Family of Ellenville celebrated 50 years of supporting local residents facing homelessness, substance use, domestic violence, mental health challenges and other hardships on Oct. 3 at Berme Road Park.

The anniversary celebration, held from 1 to 4 p.m., featured free food, accompanied by remarks from local officials, community members and organization leaders.

“We just wanted to give back more. We have free food. We have snacks for kids,” Tiffany Santiago, director of Family of Ellenville, said. “I'm very proud to serve the Ellenville community in this way. I think a lot of people are grateful that we're here because sometimes we're all they have.”

Attendees enjoyed hot dogs, empanadas and an award-winning baked seafood mac and cheese provided by The Hodge Center, a Kingston organization that Santiago said supplied the food for the event.

Mayor Evan Trent, Town Supervisor Joseph Stoeckeler and Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger attended the celebration. Metzger and Stoeckeler presented Family of Ellenville and its volunteers with certificates of recognition honoring their service to the community.

Stoeckeler called Family of Ellenville “the unsung heroes” of the community, highlighting the range of services it provides and what he considers particularly important: “a place where people can simply come in and feel welcomed.”

“It is a helping hand during crisis, a connection to resources, a warm meal or a cup of coffee, a coat for a child, a box of food for a family, or a computer for someone who's looking for work, and sometimes it’s a safe place just to sit and know that someone cares,” Stoeckeler said. “That is what a community looks like, and that is why the work of the Family of Ellenville matters so much to our entire area.”

Michael Berg, the retired former executive director of Family of Woodstock, served food at the event and shared the story of how Family of Ellenville began. According to Berg, the organization expanded its services to Ellenville to create a local support network for residents who otherwise would have had to travel to Kingston for assistance.

Berg received recognition during the celebration, including from Metzger, who called him “the heart and soul” of the organization. Berg, however, directed the credit toward the volunteers and employees who he said make the organization possible.

“One of the things that I feel strongly about that it's really crazy to expect somebody that’s homeless, that’s dealing with heavy mental health cases, that’s dealing with substance use, to be able to meet a professional, scheduled most likely in Kingston, and get help,” Berg said. “I get a lot of credit for the Family, but we have 200 employees. We have 300 volunteers.”

Family of Ellenville's new executive director, Paul Rakov, also spoke at the event. He said he was told he had “big shoes to fill” when he replaced Berg, joking that he has “pretty big feet.” Ultimately, however, Rakov said the work will be carried forward by the volunteers and “a whole team of people.”

Rakov said Family of Ellenville plans to expand its services in the area. Upcoming initiatives include a grant-funded position providing full-time domestic violence survivor services in Ellenville, expanded Spanish-language services and a new childcare center.

Santiago closed the speaking portion of the celebration by inviting the organization's volunteers to stand with her. She said she wanted the community to see “the real face of the Family of Ellenville.”

“These are my people. These are my people that help me every day,” Santiago said. “They all do amazing work. They all help my building run. They support me in any type of way. If I am sick, they're asking me if I need soup. This is this is how I function here, through all of them.”