FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc.

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/

10/12/2026

Volunteer Spotlight: Steve Harris! ⭐ 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!

Today we're spotlighting Steve Harris, a member of our FOCUS Forum Committee!

Steve's journey with FOCUS began as a graduate of the inaugural Citizens Academy cohort in 2005! Steve later served as a FOCUS Forums panelist, and stayed involved in shaping what comes next for our Forum program! Now, as a Committee Member, he lends his expertise on environmental and sustainability topics, helping identify panelists and approaches that bring depth to our discussion. His fingerprints are all over our June FOCUS Forum on water conservation, a program that resonated with our community because of the thought Steve put into it!

It's the kind of steady, knowledgeable support that makes a program like this possible, and we are grateful to have Steve in our corner!

💙 Thank you, Steve, for helping us build 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/

10/09/2026

🎬 Watch our newest Wisdom Keeper Honoree Video: Bringing People Together Through Conversation! 🔗 https://youtu.be/fPg2J57aqfA

🦉 Watch Tim Fox and Evelyn C. Ingram in conversation about leadership, community, and what it means to spend your life bringing people together! Hear their personal stories, their hopes for CNY's future, and the advice they have for the next generation of community leaders.

🎤 Thank you to Amy Robbins of 93Q for beautifully guiding this conversation!

📺 Thank you to the producers of BridgeStreet for donating their time, talent, and expertise to make this video possible. This is community showing up for community!

💙 Thank you to our 130 guests and 40 sponsors who helped us raise $48,706 at Wisdom Keeper 2026! We are just $1,294 away from our $50,000 goal. Will you help us cross the finish line? Make your gift today at https://www.paypal.com/donate/?hosted_button_id=HY9V7CUJF5D2U

▶️ Watch now, make your gift, and share with someone who’d like to hear it!

Each year, FOCUS Greater Syracuse, Inc. celebrates outstanding comm...

10/08/2026

2️⃣5️⃣ Cohort #25 had our seventh session this week, where participants explored law enforcement through the lens of informed voters.

We went behind the scenes with a tour of the jail and spent quality time asking the deputies about their day to day!

Then we tried the facility food, before hearing from City and County law enforcement leaders, the District Attorney’s office, and the Sheriff’s office about how each role works.

The public information officer also explained how information reaches the community. We heard candid perspectives on the challenges these leaders navigate, their relationship with the media, and the panel encouraged everyone to stay involved and vote with a new perspective!

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!

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



Onondaga County Sheriff's Office
Onondaga County District Attorney's Office
Syracuse Police Department

10/07/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Geri Corradino, SHRM, FOCUS' Board Vice President, on being honored at last night’s Central New York 40 Under 40 Awards!

Geri brings a unique perspective to her work with FOCUS, pairing her HR experience with a genuine passion for helping people and organizations in our community thrive!

Geri has been a trusted source of guidance and encouragement for FOCUS' Board and Staff during an important season of strategy and growth, offering the thoughtful leadership that helps move FOCUS forward!

Geri chairs the Citizens Academy Committee and the Board Nominations Committee, applying her talent development and onboarding skills to welcome new participants and prepare future Board leaders!

💙 Congratulations, Geri! We are grateful for you and so proud of you!

10/06/2026

🌿 The 2026 Wisdom Keeper Garden Plaque Unveiling took place yesterday afternoon, and the turnout was wonderful!

🎉 We proudly welcomed Tim Fox and Evelyn C. Ingram into the Wisdom Keeper Garden with the addition of the newest plaque, a lasting tribute to their leadership, care, and commitment to bringing people together across CNY! Several past Wisdom Keeper honorees joined us to welcome Tim and Evelyn into the Garden, and we were honored to celebrate alongside the Mayor and City officials.

🏛️ Syracuse City Auditor Alexander Marion presented Tim and Evelyn with a special citation recognizing their contributions to our community. Congratulations, Tim and Evelyn!

📍 Wisdom Keeper Garden: 201 E. Washington Street, Syracuse, NY 13202

10/03/2026

🎉 Congratulations to FOCUS Board Member Sam Gordon, AICP, on being named a Graduate of Distinction, Notable Achievement, by SUNY ESF! 🎓

🌳 For 26 years, Sam has guided communities across Central and Upstate New York as we shape our future! As EDR - A Better Environment's Planning Practice Leader, his experience reaches neighborhood revitalization, clean energy, comprehensive planning, transportation, housing, and economic development!

🌱 FOCUS has been part of Sam's story since his days as one of our early interns, and he has stayed connected to our work! Today, he shares his knowledge of how planning decisions take shape as a member of the FOCUS Board, helping everyday people understand and take part in the work that shapes our region! 🤝

Thank you, Sam, for your continued support of FOCUS and for the care you bring to our community! Congratulations on this very well deserved recognition! 👏

Read more about Sam’s recognition: https://www.edrdpc.com/sam-gordon-honored-by-suny-esf/