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Wisdom Keeper is FOCUS’ signature annual fundraiser. Each year, FOCUS celebrates the impact of a growing list of Wisdom Keepers!
These inspiring community members demonstrate exceptional leadership, continual caring, and understanding of the importance of vision for the future of Central New York!
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Join FOCUS for a hybrid public forum exploring how Central New York is building and reshaping its workforce system, and what it means for residents, employers, and the broader civic community. Across the region, training programs, workforce development systems, and employers are working to respond to changing skill demands and evolving economic conditions. This conversation brings together ERIE21, CenterState CEO, and the Manufacturers Association (MACNY) to examine how these systems interact in practice; where alignment is happening, where gaps remain, and what it takes to translate training into sustainable opportunity. The discussion will focus on how workforce pipelines are formed and supported across education and industry, how employers communicate and adapt to talent needs, and how regional partnerships are shaping access to careers in a changing economy. Importantly, the forum will also highlight how residents can play an active civic role in this system, not only by preparing for opportunities, but by engaging with the policies, partnerships, and decisions that shape workforce development across Central New York.
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Join FOCUS for a hybrid public forum examining the intersection of food insecurity, health care, and community advocacy, and how these systems work together to shape community health and well-being in Central New York. Panelists will share perspectives from the Food Bank of Central New York and the health care sector, offering insight into the role of food access in overall health, the work of the Food Bank to support individuals and families across the region, and the ways policy, systems, and advocacy influence both food security and health outcomes. The discussion will highlight how civic engagement pathways, such as advocacy, community involvement, and public participation, support solutions that strengthen access to food and health-related resources.
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The October FOCUS Forum is the first in a three-part fall series on Economic Instability in Onondaga County. Participants do not need to commit to all three. Join FOCUS for a hybrid public forum where local leaders will explore the structural and historical conditions that have shaped financial hardship in Onondaga County, and what the data tells us about where we stand today. This discussion is informed by local history, regional research, and the economic forces that have shaped our communities over time. Panelists will provide an overview of the historical arc that brought us to the current moment and a grounded look at what the data reveals about financial instability across our region.
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The November FOCUS Forum is the second in a three-part fall series on Economic Instability in Onondaga County. Join FOCUS for a hybrid public forum to explore the lived realities of local financial hardship, the intersecting barriers, and the resilience, resourcefulness, and work happening in CNY! Panelists will provide an honest look at what barriers people face, where systems fall short, and where bridges are being built. The conversation will highlight ways residents can better understand, support, and connect with local efforts.
Recording Now Available!
FOCUS hosted a hybrid public forum on the future of transportation in Central New York, featuring leaders from three of the organizations most responsible for planning, building, and operating the region’s transportation system. Panelists from the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council, the NYS Department of Transportation, and Centro explored the full scope of the I-81 Viaduct project, Centro’s first complete system redesign in over 20 years, the arrival of Bus Rapid Transit in 2028, and what Micron’s growth means for how people move around Onondaga County. The conversation connected transportation directly to equity, aging, economic development, and the choices the community makes now about how, and where to grow.