MARGARETVILLE - It’s a daunting task to try to build a plane and fly the plane at the same time. But the irrepressible Robin Williams and her trusty sidekick Lissa Harris are up to the task. The HUBB in Margaretville is living proof. Williams, a Middletown council member and Harris, a member of the Margaretville Fire Department, have doggedly pursued government and non-profit agencies to provide in-person services to those who need them. As a result of their efforts, local residents can now get help with everything from financial counseling to job searching; health insurance assistance to elder care and estate planning and more.
The HUBB (Helping us Be Better) is a serious effort to address the fact that in Delaware County, which is geographically bigger than the entire state of Rhode Island, access to human services is a huge challenge. Delaware County supports 23 agencies charged with delivering services directly to residents of the county. Two of those 23 have offices or outposts in Middletown. For the other 21, anyone in the Margaretville, Arkville, Fleischmanns area must have a car and drive at least 50 miles round trip to access the service needed.
Williams thought more of those agencies should be here in person. For people who are poor, aging, or otherwise in need of services, getting themselves to Delhi or Hamden or beyond is often a barrier that means “no service for you.” Williams, who saw the need for a local community service center even before the COVID pandemic, has spent years trying to figure out a solution.
“Finding or creating a brick and mortar site seemed just about impossible,” said Williams, “so we started to think about trying to share some space with another entity.”
Harris has had similar concerns going back to the Hurricane Irene disaster of 2011. She watched as a reporter when the fire department and other agencies hit the ground running to provide relief services locally. Agencies flocked to the community, set up intake centers, and got people the help they needed. But the journalist and bartender have seen that after the disasters, the agencies go away even though people continue to have needs.
More than a year ago, Williams found a space at Outsiders Home Services, 905 Main Street, Margaretville. With a space available, she took her idea public at a meeting of the Margaretville Village Board in May 2023. They loved her concept and were ready to sign on as a fiscal sponsor for the project. But when the paperwork threatened to curtail the effort, Williams pivoted to the MARK Project for help. Grant funding to cover startup costs and a year of operation was secured from the A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation and from the Community Foundation of South Central New York, and The HUBB was born.
Like any nascent effort, it had to be nurtured. With space available, Williams had to go to the more than 20 different service agencies in the county and convince them to come and use the space. It was a hard sell. Needs are so great throughout the entire county that some agencies have more people than they can handle without doing any outreach at all. If there is no need for them to get more clients, there is no need for them to send representatives to Margaretville. But some were quick to see the benefit of traveling to the village to meet potential clients. They agreed to utilize the space provided but need appointments scheduled in advance if they are going to travel to the community.
The HUBB provides private office space with communication connectivity that allows service providers to meet privately, one on one, with people who might need their services. Service agencies sign on with a basic usage agreement (info@thehubbonmain.org to get started) then, when they want to use the space, they schedule it with Williams. The HUBB website lets both providers and clients know who will be using the space and when.
To date, more than 12 agencies and companies are using The HUBB to deliver services ranging from help with economic development projects to help with Head Start for kids or elder care and aging issues. When a potential client calls a participating agency to make an appointment, that agency can schedule the appointment in Margaretville for a day and time when they will be on hand.
The learning curve is steep. The next step for Williams and Harris was to let people know services are available locally but that to get the service, they first need to reach the agencies by phone to set up appointments. As Williams tries to line up providers and handle scheduling, Harris tries to get the word out. Postcards were printed and delivered to local mail patrons, a website was developed and is continually updated and improved, and social media posts highlight agencies and dates.
Though the going is slow, Williams and Harris are patient.
“I view it as a pilot program,” said Williams. “Some people will utilize it, some won’t. But it’s like any effort you undertake. You may be disappointed if you fail but you’ll be doomed if you don’t try.”
Sean Penchoff, economic development specialist with the Delaware County Economic Development Department is among the service providers who have signed on to deliver services locally. In Margaretville for his second time recently, Penchoff said it’s great to be able to work with people where they are.
“I am doing initial consults with people here,” said Penchoff. “I’m able to get people started, explaining our loan programs, grant opportunities and services.” Penchoff went on to note he can help potential business owners with needs analysis, site selection, business plans and other business development needs. Penchoff said that loans may be available to eligible businesses at a 4% interest rate if they have been unable to secure financing from traditional banks. “There are lots of challenges and meeting people here in Margaretville can eliminate at least one of those barriers.”
With more than a dozen scheduled uses of the HUBB for the month of May, Williams and Harris are well on their way to achieving the dream of a community service center. For more information people can visit the HUBB website www.thehubbonmain.org or email info@thehubbonmain.org
