Our Mission
The mission of Catskills Pride is To nurture, support and advance the GLBT+ and Ally Community. We see achieving this through a multi-pronged approach. 1) Building, connecting and enhancing relationships in the community; 2) Maintaining social networking through various get togethers throughout the year; 3) Supporting past, present and future generations of our community; and 4) Developing resources and supports to people (via financial and other in kind services).
Who We Are
Catskills Pride is a charitable organization supported by GLBT+ people and our allies in the wider Catskill region of New York. We were incorporated in 2002 as the Day To Be Gay Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, adopted GALA Catskills as the brand in 2011. In August of 2015 The Gays of Sullivan County social networking group partnered with GALA Catskills to create 1 group in the region under the name of Catskills Pride - to reflect the expanded mission and vision.
What began in Sullivan County as an informal grouping of full- and part-time residents creating a welcoming and safe social environment for the GLBT+ community has evolved into an active voice in the community-at-large as we engage in areas like education, business, arts & entertainment, and tourism.
Click here to meet our Board of Directors.
What We Do
We engage the community, raise funds, and dedicate them to a variety of causes. For the 2016 calendar year, we plan on marketing our new name and mission/vision by advertising; building support and resources in our area; donating to programs that support GLBT+ causes/programs in our area, such as: anti-bullying, suicide prevention, helping seniors with support and resources.
Where We Are
"We found paradise just 90 minutes from the George Washington Bridge."
We always say,
from NYC you drive north along the Hudson for an hour, and then turn left and go west for another hour, and you're there!
The Catskills have been a tourist destination for more than 100 years: Out of the early boarding houses developed the bungalow colonies, and then came the famous Borscht Belt resorts that brought the brat pack to the mountains and spawned several generations of Jewish comedians. And History with a capital "H" was made in 1969 when the "Woodstock" festival occurred in the town of Bethel - today the site of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
Over the last 20 years, the region became a prime destination for many urban dwellers in search of a country getaway. And, as is so often the case, the GLBT+ community was at the forefront of that movement - some of us even made the region our permanent home.
We have natural beauty in abundance: quiet lakes and gurgling streams, whispering forests and lush meadows, majestic mountains and rolling hills. We have charming small towns and remote cabins, scenic country roads and hidden hiking trails, a full cultural calendar and vistas of serene silence. There truly seem to be opportunities for everything and many of us found that we could make our lives here just as exciting and active or quiet and still as we want to.
If you haven't discovered the region yet we invite you to come up and find out for yourself. Check out our community and business links on this website for all kinds of resources.