News
OCO’s SAF Program Recognizes Sexual Assault Awareness Month With “I Ask For Consent” Campaign
April is National Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM).
OCO
Fulton Daily News
County Legislator Karasek Organizes 3rd Annual Can Drive
Oswego County legislator representing the 22nd District, James Karasek organized a non-perishable food drive to benefit local agencies in dispersing food for those in need around the holidays. The Fulton TOPS store, 909 W. First St., is now home to a donation bin for customers to place purchased canned goods and non-perishable food items through the end of December. All collected food will be evenly distributed among Catholic Charities of Oswego County and Oswego County Opportunities’ Nutrition Services to be given to local families in need.
Fulton Daily News
Healthy Halloween Hike Invites Public For One-Mile Walk
Friends of Fulton Parks, Fulton NY Rocks, Fulton Y, and OCO’s Impact Program are hosting a Healthy Halloween Hike on Saturday October 28th. This free event will start at noon on Saturday, October 28 at the Indian Point Landing, located past Mimi’s near the Fulton City limits on State Route 481.
Fulton Daily News
Fulton City Officials Recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month
A Mayoral Proclamation has recognized October 2017 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the City of Fulton, recognizing the 30th anniversary of a nationwide effort born from victim service providers and survivors to raise awareness of the epidemic of domestic violence. Members of SAF, Oswego County’s domestic violence and rape crisis center were present at a recent meeting of the Fulton Common Council to accept the proclamation. Oswego County Opportunities (OCO) Services to Aid Families (SAF) has provided crisis, supportive, advocacy, and educational services throughout Oswego County for 30 years. SAF served nearly 550 survivors and answered more than 2,300 calls on its Crisis Hotline in 2016, however, crimes of domestic and sexual violence remain vastly underreported, the proclamation detailed.
Fulton Daily News
OCO Sends Out an SOS: Bowl-A-Fun Raises Thousands To Save Shelter
Oswego County Opportunities sent out an S.O.S, and its plea for help was heard. In its seventeenth year, the annual OCO Bowl-A-Fun bowling tournament fundraiser at Lakeview Lanes was designated to help a program that recently lost federal funding leaving risk of closure. A crucial part of the Homeless Services offered through OCO, the future has been jeopardized for the Runaway and Homeless Youth Shelter that houses youth in need of safe lodging, after federal funding for the program was cut. Quickly springing into action, the OCO Bowl-A-Fun planning committee decided to use the annual fundraiser event as an S.O.S., developing a “Save Our Shelter” theme.
Oswego Daily News
Paddlefest Participants Hit the Water Rowing
The Oswego County Paddlefest has proven to be an ever-growing event that allowed more than 1,000 people to paddle the Oswego River in its fourth year in existence. “This has always been the long term vision, I had always hoped it would turn out just like this,” said one of the event founders, Jake Mulcahey.
Fulton Daily News
Canalview Bridge Walk Highlights New Signs, Promotes Physical Activity
More than 90 people showed up to the Canalview Bridge Walk event with at least 60 of those people walking the 1.8-mile trail across Fulton’s bridges and through some of the city’s historic downtown area. A collaboration between Oswego County Opportunities, Fulton Footpaths and the city of Fulton, the event allowed the public to walk the Canalview Bridge trail showcasing new permanent signs marking the paved trail.
Fulton Daily News
OCO Raises $20,000 While Celebrating Being ‘Fifty and Fabulous’
The theme for this year’s annual Bowl-A-Fun OCO Fundraiser: “Fifty and Fabulous.” With George Hoffman from The Dinosaur 95.3 as emcee for the day, the event kicked off at Lakeview Lanes and provided food, drinks, cake, live entertainment, raffles and lots of fun. Different from previous years, the bowlers only competed in one flight of bowling and while the second flight usually competes, OCO instead hosted a 50th anniversary celebration open to the public who picked up a free ticket ahead of time.
Community
OCO Adds Social Media Sites, Accepts Online Donations
Oswego County Opportunities now has the means for people to make donations using their credit card. They’ve added the PayPal function on the website. The agency also has expanded into social media with several Facebook pages, a MySpace page, a Twitter account, and more.
Community
OCO’s Bresee Receives Certification As Community Action Professional
To achieve accreditation as a Certified Community Action Professional Bresee underwent a two-year process that included documentation of professional achievements and extensive studying in preparation for the certification exam.