Messages from the President & CEO
You Can Make a Difference as a Hillside Foster Parent
Do you have room in your home, and in your heart, to be a foster parent? If so, the children and families we serve need your help.
The need for caring foster parents has never been greater. According to one national database, there are only 0.69 eligible foster homes for every child in need of placement.
For vulnerable youth, a foster family provides much-needed support while the child’s permanent living situation is stabilized. That could mean returning to their biological parents, finding a new home with extended family or close family friends (what’s known as kinship), or bring freed for adoption with a new, loving family.
While those connections are re-established, the foster family plays a critical role—and they don’t do it alone. Hillside foster parents are part of a network of 24/7 support that begins with extensive training and ongoing connections with our regional foster care teams and other community resources. (A monthly stipend is designed to cover out-of-pocket costs related to bringing a child into your home.)
The Hillside foster care home page features a growing library of heartwarming stories about our foster families. As one mom, Nicole Baker, noted, “I knew there were a lot of children in need of a home, love, and guidance. And I had plenty of love to give.”
I hope you’ll visit that page, read or watch some of the stories, and consider starting your own journey as a Hillside foster parent. You’ll make a powerful difference in a young person’s life.
Thank You,
Maria Cristalli
President & CEO
Hillside
A Next Step in Supporting Youth and Families
In our community, throughout New York State and around the country, a difficult situation has only become more common in recent years: young people with complex needs come to a hospital seeking care … and are unable to be discharged, due to the lack of services that can support them in the community.
This phenomenon—known as hospital boarding—has added to the trauma faced by these youth, while frustrating families and creating additional burdens on overcrowded hospitals. The children’s system has struggled to address this issue, but a new program is designed to help—and Hillside is proud to be a leader in its implementation.
Recently, our agency became the first in New York State to admit youth into a new program that uses the innovative Critical Time Transition Program (CTTP) model. Funded by the New York State Office of Mental Health (OMH), CTTP includes community-based services provided by a multidisciplinary Critical Time Intervention (CTI) team and a Transitional Residential Setting (TRS) where youth can receive as-needed 24/7 support for up to 120 days. Together, these components offer great promise for youth and families in need.
In January, we invited our state and local partners to join us in Rochester for a ceremonial launch of the first of two Hillside Next Steps CTTP programs. Our Rochester CTI team has already begun youth and families, and our TRS program will open soon. Meanwhile, plans are in motion for a second Hillside Next Steps program that will serve youth and families in Erie County.
Our Next Steps program was made possible through a commitment to collaboration—with our primary hospital partner, the University of Rochester Medical Center; with our partners in New York State and Monroe County; and with philanthropic partners who understand the inevitable limits of traditional program funding. (In this case, a generous grant from the Rochester Area Community Foundation in partnership with the Greater Rochester Health Foundation supported renovations of a cottage on Hillside’s Monroe Campus for the Next Steps program.)
During the ceremony, Thalia Wright, Commissioner of the Monroe County Department of Human Services, emphasized the importance of these partnerships. “Transitional moments, when handled well, can change the trajectory of a young person’s life,” she said. “Through this collaboration, we are building the bridge between hospital care and community-based supports for youth who need stability, structure, and the time to heal.”
Together Hillside and our partners are helping youth transitions between hospitals and community based services. We’re grateful for this new opportunity to serve youth and their families—and we deeply appreciate your support of our work. Thank you!
Maria Cristalli
President & CEO
Your Gift Today Will Empower a New Year of Success
At this time of year, it’s only natural to look back at the last 12 months and forward to the year ahead. 2025 has been an important year of progress for the Hillside community—with new programs and exciting projects that have helped our agency do even more for the youth, adults and families we serve. We’re all looking forward to an even more impactful 2026—and your support will make so much possible.
There’s no “wrong” time to donate to Hillside, but making a gift right now is particularly important. As we head into the New Year, the impact of philanthropic giving is more significant than ever: your donations help us plan for the year ahead, and continue our efforts to bring life-changing services to more young people and families in need.
A gift of any size is deeply appreciated, and will help us enter 2026 with the resources to help each and every person we serve overcome their challenges and find pathways to the stronger futures they deserve.
Please consider making a tax-deductible gift to Hillside today. Thank you for your support, and on behalf of all of us at Hillside: Happy New Year!
Maria Cristalli
President & CEO
Make a Magical Difference During Our 50th Season!
Every child deserves to experience holiday magic—the joy of receiving a gift chosen just for them. But each year, many of the young people served by Hillside run the risk of receiving no gifts at all.
You have the power to change that. As a Hillside Special Santa, you can bring holiday magic to some of our community’s most vulnerable children. 2025 marks the extraordinary 50th season of our Special Santa toy-and-gift drive—and I encourage everyone reading this message to join your neighbors in making this our biggest and most impactful season yet.
Special Santa has a proud legacy of spreading holiday joy: Last year alone, more than 8,000 gifts were distributed to children served by our programs throughout the regions we serve. Year after year, this is made possible thanks to the hard work of our dedicated employees and critical support from donors like you.
Making a gift is easy, with plenty of options available to make a difference this season. Please visit our Special Santa page to explore whether you’d like to purchase gifts and deliver them to a donation box in your community; organize a fundraiser to rally support among friends and coworkers; or simply make a convenient monetary donation. (Every dollar raised goes directly to purchasing gifts for children served by Hillside).
No matter your choice, please become a Special Santa by December 12, 2025, and help us spread holiday joy. Thank you for your support, and Happy Holidays!
Maria Cristalli
President & CEO
Celebrating Our Homes Away From Home
Many people think of Hillside in terms of our residential campuses that provide temporary 24/7 care to youth experiencing an array of challenges related to serious emotional disturbance or other mental health conditions. For some others, we’re best known for community-based programs that work together to provide broad supports for complex concerns facing youth, adults and families.
Meanwhile, one of our least-known programs operates from individual homes right in communities like yours. Hillside’s Developmental Opportunities Services are dedicated to delivering long-term supportive care to individuals diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD).
In 10 group homes located in neighborhoods throughout Western New York and the Finger Lakes, Hillside’s DO Services teams form lasting relationships with the young adults in our care, and with their families. Unlike a residential campus, residents in these group homes usually stay for years: they attend school, engage in community activities, and learn adaptive skills that support their long-term growth and development. Our group homes are special places where remarkable things happen every day.
Our most recent Stories of Hillside video looks at one example of the many young adults and families who have found invaluable support through this impactful program. I hope you’ll take a look, share this wonderful story with your own community, and consider supporting Hillside in any way you can—with your partnership, great things can happen.
Thank you for your interest in our mission!
Maria Cristalli
President & CEO