Those helpful people became the core of what is now known as Family of Woodstock, and the original Hotline phone number is still in use more than four decades later. The United Way-associated agency now serves a broader population of people in need, and it has grown to fill a greater spectrum of needs in response to those Hotline phone calls.
Family of Woodstock represents the epitome of the term “grassroots.” In responding to the influx of those needy young people – some of whom stuck around and became solid citizens – the inchoate organization learned to provide exactly what is required to keep folks from falling through the cracks. Whether that’s counseling on how to escape a violent domestic scene, or referring someone suffering from depression and addiction to appropriate help, or advocating on behalf victims of rape, child abuse and any other immediate threat to well-being, the staff and volunteers who work the Hotline are trained to help. In confidential, respectful conversations, people gain the information and ability that they need to help themselves.
Describing how a grassroots effort emerges, Cooper says, “By its very nature, Family’s services come from this up-out-of-the-ground force. Even our expansion is grassroots.” Goldman chimes in, “We’ve expanded by way of hearing what people need. We know what people are looking for, and we know if anyone else is providing it.” She cites the example of the homeless shelter that Family ran for a number of years. “It was overrun with women who were fleeing domestic violence. We became the first program between New York and Albany to have a shelter for victims of domestic violence, and we wouldn’t have known the need for one without the Hotline and the temporary homeless shelter there.”
With the current economic downturn causing even more levels of need in the community, newer levels of assistance have become urgent. Food, clothing, emergency shelter and access to medical and legal assistance are standard responses to the nearly 9,000 contacts fielded by the volunteers each month. The staff members also provide evening, weekend and holiday emergency coverage for the Ulster County Mental Health and Social Services Departments. And a special hotline and website, Just Connect, is run by teens for kids of all ages.
Cooper explains, “Since 2008, there are many people who are already on the edge and have been knocked over based on life situations. They’ve been able to stay afloat, and now can’t. And it’s interesting: Recent studies have shown that lower-income people are more generous than wealthy people. Working-class and poorer people bring extraordinary things to a community. And they should never be overlooked.”
“These are issues that are sometimes not so pretty or glamorous,” says Stone. “There’s domestic violence in this area for women who are not necessarily of lower-class neighborhoods or families. It’s happening all over.”
She talks about growing up in the village. “My mother was one of those people who ‘dropped out and tuned in’ and came to Woodstock. She was a bit of a rebel, just getting her life together. Family helped us; we’d go to the free store and get clothes. It’s a safe haven – a place where you can come and be taken care of.”
Woodstock’s the thriving, vibrant town that it is because of what Stone calls “the grit of those pioneer hippies.” “As a musician, I’ve traveled around; there’s no place like Woodstock. Now, with the influx of people who do have financial resources, if they knew specifically what is still needed here, and if they were going to choose the ‘charity of your choice,’ this is the place to think about hitting that,” she says – not simply to maintain Woodstock’s hippie haven atmosphere, but rather to continue its reputation as a tightly woven, caring community, a place that nurtures creative diversity.
“It’s the strength of nonjudgmental support,” says Lu Ann Bielawa, Family volunteer and Ladies of the Valley concert producer. “People experiencing downtime don’t feel embarrassed to come in and get some bread or that bag of food or whatever.” She notes that the Woodstock facility is too small to meet the needs of the community. “Everybody knows that Family is here, but I don’t think people understand what we do here. And a lot of volunteers are aging out.”
“Many requests for help come from women, whether they are mothers or daughters, victims of abuse or suffering from illness,” Bielawa notes. “And women make up most of the staff at the Hotline, too. It’s just a fact. We wanted to do something that would celebrate women, highlighting both needs and strengths.”
Goldman says that other efforts to assist people do emerge all the time, but they’re not as comprehensive as Family is. Each of Family’s 18 programs administered in three communities is separately funded, so the concert producers emphasize that general donations to the organization may not funnel into this particular program. The Ladies of the Valley concert, sponsored by Radio Woodstock 100.1, Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty, Sew Woodstock and Esotec Beverages, will directly support the Hotline and Walk-in crisis services at Family’s Woodstock Center, located at 16 Rock City Road. Cooper adds, “We are so grateful to feel the support of the community at these fundraising events. It makes a huge difference in so many ways.”
Ladies of the Valley Concert to benefit Family of Woodstock’s Hotline, Sunday, November 9, 7 p.m., $75/$50/$35/$25, Bearsville Theater, 291 Tinker Street, Woodstock; (845) 679-4406, www.bearsvilletheater.com.
