ACAP provides community support and referral services in a wide variety ways including early childhood education, energy services, emergency food services and career assistance. Contact ACAP by phone at (518) 463-3175.
Albany Damien Center The Albany Damien Center is an organization that assists people living with HIV in the Capital Region. We have multiple programs including nutrition health education, free meals, pets assistance, employment assistance, housing assistance, LGBTQ health and human services and mental health counseling. To enroll in the Albany Damien Center, please call (518) 449-7119.
Albany Public Library (APL) With seven library branches located throughout Albany, APL is a mainstay for both children and adult education. Many refugee and immigrant children, adults and families quickly ‘discover’ the vast wealth of knowledge and great community building that the Albany Public Library has to offer. For a listing of the branch library locations, times and offerings visit their website here.
Capital District Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) Affiliated with Hudson Valley Community College, EOC provides educational programs including English for Speakers of Other Languages, High School Equivalency Preparation and various professions. Programs are tuition free for people who meet economic, educational and residency requirements.
Capital Region BOCESprovides Adult Education services including a variety of English classes for adult refugees and immigrants, High School Equivalency classes and adult vocational education courses. For more information, call (518) 862-4900.
Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities (CEMHD) is a collaborative effort focusing on minority health disparities in the smaller cities and towns of New York. CEMHD works toward eliminating health disparities by developing capacity in faculty at the University of Albany and partnering with community groups to identify community health concerns and sources of disparities, plan strategies to alleviate them, and then test their effectiveness. For more information, contact Lawrence M. Schell (Center Director) at (518) 442-4904 or e-mail: [email protected].
Commission on Economic Opportunity (CEO) Troy CEO provides community support and referral services for families and individuals living in Troy, NY. Services include early childhood education, family support, employment and financial education, and health education and support. Contact CEO by phone at (518) 272-6012.
Albany County Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center provides direct and comprehensive services to all victims of sexual assault and personal violence. Treatment is offered to groups, individuals, and families. The Center operates a 24-hour crisis hotline for supportive counseling and facilitates access to the hospital and/or police station for victims of sexual violence. For more information, call (518) 447-7100 or e-mail: [email protected]. Hotline: (518) 447-7716
Food Pantries for the Capital District If there is an emergency food need, there are food pantries located throughout the Capital Region that can provide immediate assistance. (See also Basic Needs section for a complete list of member food pantries; and Volunteer section for volunteer opportunities)
Hudson Valley Community College (HVCC) Provides a variety of preparatory programs in the English language and other assistance to refugees and immigrants interested in attending HVCC.
League of Women Voters Resource materials and programs including a Voters Guide in six languages, useful for an ever-increasing number of refugees and immigrants attaining U.S. citizenship. Located at 62 Grand Street, Albany, NY 12207. Contact [email protected] or call (518) 465-4162 for more information.
Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County (LVORC) provides free, confidential, one-to-one and small group tutoring in Basic Literacy and in English for speakers of other languages for adults (18 years and older) in the Albany and Troy areas. This volunteer organization trains and places tutors for one-on-one and small group learning. Contact LVORC by phone at (518) 244-4650 (Troy) or (518) 434-0540 (Albany).
Mary’s Corner serves families with children birth to 4 years in Albany, Cohoes, Watervliet, and Green Island. Baby food and formula, diapers, clothing, toys etc. are available for families in need. They are located at 169 Mohawk St., Cohoes, NY. For further details and information on access, contact Ellen Bernier by email at [email protected] or Candice Stellato at [email protected].
Muslim Soup Kitchen Project (MSKP) services are is available refugees, immigrants and any other person in need in the Capital Region. MSKP holds monthly community meals at various locations in the Capital Region. For more information about its food and other community projects, call (518) 608-1255.
New York Folklore works to nurture traditional arts and culture through education, support and outreach. Over the years, it has reached out and supported the arts and the artists from the diverse immigrant communities that have settled in the Capital Region.
Northeast New York Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (NENYCOSH)provides training, education, and advocacy to workers in the Capital Region on how to stay safe and healthy on the job. The training sessions cover worker protections, your rights under OSHA, employer responsibilities, and how to prevent injuries and illnesses at work. In addition, NENYCOSH provides resources and information about what to do in the event of an injury, and how to file a Workers' Compensation claim. Workers can access more information and resources through the website or (518) 595-9776.
NYS Kinship Navigator is an information referral, education and advocacy program supporting people who are caring for a child that is not biologically their own. (Note: This is not part of the foster care system.) The program provides legal and financial information. Kinship Navigator can provide information to non-parent guardians of immigrant children. For information, call the Helpline at 877-454-6463.
Schenectady Inner City Ministry (SICM) SICM provides a variety of community support and referral services for families and individuals living in Schenectady. Contact SICM by phone at (518) 374-2683.
Trinity Alliance of the Capital Region Trinity Alliance provides a comprehensive range of support and referral services for families and individuals living in the Albany area through its Family and Neighborhood Resource Center. Additional services include emergency food, clothing, gun violence prevention, substance abuse treatment. Contact the Trinity Alliance by phone at (518) 459-5155.
United Tenants of Albany (UTA) UTA assists tenants in a full range of rental issues including tenant rights regarding leases, repairs, evictions etc. UTA’s Housing Hotline provides tenants with assistance in answering questions and navigating housing issues. To access the UTA housing hotline call 518-436-8997; extension 3 or complete the request form on their website here.
Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood Planned Parenthood Federation of America is a nonprofit organization that provides sexual health care in the United States and globally. Albany and Troy locations. Call 1-800-230-7526 for information and Troy or Albany appointments.
WithOurVoice, Inc Increases capacity for intercultural understanding, build diverse community connections, and grow compassionate leaders through the art of storytelling. Children of the Well (ages 11-18) and Interfaith Story Circles hosted by a religious and culturally-based community. For more information, email [email protected] or [email protected] or call (518) 859-6076.
WMHT, the Capital Region’s public television station has partnered with the Refugee Roundtable to understand how to best serve the immigrant and refugee communities in our area. Through a series of Community Conversations, WMHT provides a forum for people to discuss major issues and concerns. In addition to its outstanding TV programs, WMHT provides a wealth of educational programs for children and families.