community services and organizations
In service to the residents of University Hill and beyond, there is a number of community services and
organizations. The Hill community remains committed to providing assistance to those in need, and has developed a variety of programs to fulfill this goal.
Planned Parenthood Center of Syracuse, Inc. (PPCS) is a private, not-for-profit organization that provides comprehensive reproductive and related health care and counseling services, educational and training programs which enhance understanding of sexuality, reproduction and parenting, and advocacy for public policies which guarantee reproductive rights and assure access to health care.
The Center is located at 1120 E. Genesee Street in its newly renovated and expanded building. Clinic services include gynecological care, contraceptive counseling and complete reproductive services for women and men. All services are fully confidential, offered by a sensitive, courteous, professional staff.
The Education Department maintains a resource center and library on-site in addition to offering a variety of workshops and programs in educational, religious and community-based settings throughout the region.
The Central New York Ronald McDonald House is a "home away from home" for families of children with serious illnesses being treated at local hospitals. Located at 1027 East Genesee Street, the house provides low-cost lodging with 16 warmly furnished bedrooms, a kitchen where families can prepare their own meals, indoor and outdoor play areas and laundry facilities. A resident house manager is on hand to attend to special needs of guest families. Families also draw support from other families at the house who are going through similar circumstances.
The Central New York Ronald McDonald House, which is one of 165 around the world, serves families from a 26-county region. The Ronald McDonald House is a not-for-profit organization. More than 85 percent of the funds needed to operate the House for one year come from individuals, businesses and organizations that make contributions and hold fund-raising events. The remaining 15 percent come from McDonald's Restaurants throughout the communities served by the Ronald McDonald House.
The Onondaga Pastoral Counseling Center (OPCC) was founded in 1968 as a not-for-profit interreligious agency to provide counseling services to individuals, families. Group therapy, clinical training, a variety of educational seminars and workshops, a divorce mediation service, and an employee assistance program are also available. Fees for services are determined on a sliding-scale basis.
Training and counseling skills for clergy and others in religious ministry is offered in the Professional Training Program (PTP) through the OPCC's Gordon D. Hoople Training Institute.
The central office of the OPCC is located in the University United Methodist Church. In addition, the OPPC operates more than a dozen satellite offices in parishes and church buildings throughout Onondaga and Oswego counties. The center is an accredited service and approved training center of the American Associations of Pastoral Counselors, and an outpatient psychiatric clinic certified by the State of New York Department of Mental Health.
Weekday mornings and afternoons, the gymnasium of the University United Methodist Church reverberates with the sound of excited children participating in the Near Eastside Adventures programs. Near Eastside Adventures is a family service agency serving the University Hill neighborhood. Since 1973, Near Eastside Adventures has been one of the few neighborhood organizations that provides free programs for children and families in this neighborhood.
Over 150 children are registered in the Near Eastside Adventures after-school and summer day camp programs. The program includes activities such as arts and crafts, athletics, cooking, tutoring, computer groups and field trips. There is also an intensive Saturday program that focuses on teaching social skills and conflict resolution skills. With the assistance of campership donations from members of the East Genesee Regent Association, Near Eastside Adventures provides the opportunity for 30 neighborhood youth to attend a week of overnight camp each summer.
The Near Eastside Adventures preschool offers a 4-day per week program for children between the ages of 3 and 5. The objective is to prepare children for entering school by teaching them social, interactive and some educational skills. Transportation is provided to and from the program.
The family-counseling program serves approximately 25 families each year. The program helps families to resolve problems, stabilize their households, and prevent placement of children outside the home. The workers make home visits, referrals, and advocate for clients and their families.
The staff at Near Eastside Adventures relies a great deal on volunteers from the community and Syracuse University. There are also two Americorps members placed at the center to coordinate and assist with programs.
Near Eastside Adventures and its services is sponsored by University United Methodist Church and operates under the Neighborhood and Family Services Division of Catholic Charities.
Day care services are available on the Hill for employees and residents of the area. Nurturing World Child Care Center, part of University Hill Child Care Centers, Inc., opened in 1982. Located at 800 East Genesse Street, Nurturing World is an on-site childcare center that affords parents in the Hill area opportunities to visit their children during the day. Nurturing World is licensed by the New York State Department of Social Services and includes three classrooms for children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years.
Kids Unlimited Child-Care Center is located in the heart of the University Hill area. Its proximity to routes 690 and 81 make it a convenient day-care stop for working parents. The center, which has been owned and operated by Girls Incorporated of CNY since 1989, is located at 324 University Avenue in the University United Methodist Church building. Kids Unlimited serves infants six weeks to 18-months old, toddlers one-and-a half to three-years old, and pre-schoolers from three to six years old. It provides activities that are gender-equitable, age appropriate, and designated to meet the developmental needs of children at various stages in their lives. TempCare, one of the new services offered by Kids Unlimited, provides short-term child care to children 6 weeks old to kindergarten age. Kids Unlimited also provides care to children before and after work. Parents can arrange transportation for this program by contacting the school district in which their child is enrolled.
The Health Science Day Care Center located at 618 Irving Avenue, serves children of students, employees and faculty of the SUNY Health Science Center. A learning environment is provided in which the child is free to explore and discover. The planned curriculum offers a balance of individual and group experiences designed to promote self-esteem, creativity, language development, cognitive skills, and fine and gross motor skills in an effort to encourage the development of the whole child. The goal of the child care center is to provide a safe and nurturing environment that allows children to develop healthy, positive attitudes about themselves, their world and their ability to learn.
The Syracuse University Day Care Center primarily serves children of students, staff and faculty of Syracuse University. The children at the Center range in age from 2 months to 5 years. The Center is located on Syracuse University's South Campus.
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