“We were drawn to Dante”™s passion and deep commitment to social justice,” said Lindsay Farrell, president and CEO of Open Door, about Dante Hudson, whom the organization recently appointed to its foundation board.
Hudson is the chief program officer of the YWCA White Plains and Central Westchester. He”™s held similar executive positions at YMCA”™s and Boys & Girls Clubs throughout the metropolitan area. The White Plains resident, who grew up in Yonkers, has played an active role with various community organizations.
“Open Door does a lot of work in black and brown communities and what appealed to me was their involvement in helping those most at risk, people who don”™t have the same access to health care as do other populations,” said Hudson.
Open Door, a Federally Qualified Health Center with sites throughout Westchester, Putnam and Ulster counties, has cared for patients since 1972, many of whom are uninsured, underinsured, have transport barriers, language barriers, and cultural barriers. Hudson said one of his priorities would be to spearhead a drive to recruit more minorities to the organization as both board members and donors.
Today, the community health center cares for more than 60,000 adults and children every year ”” with more than 300,000 patient visits and over 400 babies delivered annually ”” regardless of ability to pay.
