Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Disability Services topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nonprofits urge borough help for accessible group‑home renovations, vocational training and counseling services
Summary
United Cerebral Palsy, Grace Foundation, Modest Community Services and others asked the Borough Board for capital and program funding to renovate group homes, launch vocational kitchens and food‑truck training, and expand counseling and respite services for people with disabilities.
Multiple nonprofits asked the Borough Board for funding to support accessibility renovations, vocational programs and counseling services for Staten Islanders with disabilities.
Anne, representing United Cerebral Palsy (recorded as a vice president for Staten Island), described a group home built in 1994 that needs a full renovation to meet current accessibility needs: an ADL‑adapted kitchen and upgraded bathrooms, new ramps and a roof and mechanical system replacements. She said the agency requires space and structural changes to accommodate standing devices used in the M.O.V.E. program and estimated that specialized devices cost between $3,000 and $10,000 each.
Kathy of the Grace Foundation outlined vocational plans including a food‑truck incubator and a commercial kitchen training center. The foundation said it purchased a truck that will be retrofitted for participant training and asked for capital support for equipment and kitchen build‑out.
Eileen Rosen, representing Modest Community Services, requested assistance with purchasing a residential home to replace costly supportive rentals for eight residents and was told non‑city capital applications are reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget and that the current cycle’s deadline has passed; she was advised to prepare for the next application period.
Separately, Manny Rivera read testimony for the Pride Center of Staten Island requesting $10,000 to expand mental‑health counseling for LGBTQ+ residents; the presenter said counseling demand rose 50% between two recent reporting periods and that the agency had not yet eliminated its waitlist despite adding staff.
No formal appropriations were made during the morning session; board staff advised groups on application timing and administrative constraints.
