SPOTLIGHT:Mid-Hudson Works - helping physically handicapped soldiers retrain and find work
Mid-Hudson Works (MHW) is a 501c3 non-profit organization that was conceived in 1947, by Dause Bibby, General Manager of IBM Corporation. The goal was to establish a workshop which would employ and train the physically handicapped soldiers returning from WWII. MHW today has expanded our mission and provides underserved populations with workforce development training and workforce reintegration support programs. Our primary focus is assisting veterans and individuals with physical and/or medical disabilities. Many of the individuals we serve have suffered a life-altering event or have served in the military where workforce reintegration is a crucial part of returning to life back home. This, unfortunately, is not always an easy resource to find and is sometimes easier said than done.
There are many other challenges we face in our community, such as combatting skyrocketing homelessness, especially for our veterans. We have partnered up with several local agencies and together we help serve these individuals with life-altering opportunities and fresh starts. Together, we can make a difference and improve the lives of those we serve collaboratively! We plan to continue offering programs that provide individuals with a comfortable workplace to learn and become acquainted, or possibly reacquainted, with a healthy work life balance in the workforce.
Some of the training opportunities offered are manufacturing, assembly, wiring, soldiering, co-packing, test products and manufacturing of LED lighting systems. MHW also offers fulfillment services, where we can store, pick, pack and ship your orders across the world. We are proud of the variety of work we do each day and the flexibility to support many types and sizes of businesses. These outsourcing services don’t just benefit the MHW team, it also helps the businesses that entrust us with their work by allowing them to scale. By handing off some of the responsibilities to MHW, those business owners now have the time needed to focus on development and growth of their business.
Today MHW is creating programming opportunities through businesses owned by the workshop. In 2022 North River Roasters (NRR) coffee company was donated to MHW. NRR not only produces amazing coffee that can be found in local coffee shops and supermarkets it is teaching entrepreneurial skills to our team. Our team must understand all aspects of running a business from inventory of green coffee beans sourced from all over the world, to the skilled craft that it takes to roast, and blend coffee, to the packing and distribution of the finished product.
Through our 76-year history the workshop has gone through several expansions and upgrades. From the original 10,000 square foot facility we started in on Washington Street in Poughkeepsie to the 52,000 square feet we have today at the original sight. MHW has to ability due to our size to bring on various types of clients and projects. We have supported hydroponic greenhouses manufacturing up to large municipal aeration systems for water treatment plants. We are looking forward to what’s ahead as our mission continues to evolve to support our community.
For more information visit: midhudsonworks.org
Or contact: Ronald Ferris Jr., Director of Business Development