Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Community Parks topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Newburgh Sanctuary tells council five‑year impact story, seeks stewardship language in upcoming lease
Summary
The Newburgh Sanctuary presented a five‑year community impact report to the City of Newburgh council, highlighting youth employment, food distributions and habitat restoration; director Betty Bastidas said a draft lease arrived two days earlier and asked the city to enshrine environmental‑justice stewardship language in future agreements.
Betty Bastidas, executive director of Newburgh Sanctuary, presented the nonprofit’s five‑year community impact report to the City of Newburgh Common Council on Jan. 22, describing a BIPOC‑centered healing garden at Crystal Lake that operates as a site for youth apprenticeships, food distribution and habitat restoration.
"We've been in this site for the last five years and have invested about $450,000 in salaries, seeds, plants and trees," Bastidas said, describing the Sanctuary as "rooted in love, justice and care for the Earth." She said Sanctuary youth and land stewards have harvested and distributed more than 1,200 fresh food bags to food‑insecure and housing‑insecure residents and visitors, and that volunteers and partners helped remove three tons of garbage from Crystal Lake.
Youths from the program described their experience. "Over the past year I have been paid to grow food, feed our community, and practice regenerative farming," Cameron, a 15‑year‑old participant, said. Jeremy Nayer, a senior and media apprentice, said he and other youth documented neighborhood stories and helped stage cleanups and events. Volunteer Kanai outlined future projects including a greenhouse, outdoor kitchen and compost improvements to increase food access.
Council members praised the Sanctuary’s education and youth engagement. "We love what you're doing with the young people," Mayor Harvey said, offering to provide support letters and help with grant applications. Councilors sought greater clarity about the group’s property status; Bastidas said the Sanctuary received a draft lease two days earlier and is reviewing it with the city, and that the organization sees itself as land stewardship rather than a corporate tenant.
Bastidas asked that any new lease language reflect environmental‑justice principles so the Sanctuary’s stewardship role is preserved. Council members encouraged continued community outreach and attendance at programs; Council member Zaria promoted a President’s Day hike on Feb. 16. The presentation ended with council members thanking Sanctuary staff and youth for the report.
The Sanctuary said it will continue grant applications and local partnerships while it reviews the draft lease with city staff.
