Faith-Based Partners

Last Updated on Wednesday, 16 January 2013 12:08

County Executive Robert P. Astorino and Deputy Commissioner Rosa Boone

County Executive Robert P. Astorino believes that helping the neediest among us is greatly enhanced by strengthening the bonds between county government and religious organizations in our communities.

Toward this goal, he has launched the Faith-based Community Partnership, which grew out of his conversations with members of the clergy since coming into office in 2010. A recurring theme of those conversations was how can government and religious groups work together to share ideas and resources in ways that can best improve the lives of those around us, particularly those least fortunate.

The Faith-based Community Partnership (FCP) is modeled after similar initiatives undertaken by Presidents Obama and Bush. In Westchester, it specifically seeks to improve community outreach and service delivery by:

Assisting faith-based organizations in obtaining information about county assistance

Sharing resources

Leveraging best practices

Making it easier to navigate government bureaucracy, especially with respect to procurement and contracts

Building stronger relationships between county departments and faith-based organizations

To help ensure the success of the program, Astorino has appointed Rosa Boone, Deputy Commissioner of Social Services for Family Investment, to also serve as his liaison for the FCP.

To help make this initiative a success, we are asking places of worship and religious-affiliated service organizations to register with us so we can include them as we go forth. Use our online Faith-based Community Partnership form to register.

If you have questions or an immediate need, don't hesitate to contact Deputy Commissionner Boone either by phone at (914) 995-5520 or e-mail at rboone@westchestergov.com.

Faith-based organizations can always reach out to the following county departments if individuals or families in the communities they serve are in need of assistance: