TAKE FIVE!

March 30, 2021

Jenny Sanchez:
Hello. I’m Jenny Sanchez. Welcome to Sullivan 180 Presents Take Five!. Our guest today is Stacy Marks from Hudson Valley Community Services. Stacy, thank you for joining me

Stacy Marks:
Thank you for having me.

Jenny Sanchez:
Oh, it’s our pleasure. Can you please introduce yourself, your title and tell us a little bit about your organization?

Stacy Marks:
Sure. I’d love to, hi everyone. My name is Stacy Marks. I’m the NOEP coordinator, which is nutrition outreach and education program coordinator for Sullivan County. I work for Hudson Valley Community Services, which is now a division of Cornerstone Family Healthcare. We serve clients from Sullivan, Orange, Ulster, Duchess, Putnam, and Rockland counties.

Jenny Sanchez:
Okay, thank you. And what types of programs and services do you offer?

Stacy Marks:
Our agency provides many services, such as Emily’s Pantry, Health Homes, CEP fan, Harm Reduction Services, men and women’s services, STI testing, Health Hub, and the NOEP program. Just to name a few.

Jenny Sanchez:
Okay. Thank you. And what about NOEP and SNAP benefits would you like the community to know?

Stacy Marks:
Well, I would like them to know that there’s many services out there that we provide that people may not know about.There’s a really large amount of people out there who are food insecure, and we have a lot of services out there to help them. The eligibility requirements have also changed a lot recently with the pandemic. So if you weren’t eligible for SNAP benefits before, you can contact me and see if maybe you’re eligible now just by doing a quick pre-screen, it can be anonymous. And it, it doesn’t take much time at all, so we can see if you’re eligible. And if you are, we can go from there.

Jenny Sanchez:
Fantastic. And I wanted to ask, this is free as well.

Stacy Marks:
It’s definitely free and confidential. Yes. And how much I am involved really depends on how much you’re comfortable with. You can come to me, I can provide you with the information, with an application, everything you need to apply, or I can help as much as filling out the application for you and mailing it out for you. So I can be there to hold your hand through the whole process, or I can just give you the information if you’re comfortable doing it on your own.

Jenny Sanchez:
Wonderful. And what can County residents do to help your programs, your services?

Stacy Marks:
Well, I think one thing they could do is help release the stigma that comes along with SNAP, and other assistance benefits. These programs are out here for people who need them and we really shouldn’t be hesitant to use them and just spread the word, know that our services are out there. And if you have somebody that could use it and let them know that we’re here.

Jenny Sanchez:
Okay. And how can people stay in touch with you?

Stacy Marks:
My personal line is (845) 842-1232. We have a website, HudsonValleyCS.org. You can visit our website and that will explain all of our services and contact information on there as well.

Jenny Sanchez:
Okay, great. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Stacy Marks:
I don’t think so. Just know that I’m here, if you need my help. It’s easy to do. It’s free, confidential, and give me a call and we’ll see what we can do.

Jenny Sanchez:
Hey, Stacy, thank you so much for being here and for sharing your great programs with us.

Stacy Marks:
Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.