Elevate Our Community By Sponsoring This 2026 FOCUS Forum!
Join us in making a difference by becoming a sponsor and helping to grow this impactful program! Sponsorship opportunities are available for individuals, organizations, and businesses who are eager to make a positive impact!
Date: Friday, November 20, 2026 | Time: 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (Doors Open at 11:45 a.m.)
Registration & Location: In-Person & Zoom. Registration: Free and Open to Everyone.
This FOCUS Forum will be held in-person at One Group, with the option of virtual participation via Zoom.
FOCUS Forums are always free and open to everyone, because we believe civic conversations shouldn’t come with a price tag! Forums like this are made possible by generous sponsors and community donors. If you’d like to be a part of that, a gift of $10 helps us keep the doors open! Make your optional $10 donation today!
Topic: The November FOCUS Forum is the second in a three-part fall series on Economic Instability in Onondaga County. Participants do not need to be present at all three to enjoy the conversation. Join FOCUS for a hybrid public forum where local leaders will explore the lived realities of financial hardship in Onondaga County, the intersecting barriers everyday people navigate, and the resilience, resourcefulness, and meaningful work already happening across our communities! This discussion is informed by direct experience, community research, and the real stories of people navigating economic instability in Central New York. Panelists will provide an honest look at what barriers people face, where systems fall short, and where bridges are being built, drawing on their professional roles and direct experience serving, studying, and advocating alongside residents of Onondaga County. The conversation will highlight the organizations and individuals doing this work, and the ways residents can better understand, support, and connect with local efforts. The Forum will emphasize resilience! Our community knows what it takes to learn from lived experience and local practice, including understanding what gets in the way and what helps people move forward! After presentations from our panel, the conversation moves to a moderated Q&A, giving attendees the opportunity to ask questions and discover ways to engage with local priorities and initiatives. This is a welcoming, respectful space for community members to learn, engage, and explore ways to be actively involved in shaping the civic life of Central New York.
Language Access: FOCUS Forums are presented in English. Zoom provides optional, automated live captions and translation features that participants may choose to enable. These tools are generated by Zoom and are not professionally interpreted.
How We Built This Conversation: The topic of “poverty” was requested by a community member. This forum was shaped and informed by data from the CNY Vitals Life Needs Assessment, which tracks the issues impacting Central New York most. Have a topic you’d like to see at a future FOCUS Forum? Suggest a topic or panelist here.
Agenda:
11:45 – Doors Open
12:00 – Welcome
12:05 – Panelist Presentations (#3 panelists, 8 minutes each)
12:30 – Moderated Q&A
12:55 – Closing Remarks
Community Resources:
ALICE Report: | A Study of Financial Hardship in New York | The ALICE Project is a collaboration of United Ways
ALICE is an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed – households that earn more than the Federal Poverty Level, but less than the basic cost of living for the county (the ALICE Threshold). Combined, the number of ALICE and poverty-level households equals the total population struggling to afford basic needs.
Thriving Starts Here: A Community Needs Simulation | A Project of United Way of Central New York
Thriving Starts Here is an interactive experience where participants step into the role of a working household and make real-world decisions with limited resources.
Year-round Tax Preparation and Amendments (Free) | Provided through PEACE, INC.
The Program provides year-round, no-cost tax preparation in Syracuse and Onondaga County. The program’s tax preparers and trained volunteers ensure low-income clients receive the highest tax refund possible, earn maximum Earned Income and Child Tax Credits (EITC, CTC), and avoid predatory lenders and/or expensive tax preparation fees.
Panelists:
Carolyn Brown, Executive Director, PEACE, INC.
Gregory W. Dewan, Esq., Executive Director, Hiscock Legal Aid Society
Qiana Williams, Senior Program Officer, Community Investment, Central New York Community Foundation