This spring, the City of Poughkeepsie is taking a proactive, people-first approach to ensuring local parks are safe, welcoming and vibrant spaces for children, youth and families through the launch of the Poughkeepsie Park Stewardship Program.
The program places trained, full-time seasonal Park Stewards in three city parks — Malcolm X Park, Pershing Avenue Park, and Earline Patrice Park (Mansion Square) — to provide a consistent, positive presence focused on safety, care and connection.
The stewardship initiative builds on nearly seven years of community-led collaboration through the PARKnership, a group of local residents and organizations convened by the Poughkeepsie Alliance to reclaim parks for youth and families through stewardship and programming.
“Our parks belong to everyone, especially our children,” said Mary Linge, Chair of the Poughkeepsie Alliance and Vice President of Real Estate Development for Hudson River Housing.
A Legacy of Community-Led Park Revitalization
The PARKnership first came together around Pershing Avenue Park, supporting its redesign and activation. The Poughkeepsie Alliance further strengthened that effort by initiating a feasibility study to transform 1.5 acres of city-owned land into a community garden, now known as Pershing Community Farm.
The Poughkeepsie Park Stewardship Program represents the next evolution of this work, ensuring that revived public spaces remain accessible, positive, and family-friendly.
“Parks are more than physical places — they’re social infrastructure for a neighborhood. Renovating Pershing Avenue and Malcolm X parks was just the first step in resetting these public spaces for families and youth. By providing a consistent, positive presence, the Park Stewards will reestablish a culture of care, safety, and compassion. The partnership between the City, Hudson River Housing, Scenic Hudson, and the Poughkeepsie Alliance is critical to keeping these community assets safe and welcoming for all,” said Duane Martinez, Director of Urban Conservation, River Cities Program, Scenic Hudson.
A Holistic, Compassionate Model
Poughkeepsie’s parks play a critical role in youth development, neighborhood vitality and community health. At the same time, illicit activities in public spaces can create real and perceived safety concerns that keep families away.
This program addresses those challenges through a holistic model that balances park programming with harm reduction, grounded in dignity and the right to safe public space.
Park Stewards will:
- Encourage a return of families and youth through regular engagement and activities
- Serve as ambassadors, building relationships with park users and neighbors
- Offer compassionate referrals and connect individuals to local resources
- Provide first-line crisis support when necessary
- Remove litter and care for park spaces
- Help prevent unsafe behaviors from dominating public areas
The initiative is administered collaboratively by Hudson River Housing and Scenic Hudson, bringing together social services expertise and conservation-based placemaking.
“This program reflects our shared commitment to creating parks where families feel comfortable gathering, kids can play freely, and neighbors look out for one another,” said Mayor Yvonne Flowers, City of Poughkeepsie.
Hudson River Housing hired two Park Stewards for the 2025 season and has expanded to three stewards for the 2026 season, operating from spring through fall.
An Invitation Back to the Parks
The Poughkeepsie Park Stewardship Program is about more than oversight: It’s about belonging. It’s an open invitation for families, youth, seniors and neighbors to reconnect with the parks that knit the city together.
Stop by Malcolm X Park, Pershing Avenue Park, or Earline Patrice Park this season. Say hello to a Park Steward. Bring a friend. Bring your kids. Stay awhile.
Poughkeepsie’s parks are ready to welcome you back.
Meet the Park Stewards
This season, three dedicated Park Stewards will work across Poughkeepsie’s parks, bringing energy, care and a friendly face to the places our community gathers.
Malcolm X Park Steward: Austin Douglas
Hometown: Jamaica, West Indies
What drew you to becoming a Park Steward?
I chose this position because I wanted to work with the community and children, young people. I want to talk to them and encourage them. Tell them it’s great to be on the right path, go to school and all like that. I am a person they can trust when they see me out here. … It’s very important to keep the community and the children safe.
What does it mean to you personally to create that safe and welcoming space for families?
It means a lot to me. It gives me comfort and it gives me peace to know I can play an important part of the community, too.
What would you say to people who don’t use the parks to encourage them to visit them now?
I think people may refuse to use the parks because of negative things they think are going on and that people weren’t paying attention. But since they formed the Park Steward team and we are out in the parks, I believe the community will start to come back. … And if the community starts to enjoy the parks again, they will enjoy coming more and more. If they are a safe place for the children, it is a very good thing.
Mansion Square Park Steward: Nigel Elting
Hometown: City of Poughkeepsie
What drew you to becoming a Park Steward?
It gives me the opportunity to be a leader in the community and to make the parks cleaner and greener for the kids, to make the community better. I can help make the park safer and more accessible. I’m someone they can come to if they have a question or need help. I try to give anybody open arms.
What role do you think a park plays in young people’s lives?
The park is where activities are born. When you come to a park, you create friendships. For example, you come to a park, let’s say to play basketball, there could be 10 kids or more who come together and they create a friendship. Those can become long-term friendships. The parks are place kids can go and feel free, right? Sometimes home can be rough for the youth growing up and they need a place to go outside and have fun. They get a playground that’s safe.
What do you want people who don’t use the city’s parks to understand about them?
You can come to the parks to clear your mind, breathe in clean air, have better scenery than where you come from. These parks can be used by you, your family, everyone in the community. You can make friends. You can meet someone who can teach you something. Or maybe you can teach somebody something. … I just want our community and our youth to be more respectful for Poughkeepsie.
Pershing Avenue Park Steward: Issa Ghattas
Hometown: Yonkers, NY
Why drew you to becoming a Park Steward?
I just want to build better parks for the community and make them a safe environment. Being a Park Steward means I can help provide safety and guidance. I’m someone people in the parks can go to if they need help or just someone to talk to. We are trying to give the parks back to the city.
Why is having Park Stewards important for the city?
If someone needs help or has a question or want to know anything, it’s good for them to know we are here. There are a lot of activities going on and we want to make sure kids are safe and we can help them know what is right or wrong in any situation in the parks. They have someone to talk to and at least guide them in the right path. It’s to make the parks accessible and make people aware that, you know, they don’t need to be afraid to go to the parks. We are here and they are safe. We are here to welcome everybody.
What role do you think the parks play in the city?
For kids, they can be a place for them to escape from daily reality. The parks can be their safe haven. And my role is, you know, kind of to teach people the proper way to use the parks, too. To leave the park as clean as it was before they were there. We want the parks to be clean and safe for everyone. Respect the parks.
Poughkeepsie Alliance 