Category Archives: News

Hillside today announced the appointment of Nestor Hernandez as Executor Director of the agency’s Western and Southern Tier regions. Hernandez will join Hillside effective Monday, June 14. Hernandez brings deep credentials in leading mission-driven service organizations, including a nine-year tenure as Associate Vice President at People, Inc.; and executive experience with the Erie Regional Housing Development Corporation and the YMCA of Greater Buffalo’s Delaware Family Branch. “The people of our Western and Southern Tier regions look to Hillside for a wide range of community-based services that help them build pathways to stronger, successful futures,” said Maria Cristalli, Hillside President and…

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Hillside has announced the establishment of a new minimum wage of $15 per hour for all positions in the organization. The change, which has been in development for several months and will take effect beginning June 5, 2021, was shared with all staff by Maria Cristalli, President and Chief Executive Officer. “I am delighted to announce this permanent shift in Hillside’s compensation structure,” Cristalli said, adding that the change will also positively impact those making above this new minimum in the future. “This is an important step in raising compensation for the many critical roles that our staff play in…

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The 2020-2021 academic year has been dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, affecting students, families and communities everywhere. Hillside today announced the release of an updated School Re-Opening Plan that reflects a careful return to in-person learning. Hillside Day Treatment Programs: In-person learning is highly encouraged five days per week for grades K-12. Fully remote K-12 instruction remains available under special circumstances at the request of a parent. Schools on Hillside Residential Campuses: In-person learning will resume for all K-12 students five days per week. Some offline learning will remain available. The full plan can be reviewed here. The re-opening…

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A longtime Hillside employee was saluted this week, in a virtual presentation for staff, leaders and partners that looked back on a tumultuous year of achievement. Tess Mahnken-Weatherspoon, a 42-year agency veteran, received the Chair’s Award at Hillside’s 184th Annual Meeting on May 4. Traditionally an in-person event, the Annual Meeting was presented online this year to an audience that spanned all of Hillside’s service areas in New York and Maryland. Mahnken-Weatherspoon, who has held a wide range of program and leadership roles during her tenure, is currently Program Manager for the Hillside Institute of Family Connections (IFC) and a…

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The following message was released this evening by Maria Cristalli, Hillside President and CEO. On May 25, 2020, a terrible crime was committed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. For millions of people around the country and around the world, the murder of George Floyd was heartbreaking and infuriating—and our grief and outrage were magnified by the thought that so many other men and women of color continued to meet similar fates. A jury has now returned three guilty verdicts in the trial against the man whose actions caused Mr. Floyd’s death. Those verdicts can’t erase the pain of what happened that day.…

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The Hillside community, and the staff and leaders of the agency’s Hillside Work-Scholarship Connection (HW-SC) program, extend their congratulations to Christian Rhodes for his appointment to a position with the United States Department of Education. In February, Rhodes was named Chief of Staff of the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education with the Biden administration. In his most recent position as Chief of Staff for Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) in Maryland, he contributed to the work of Hillside’s Prince George’s County Regional Advisory Council, whose members help Hillside remain responsive to the diverse needs of the communities we…

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The staff and youth at Hillside’s Snell Farm Campus have resumed an annual tradition: producing Grade-A maple syrup from the 1,400 maple trees that populate the 170-acre campus in Bath, NY. Each year, Snell Farm staff and youth in residential treatment work together to tap the trees, collect the sap, and bring it to the on-campus “sugar shack” where the syrup is produced and bottled—sold each year to raise funds for Hillside programs. Therapy for youth at Snell Farm often includes helping out with chores related to syrup-making and other farm-related tasks, and a new apprenticeship program provides another sweet…

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The Davenport-Hatch Foundation, a longtime supporter of Hillside’s mission, has announced a gift of $75,000 to help fund safety and security improvements to Hillside’s Monroe Campus. The Monroe Campus, bordering the City of Rochester and the Town of Brighton in Monroe County, is one of five residential campuses owned and operated by Hillside in upstate New York. Hillside also provides community-based programs in 38 locations across New York State and in Prince George’s County, MD. The Monroe Campus, one of most highly regulated residential campuses in New York State, can serve up to 109 youth. The gift will help fund…

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The annual Hillside Golf Tournament will return in 2021 with a day of friendly competition, prizes and entertainment—all to benefit Hillside’s community-oriented mission, and the youth and families we serve. The 2021 Hillside Golf Tournament, presented by KeyBank, is scheduled for Monday, June 14, at Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford, NY. The event, a scramble for foursomes, will start with lunch and check-in at 11:30am; tee time will begin at 12:30pm and a dinner and raffle will follow. Grand Prize for the winning foursome team is a Golfing & Overnight Package at Turning Stone Resort Casino, including 18 holes on…

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The Rochester Business Journal has announced that Maria Cristalli, Hillside President and Chief Executive Officer, has been named to the publication’s first annual list of the region’s most influential professional individuals. The complete 2021 RBJ Power 100 List includes a brief Q-and-A with each honoree in their own words. “We are pleased with the makeup of this list of leaders,” said Ben Jacobs, RBJ associate publisher, who indicated that healthcare and nonprofit professionals “have played a crucial role in helping our community survive” the COVID-19 pandemic. “We are optimistic that the people and organizations listed here will play a large…

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