Messages from the President & CEO

At any age, a birthday is an occasion to celebrate—and even more so when you’ve had 185 of them!

On February 28, 1837, Hillside first opened its doors to serve vulnerable children from a single building in Rochester, NY. The scope of our work has changed dramatically since those earliest days: last year alone, Hillside served nearly 10,000 youth and families in New York and Maryland.

But our work remains driven by simple truths that haven’t changed a bit.

• We still believe that children can best thrive in loving, stable environments.
• We still recognize the family as the foundational element in any healthy community.
• And we’re still motivated by these ideas to do all we can to help children, adults and families fulfill their potential—and achieve the stronger futures they deserve.

Although I’m proud of Hillside’s history and all we’ve achieved, I know we’re defined not by our past, but by the impact of our work today and every day. That impact is possible because of our dedicated employees, the families we serve, and our community partners—including you!

More details about our history, and our future, will be shared here in the months to come. For now, please consider supporting Hillside as a 185th birthday present. Your contributions make our work possible.

As always, thank you for your interest in our important work.

Hillside is a part of the communities we serve. Their challenges are our challenges, and our successes impact their lives and so many others. Many families that we work with struggle with multigenerational economic mobility and racial inequities.

With this in mind, we recognize the absolute importance of fostering Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Hillside. Hillside creates an inclusive environment where we leverage our diversity to build a strong, equitable community.

It’s the right thing to do for our staff, who deserve to work in an environment that respects and includes everyone that is part of the Hillside community.

Our ongoing DE&I work includes elements such as:

• Hosting monthly regional DE&I committee meetings among all interested staff, where open discussions broaden understandings around vital topics.

• Supporting the groups for Hillside men and women of color, where unique perspectives can be shared.

• Sponsoring presentations to leaders on racism, white privilege and other recognized issues, and encouraging those learnings to be shared among staff.

• Engaging with external partners such as the United Way and the Urban League of Rochester to explore new insights that can strengthen the communities in which we live and serve.

In 2022 and beyond, you’ll hear more from Hillside about our ongoing work in DE&I, and our commitment to helping individuals and whole communities fulfill their potential.

As always, you’re an important partner in our work. Please consider joining our team and making a difference!

Happy Holidays! No matter your cultural or religious traditions, this time of year naturally calls to mind a spirit of generosity, and making a contribution to improve the lives of others.

At Hillside, that spirit is with us year-round. Our mission is embraced by the entire Hillside community—by our programmatic teams and even in “support” areas such as facilities, food service or finance, to name only a few. No matter their job title, everyone at Hillside plays a vital role in helping children, adults and families achieve their goals of a healthier, happier future.

Our positive impact starts with our people—and I encourage you to consider joining Hillside today.

As you’ll note in our Careers section, Hillside is hiring! Our diverse positions offer flexible scheduling possibilities as well as competitive pay and benefits. We understand the importance of work-life balance, and we do all we can to support our employees as people, not just workers.

People ask me, What are the benefits of working at Hillside? First and foremost, it’s making a difference in the lives of children and families, each and every day. Joining our family brings countless opportunities and rewards, starting with the privilege of helping those in need.

Please consider starting the New Year with a new and exciting career. All of us at Hillside wish you and your family a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.

For my first message, I’d like to note the kickoff of an annual Hillside tradition. Each year at this time, we launch Special Santa —a remarkable effort that unites every Hillside program, and the generosity of individuals and businesses throughout the regions we serve.

Too many young people who participate in Hillside programs live at or below the poverty line. For these children and their siblings, holiday gifts can be rare or non-existent. No matter your cultural or religious background, we can all agree that every child deserves the joy of unwrapping a toy or gift at a special time of year.

For nearly 40 years, Special Santa has made that possible. Last year alone, donations put more than 6,500 gifts into the hands of over 4,000 young people served by Hillside. It’s a powerful act of community good will—and this year, with your help, we’ll make that magic happen again.

While you’re visiting our site today, I hope you’ll take a look at how the all-online Special Santa program works. And before you leave this page, please consider exploring the other sections of this new Hillside Strong area of hillside.com. Hillside is a dynamic agency, and we can’t wait to share our story with you.