a train-the-trainer model where thirty (30) individuals representing the eight counties of Western New York will work to transform Western New York into a trauma-informed community via organizational/system change and advocacy. Participants will be trained...