FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

10/27/2026

Volunteer Spotlight: Marion Rogers! ⭐️ This year, FOCUS has been restructuring our FOCUS Forum program with one goal in mind: to build something worth showing up for!

🤝 That means more interaction, more inclusion, and engagement between our community and the decision-makers who shape it!

👋 One of the people helping us get there is Marion Rogers, a FOCUS Forum Greeter! When our hybrid Forums open their doors, she's the first face our in-person participants see. From the moment someone walks in, Marion is there with warmth, kindness, and gratitude, making sure they feel welcomed and have everything they need to enjoy the program!

FOCUS is here for the everyday person, and when someone takes time out of their day to join us in person, that first greeting matters to us! Marion values community connection, and it shows in how she shows up, at our forums, for the people who show up for us!

💙 Thank you, Marion, for helping us build this with intention! Want to help grow our community's conversations? 🙌 Join our FOCUS Forum Committee and help make it happen. 🔗 https://www.focussyracuse.org/join-a-committee/

10/26/2026

💼 Register Today for our November FOCUS Forum!

Join FOCUS for the second forum in our three-part fall series on Economic Instability in Onondaga County. You are welcome to attend one or all three, each conversation stands on its own.

This hybrid public forum brings local community members together to explore the lived realities of financial hardship in our community, and the resilience, resourcefulness, and meaningful work happening across Onondaga County!

💙An honest look at the barriers people navigate and where systems fall short
🤝The organizations and individuals building bridges, and ways residents can connect with their efforts
🧠A moderated, civil Q&A so attendees can ask respectful questions and discover ways to get involved

Attend in-person at OneGroup Insurance or via Zoom! Register for free: https://www.focussyracuse.org/economic-resilience/



PEACE, Inc.
Hiscock Legal Aid Society
Central New York Community Foundation

10/23/2026

📚 In 1964, a civil rights organization in Syracuse published a list of over 100 proposals for social justice in this City. It described interlocking problems of housing discrimination, employment barriers, and segregated schools that were trapping generations in poverty.

Most of it still applies today.

At October’s FOCUS Forum, a local historian and a community investment leader traced how we got here, and why right now may be the most significant inflection point this region has seen in decades.

Watch the Recording 🔗 https://youtu.be/S09tRvoDksY



Onondaga Historical Association
Central New York Community Foundation

How did Syracuse and Onondaga County arrive at today’s housing, job...

10/22/2026

2️⃣5️⃣ Cohort #25 had our ninth session this week and we looked at education through the lens of civic engagement! We learned how we can get involved through school boards, taxpayer input, literacy initiatives, and more!

Thank you to everyone who shared their work with us this week!

A cohort like this doesn't happen without incredible community partners cheering it on: 🎓 Syracuse University and💡 National Grid our Engagement Sponsors, whose commitment makes this one of a kind civic learning program possible once again!

💧Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards our Hydration Sponsor!
🎓 Onondaga Community College our session sponsor

Cohort #25 is going STRONG! We'll be back next week with our next adventure in civic participation!

10/21/2026

This dedicated Board continues in 2027 and we’re looking for new members to join them! 🔗 Apply Today: https://forms.gle/qS41i9JqhKhnvwki9

FOCUS has a working Board. If you have the capacity to serve, are ready to join a committee, and want to pitch in and do work, we invite you to apply!

Our Board does not meet about the same agenda items every month. We prioritize projects that helps FOCUS grow over meeting for the sake of meeting.

As a FOCUS Board Member, you will:
🌱 Support the Executive Director with to-do lists and onsite programs
💡 Join a committee and complete the projects that moves FOCUS forward
🤝 Show up to FOCUS programs and make connections that help FOCUS grow

If you’re ready to lend your time and talent to our very FOCUSed team, we’d love to hear from you!

10/20/2026

Volunteer Spotlight: Yona Williams! ⭐ Citizens Academy is where civic learning turns into civic action, and our Citizens Academy Committee helps make sure every cohort has a great experience along the way!

Today we're spotlighting Yona Williams, a member of our Citizens Academy Committee!

Yona is a graduate of our Winter 2024 Citizens Academy cohort, and she's stayed involved as one of our regular volunteers ever since! Having familiar, regular volunteers in the room helps current cohort members feel comfortable, giving them a recognizable and trusted face they can turn to throughout the program. From helping fundraise and securing donated prizes for our prize vault, to greeting participants and creating a welcoming atmosphere, to reviewing program evaluations to help the program run smoothly for this cohort and the next, Yona plays a part in it all!

We're grateful for the consistency and warmth Yona brings to our Citizens Academy Committee! 💙 Thank you, Yona, for helping us build with intention!

💙 Ready to bring that same energy to FOCUS? 🙌 Join a committee and help move FOCUS forward. 🔗 https://www.focussyracuse.org/join-a-committee/

10/19/2026

🌟 FOCUS is proud to share the work of our volunteer-intern: David, a senior at a local high school, who spent his summer on a Community Decision-Making Research Project! Explore David's project here: 👉 https://davidcreatessites.github.io/Syracuse-Economic-Inequality-Project/index.html

David's assignment was to select a community issue, research how decisions are made, who is involved, how budgets shape outcomes, and how residents can get involved in solutions!

📊 He chose Economic Inequality in Onondaga County, and he utilized technology to build a data-driven website that walks you through the evidence in a way that is clear, transparent, and genuinely eye-opening! We're talking, 21 sourced data points, interactive charts, a full methodology section, and neighborhood-level data on income, housing, education, employment, and more!

💡 This is what civic engagement looks like! When everyday people take the time to understand what is happening in their community, that is how we move forward together!

🎙️ FOCUS will be exploring financial hardship in Onondaga County across our October, November, and December FOCUS Forums, and registration is open, on our website (focussyracuse.org)! David's research is a powerful complement to our upcoming conversations.

10/16/2026

📊 There’s Still Time To Register for our October FOCUS Forum! 🔗 Register for free: https://www.focussyracuse.org/economic-instability/

Attend in-person OneGroup Insurance or via Zoom!

Join FOCUS for a hybrid public forum where panelists will explore the roots of
financial hardship in Onondaga County, examining both the history and the data behind economic instability in our region.
🏛️ Historical decisions and policies that shaped economic life in CNY
📈 Current data about financial instability across Onondaga County



Onondaga Historical Association
Central New York Community Foundation

10/15/2026

2️⃣5️⃣ Cohort #25 had our eighth session this week as we looked at emergency management through the lens of civic engagement! We learned how to prepare at home and how County and City services are funded, managed, and delivered!

Thank you to everyone who shared their work with us this week!

A cohort like this doesn't happen without incredible community partners cheering it on: 🎓 Syracuse University and💡National Grid our Engagement Sponsors, whose commitment makes this one of a kind civic learning program possible once again!

💧Beak & Skiff Apple Orchards our Hydration Sponsor!
💚 Robert L Kelly General Insurance our session sponsor, who knows that being prepared is the best policy!

Cohort #25 is going STRONG! We'll be back next week with our next adventure in civic participation!

10/13/2026

There's still a space for YOU to network with us! 📣 The next Meet Your Match event is almost here! Join The Gifford Foundation, FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc. and Leadership Greater Syracuse on October 20 for our next Board Recruitment Night!

🔗 Register today! https://giffordfoundation.org/meetyourmatch2/�

�Meet Your Match provides an opportunity for local nonprofit organizations and community-minded people to connect, explore shared interests, and discover meaningful ways to work together!

📣 Attention , activated citizens and local nonprofit boards: the next Meet Your Match event is almost here! Join The Gifford Foundation, FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc. and Leadership Greater Syracuse on October 20 for our next Board Recruitment Night. Meet Your Match provides an opportunity for local nonprofit organizations and community-minded citizens to connect, explore shared interests, and discover meaningful ways to work together. Register today! https://giffordfoundation.org/meetyourmatch2/