Community Action of Orleans and Genesee

When it comes to high school proms, there are most likely three camps of students: those who are definitely planning to attend, those who have no interest in such an event, and then those who would like to attend but don’t have the money to afford all the trappings of what prom is known for: a lavish, fashionable affair. 

Cass Healy, store manager of Main Street Corner Thrifts, Gifts and More for Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, has been working to bridge the gap for that last group so that students can obtain the necessary attire and extras so they can enjoy the spring event as well.

“Last year I had started to hold Prom Events here at the store in which I would allow students to come in and pick out a prom dress free of charge in order to attend prom. I also worked with a few schools that gave us a chance to bring some in to allow the students to look at the dresses. We are having the same event this year, with a few new perks,” Healy said to The Batavian. “At (this year’s) store event, we will be having a couple of hundred dresses, suits, makeup and other accessories out for the students to pick from. We also will have a drawing for free prom tickets — with the help of the Ministry of Concern, which has set out jars for “Pennies for Prom” in local shops — and we will be raffling off gift cards for those who need some help purchasing items to prepare for prom.

There will also be a makeup artist on hand to provide students with tips on how to do their makeup for the big night, she said. This event is not limited to Orleans County residents. It is also open to Genesee County students.

She recently took a bunch of dresses to the School for the Blind in Batavia, providing prom dresses to 18 girls who needed them. Healy said that she is willing to bring dresses to any school district in Genesee County upon request. 

Why does she do it?

“One particular girl we had last year was able to get a dress, shoes, accessories, and all her makeup and hair needs taken care of through us. She had informed me that she had won tickets, but due to her family’s financial situation, she did not think that she would be able to go,” Healy said. “She had expressed her appreciation many times and was very excited that she would be able to go and experience this. She had also sent us some photos of her at prom with her friends. Truly one of those ‘this is why I do this’ moments.”

Her event runs from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at 131 S. Main St., Albion, and is open to students beyond Orleans County. It will be a fun night with free prom dresses, suits, accessories, and hair and makeup tips.

“I am hoping to reach out to more students this year in any of the surrounding counties. I believe that everyone should be able to experience prom no matter their financial situation,” she said. “So here at Main Street Corner Thrifts, Gifts and More, we are always accepting dresses, suits, shoes, makeup, hair supplies and other accessories for these events. We encourage the community to check their closets for their prom-appropriate attire and bring it by the store to help our youth make these lasting memories.”Cass Healy of Main Street Corner Thrifts, Gifts and More brought to the NYS School for the Blind in Batavia 

For more information or to arrange a school event, contact her at chealy@caoginc.org.

Submitted Photos of dresses during the NYS School for the Blind event.

Press Release:

Community Action is redoing the food pantry room and their shelves are outdated and bulky. 

Community Action reached out to Zonta International of Batavia for help.

The Zonta club was able to present them with a check for $500 towards these new shelves. This will help store food more efficiently for members of our community in need.  

Press Release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has been awarded $35,946 from Foodlink to increase cold storage capacity at the emergency food pantry in Batavia. 

The food pantry has had a significant increase in visitors during the last few years as inflation costs have pushed the price of fresh foods such as produce, milk, and eggs out of reach for many. Community Action plans on using the funds to install an outdoor walk-in unit at the location at 5073 Clinton Street Rd in Batavia.

The combination freezer and cooler will provide an additional 432 cubic feet of storage space and will allow the pantry to focus on providing fresh, healthier options and a larger variety of more expensive items like cheese and meat. 

The pantry interior will also be remodeled to take better advantage of dry storage capacity and increase the variety of available items. The project is anticipated to be completed this spring.

If you are interested in donating to the Batavia Emergency Pantry fund, please contact David Dodge at (585)343-7798 ext. 114 or via email at ddodge@caoginc.org. 

Pantry walk-in hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Friday. Photo ID, proof of residency, and proof of income are required.

Press Release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has paired with M&T Bank to present free financial wellness workshops during March.

Representatives from M&Ts Financial Education Center will present a one-hour workshop on Budgeting on Wednesday, March 13, and Making Budgets Work on Wednesday, March 27. 

M&T can provide information on a variety of topics like budgeting, credit management, building wealth & retirement, and more. The one-hour sessions start at 1 p.m. at 5073 Clinton Street Rd, Batavia. 

To register, or for additional information, please contact David Dodge at (585)343-7798, ext. 114, or via email at ddodge@caoginc.org.

If you’re a Genesee County resident in need of a winter coat, Community Action of Orleans and Genesee may be able to help.

The nonprofit has winter coats for people of all ages and sizes, Case Manager David Dodge says. They are free for low income families, and only require some simple paperwork to be completed, he said.

People may select their coats through 4 p.m. Monday or from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday this week, he said. 

As for donations, “we are always in need of gently used or new clothing and coats,” he said. 

Community Action is at 5073 Clinton Street Road, Batavia. 

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is partnering with M&T Bankís Financial Education Center to offer a free financial wellness workshop. Visitors will have access to information on a variety of topics, such as budgeting, credit management, building wealth, retirement, and more.

The class will be held at 5073 Clinton St. Rd, Batavia, on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, at 11 am. Pre-registration is required. To sign up, contact David Dodge at (585) 343-7798 ext. 114 or email ddodge@caoginc.org.

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and has served low-income and disadvantaged families since 1965. Community Action programs are designed to empower as well as provide opportunities to those who are not yet self-sufficient

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has opened registration for the Harvest Dinner program.

Income-eligible Genesee County residents who qualify will receive a food box and Aldi’s gift card.

To reserve a registration appointment, please call (585) 343-7798. ID for all household members and current proof of income is required at the time of your visit. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. Supplies are limited and will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Organizations referring multiple clients should contact case manager David Dodge at (585)343-7798 x 114.

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and has served low-income and disadvantaged families for over forty years. Community Action programs are designed to empower as well as provide opportunity to those who are not yet self-sufficient. 

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has announced an agency-wide effort to collect personal care items that will be distributed to community members when they are facing an immediate need.

The agency will be collecting personal and household items such as deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, laundry detergent, feminine hygiene products and toiletries for the entire month of July. These items will be used to assist those facing emergencies such as fires, domestic violence, job loss, and more.

Donations can be made in person at:

5073 Clinton Street Road,
Batavia, NY 14020
(585) 343-7798

For additional information, or to make a financial contribution, please visit our website at www.caoginc.org. 

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has received a $133,166.00 grant from the Muriel H. Marshall Fund for the Aging of Rochester Area Community Foundation for its Door-to-Door Transportation for the Elderly Program.

"After suffering significant losses, exacerbated by COVID and loss of funding sources, we were devastated to have to stop services in neighboring Orleans County. We feel deep gratitude for the support and generosity of the Rochester Area Community Foundation and the Muriel H. Marshall Fund for again enabling us to continue this essential program in Genesee County, especially through this difficult economic time," says Renee Hungerford, CEO of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee. "This service is critical for these folks to access healthcare and other important needs."

The mission of Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is to ìProvide services, with dignity and respect, that help people become self-sufficient. 

Rochester Area Community Foundation engages philanthropists and community partners to improve our eight-county region by promoting philanthropy that helps to create an equitable community and strengthen our regionís vitality. Since 1972, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $590 million in grants and scholarships. For more information, visit www.racf.org.

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee received a delivery of 2,680 pounds of food from the United States Postal Service on Monday, May 16.  Local letter carriers collected the non-perishable food as part of their national Stamp Out Hunger food drive, which is held every second Saturday in May.  Community Action will use the donation to stock their emergency food pantry, where it will be distributed to families in need.  

Thank you to the United States Postal Service, the National Association of Letter Carriers, local staff, volunteers, and community members who took part in this event. Your kind and generous donation will help us fill hundreds of plates across the county.  

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee can be reached at (585) 589-5605 and is located Albion at 409 E. State St. in Albion.  Walk-ins are welcome, but a call ahead is encouraged to ensure the fastest service.  

Press Release

The hard work and dedication of the team at Community Action of Orleans and Genesee was recognized this week by the New York State Department of State.

In a certificate of recognition issued as part of Community Action Month, Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez wrote “Today we recognize and express our gratitude to Community Action of Orleans and Genesee, Inc, under the leadership of Renee Hungerford, Executive Director, for their extraordinary efforts and service to the State of New York and their contributions to the ongoing efforts and service to the State of New York and their contributions to the ongoing efforts to strengthen and enhance the success of the community action network.”

Renee joined Community Action of Orleans and Genesee in 2020. Since taking the reins as CEO, she has worked tirelessly to identify the needs of Orleans County and Genesee residents and pave to new paths that meet those needs close to home.

Most recently, Hungerford has been the driving force that launched Community Action’s recently announced “Axis of Care” program, which will increase access to healthcare for homeless and housing insecure families across the county.

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is hosting a free “spring cleaning” giveaway event on Tuesday, May 24, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. in front of the building at 5073 Clinton St. Clothing, food, household items, personal care items, toys and much more will be available to the community for free.

There is no need to pre-register for the event. In addition, several agencies and organizations will be available as a resource to the community. These organizations include Catholic Charities, Childcare Resource and Referral, CORE Learning Center, Eagle Star Housing, Fidelis Care, Food for All, Genesee ACE Employment, Genesee County Health Department, GLOW Out, Horizon Health Services, Job Development, Tobacco Free GLOW, YWCA of Genesee County.

Donations in good condition will be accepted for drop-offs at 5073 Clinton Street Road until Thursday, May 19th. Unfortunately, due to limited storage capacity, larger items such as furniture can not be accepted at this time. Please call 585-343-7798 to schedule your donation or if you have any questions about the event.

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and has served low-income and disadvantaged families for over forty years. Community Action programs are designed to empower as well as provide opportunities to those who are not yet self-sufficient. 

Press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has received a $155,500 grant from the Muriel H. Marshall Fund through the Rochester Area Community Foundation for its “Door Through Door” specialized transportation program in Genesee County.

This funding will apply to the July 2021 through June 2022 program year. 

“This funding has allowed us to continue these critical services for elderly and frail residents of Genesee County, despite the rising costs of fuel and insurance along with decreased ridership due to COVID,” says Executive Director of Community Action, Renee Hungerford. “We are grateful to the foundation for continued support of our program."

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has a number of programs to fulfill their mission of providing services, with dignity and respect, that help people become self-sufficient. Program details can be viewed by visiting here.

The CATS transportation program is undergoing a downsizing and restructuring process, including consideration of pursuing more economical vehicles, in response to increased costs and competition along with reduced ridership. 

Rochester Area Community Foundation engages philanthropists and community partners to improve our eight-county region by promoting philanthropy that helps to create an equitable community and strengthen our region’s vitality. Since 1972, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $500 million in grants and scholarships. For more information, visit here.

Press release:

For many years, Community Action of Orleans and Genesee has been a resource supporting reliable and affordable transportation services to community members in our two counties via the Community Action Transportation System, better known CATS.

But the current system of providing bus transportation has become exceedingly expensive for Community Action. Over recent years, many of our bus trips contain only one or two riders. Using buses to transport a single rider is extremely expensive and the costs have continued to rise with increases in insurance, bus maintenance, fuel and wages.

It is with a heavy heart that Community Action has made the decision to downsize the CATS Bus transportation system. With costs exceeding revenue, it is deemed necessary to protect our ability to provide the many unique and essential services we bring to our customers. This will be difficult and this process will take time.

“Fuel and bus maintenance is costly, while ridership is low due to COVID and new conveniences such as remote work, grocery delivery, and telehealth,” said Community Action Executive Director Renee Hungerford.

The CATS program has been providing to residents, bus transportation service for established routes and for “on-demand” rides year-round, five days per week.  Destinations included community health centers, doctor and hospital visits, treatment centers, clinics, dialysis, and retail store shopping.

The caring and courageous staff continued services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic despite a drastic reduction in riders along with the added effort of sanitizing buses between trips. 

Community Action services have been able to support clients who are elderly or disabled and who remain independent in their homes but do not own/drive a vehicle. 

CATS bus transportation services have evolved where experienced and professional staff have dedicated themselves not only to ensuring maintained vehicles but have also provided very caring door-to-door and door-through-door service for some of our clients.

Today however, our friends at Rochester Transportation Services (RTS) and others are helping to fulfill this need. 

Community Action will work with partners to do everything possible to ensure transportation needs are met by offering other transportation options to our Community Action clients. We will continue to provide busing for our Head Start program.

As we go through this process, we will research the possibility to evolve our community transportation support to vans and energy efficient vehicles that meet the special needs of valued customers.

It will featuring original poetry written and read by Jacqueline Fields.

It will featuring original poetry written and read by Jacqueline Fields.

From Lisa Wittmeyer:

Community Action of Orleans & Genesee is Spring Cleaning! 

We’re hosting a FREE Clothing Give-a-way on from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, May 5, in front of our building, located at 5073 Clinton Street Road, Batavia.

We’ll have other household items available as well.

Please wear your mask and social distance.

Submitted photo and press release:

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee’s Head Start Program is joining forces to celebrate the upcoming Week of the Young Child – April 10-16 with the National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

The local Head Start program serves more than 250 young children, ages birth – 5 years, and their parents in Orleans and Genesee counties. Like NAEYC, Head Start programs are committed to delivering best practice early childhood education that help young children thrive and learn in an environment dedicated to ensuring children reach their full potential.

The 2021 Head Start Book Fund Campaign -- "Build a Library … Create a Reader" will put books in the homes of local Head Start Children on a monthly basis.  

Esther Leadley, longtime active member of the Community Action Board of Directors, has worked tirelessly in advocating for the “Young Child” throughout her career. Her enthusiasm and passion for young children has initiated the Head Start Book Fund Campaign where children exposed to more books can increase their vocabulary and nurture beginner reading skills.

“It’s about our local children and their future," Leadley said. "I hope others will join me in this annual project that “builds home libraries and helps create readers for our Head Start children.”

Head Start donors can help “create readers” with a $60 donation that will ensure one take-home book for one local Head Start child for each of 12 months. A donation of $120 will ensure a take home book for two Head Start children; one book for each of 12 months.

Online donations can be made by clicking here. Or checks can be made payable to Community Action of Orleans/Genesee and mailed to 409 State St., Albion, NY  14411.

Community Action of Orleans and Genesee in Batavia is holding a free coat giveaway until 2 p.m. at its location at 5073 Clinton Street Road. There are also canned vegetables and hats available.

In the first 90 minutes of the giveaway this morning, people picked up more than 100 coats.

Photo: Walt Almeter, Darlene Almeter and Ariana Green are ready to hand out more coats today.