Each month, the team at ROC City Lifestyle strives to highlight a lesser-known nonprofit in our region. Rochester and the Finger Lakes are home to so many organizations working to make our communities better, more equitable places to live, learn, and grow. There were so many, in fact, that for our August issue, themed Kids & Pets, it was hard to pick just one.
The stories behind how many of these organizations came to be are still undiscovered in our pages, and we look forward to sharing more of them in subsequent issues. For now, we want to offer a bird's-eye view of 10 organizations doing meaningful work focused on youth or animals.
INVESTING IN TOMORROW
Glow Up Girl
Founded in Wayne County in 2022, Glow Up Girl serves girls in grades 3–12 through programming designed to build confidence, leadership, and connection. The name of the organization was drawn from a popular social media trend and doubles as an acronym: “Girls Leading Our Way through Unlimited Potential.” The organization was built around a trauma-informed approach that serves all girls while specifically supporting those facing challenges.
Programming includes an after-school drop-in program with homework help, a book club, financial literacy, nutrition education, and unstructured time for bonding, as well as a six-week summer program featuring field trips, an equine camp, and mental health support through partnerships with Wayne Behavioral Health Network and Optimal Health.
Looking ahead, Glow Up Girl hopes to expand beyond Wayne County and diversify its funding so it's no longer solely dependent on grants.
For more information, visit: https://glowup-girl.com.
Rochester’s Child
Since 1990, Rochester's Child has worked to ensure Monroe County's most vulnerable children have access to high-quality early care and education, from birth through age 8. Through fundraising, grant-making, and partnerships with community leaders, philanthropists, and early childhood experts, the organization has raised more than $4.8 million and given 450 grants for quality improvements. This includes helping 2,800 students in Rochester attend high-quality pre-kindergarten programs.
The organization’s advocacy has included the "Sing, Talk, Play" campaign, which encourages parents to support their babies' brain development. The organization also led a fundraising campaign in 2008 that helped restore $8.3 million in child care subsidy funding after cuts threatened access for vulnerable families.
For more information, visit: racf.org/collaborations/rochesters-child.
HOPE585
HOPE585’s mission is dedicated to giving youth who’ve been in the foster care system the skills and hope they need to build fulfilling lives. Programs include a community-supported foster home in Monroe County, where a specially trained foster mother helps teenagers who are close to aging out of the system develop life skills for the transition to adulthood.
Through Bridge to Hope, the organization pairs young adults with mentors who build lasting relationships, while the Crisis Counseling and Case Management program offers mobile, short-term support for youth in crisis.
HOPE585's work is based on the Science of Hope, an approach that treats hope as a mindset that can be taught and strengthened.
For more information, visit: https://hope585.org.
Family Promise of Greater Rochester
Since its founding as the Rochester Area Interfaith Hospitality Network in 2004, Family Promise of Greater Rochester (FPGROC) has helped families facing homelessness find stability. Today, the organization offers three primary programs: a shelter program providing year-round emergency housing in community-based apartments; a prevention and diversion program that helps families avoid eviction or secure new housing through financial assistance; and an aftercare and stabilization program, which offers up to a year of support once families transition into permanent housing.
For more information, visit: https://www.fpgroc.org.
Family Promise of Ontario County
Did you know there was two? In fact, Family Promise is a national network. Locally, Family Promise of Ontario County came together in 2016 to help homeless and low-income families by providing support and help to achieve independence. The organization offers programs that include emergency shelter, eviction prevention, shelter diversion, and ongoing stabilization support.
This year marks a major milestone, with Family Promise of Ontario County partnering with the Shill Cares Foundation to open the Shill Family Center, the first homeless shelter for families in Ontario County. The facility provides apartment-style shelter for up to seven families at a time and is run by 24-hour staff, also offering case management and employment support. With the Shill Family Center now open, Family Promise of Ontario County and its partners are already looking to expand with additional facilities in Geneva and Canandaigua.
For more information, visit: familypromiseontariocounty.org.
PAWS IN NEED
Operation Freedom Ride
Founded in 2018, Operation Freedom Ride is an animal rescue dedicated to saving the lives of dogs and cats in need. Born out of a passion for animal welfare, Operation Freedom Ride rescues animals locally from shelters, owner surrenders, and strays, while also transporting dogs and cats from overcrowded kill shelters in the South to safety.
The organization operates no physical shelter and instead relies on a network of foster homes to care for animals until they're adopted.
For more information, visit: operationfreedomride.com.
Freedom Farmhouse
Freedom Farmhouse's journey began in 2018, when the organization’s founders purchased a property unknowingly home to a colony of 16 barn cats. Despite never having owned cats before, they spayed, neutered, and vaccinated the entire colony within their first year.
Today, Freedom Farmhouse is dedicated to providing compassionate care, rescue, and sanctuary for animals in need, creating a safe place where they can thrive physically, emotionally, and socially. The organization hopes to inspire a more humane, compassionate approach to animals by raising awareness of their inherent value and unique personalities, and offers sponsorships that help cover food, care, and shelter for the animals in its care.
For more information, visit: freedomfarmhouse.org.
Finger Lakes Cat Tales
Founded in February 2022, Finger Lakes Cat Tales is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating, and rehoming cats across Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, Livingston, Yates, and Cayuga counties. The organization takes in cats through colony feeding networks, community members, and collaborations with other rescues. The organization utilzes experienced trappers who also run Trap-Neuter-Return programs to help control and improve the lives of community cats.
Finger Lakes Cat Tales prioritizes responsible adoptions to ensure each cat finds a loving, lasting home.
For more information, visit: fingerlakescattales.com.
Love for Misfit Meeps
Love for Misfit Meeps is a Rochester-based cat rescue founded by Alanna Dalba, who is dedicated to helping handicapped and special-needs cats, as well as those cats who’ve spent long periods in shelters waiting for homes. The organization's name and mission were inspired by Dalba's own cat, Marceline "Marci" Meep, who was born with a neurological condition causing paralysis. Marci was given a life expectancy of just six months, but she ended up living three years, which motivated Dalba to open her rescue.
For more information, visit: misfitmeeps.com.
Hopper Hills Wildlife Rehab Center
Based in Honeoye Falls, Hopper Hills Wildlife Rehab Center is a DEC-licensed facility dedicated to giving injured, sick, and orphaned animals a second chance. The team provides hands-on medical care and rehabilitation plans tailored to each animal's species and condition. The team at the rehab center focus on restricting human contact to keep wildlife wild and ready for release back into its natural habitat across Western New York.
For more information, visit: hhwildlife.org.