04/19/2016
As a member of the board of Community Action In Self Help, Inc. and as a member of the community at large I know that Ms. Eileen Porto, the Executive Director of CASH, Inc., in the past ten years, has done more good for Lyons, Wayne and Ontario Counties, and the people who live here than most folks can fathom. Some enlightenment: For four years she faced down the NY State housing bureaucracy to shepherd the rehabilitation of the Nusbickel building on Broad St. through to a successful completion. The building retained its landmark status, the apartments inside are truly beautiful and are reserved for those with limited incomes. Most of the rest of us would have given up the fight long before.
Have you seen Wolcott Estates lately? Another project Ms. Porto took on years ago was to refinance the property and thereby obtain the funds to perform several critical upgrades to the structure which houses seniors and disabled people with low incomes. This time she persevered vs the vast and anonymous federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) bureaucracy and through the budget sequestration fiasco our politicians foisted upon us in 2012 -13. Did she give it up? No she did not and the proof is in the pudding as it is said - take a look as you go by on New Hartford St. You won't believe it is the same place.
In 2010 or was it 2009? The years speed by - the Granite Works building on Water St. suffered serious and extensive damage from a fire that fortunately was brought under control before the building was consumed. The building housed the agency's offices and several apartments. Did CASH, Inc. close down - no it did not. Though she would have had every right to close the doors Ms. Porto, knowing that many people depended on its programs, instead chose to move the office into a nearby building and it was open for business within three days. The Granite Works was insured against fire and within four months staff was able to move back into newly renovated quarters while the upstairs apartments were repaired and refurbished. The tenants were also found other quarters for the duration.
These three projects were on top of her normal extensive duties supervising programs, staff, and compliance requirements, and just as important if not more so, locating and going after additional sources of funds to sustain agency activities. More on these to come.
It occurs to me that congratulations are in order - that many people should be congratulating and thanking Ms. Porto for the outstanding contributions she and CASH, Inc. have made in the community and be offering support for future projects. Instead way too many people seem to resent her presence, probably envious of her successes, and have spread mean, unfounded, and invalid stories about how nasty a person she is. I find these attitudes and behavior incomprehensible in adults and ask is it any wonder that Ms. Porto feels the way she does.
