KINGSTON – Midtown Kingston’s first-ever guaranteed income program, the Pollinator Stipend, has concluded its inaugural round. The program was run with local currency, known as Current, and was designed to help support local residents and businesses.
Over the last six months, the program provided 10 Midtown community members with a monthly stipend of 250 credits. These credits were issued as local currency that was accepted at participating businesses. Circulating for over 10 years throughout the counties of Ulster, Dutchess,
and Columbia, the Current is complementary to the dollar.
“We learned so much throughout this program,” said Emily Sause, director of Membership at the Hudson Valley Current. “By providing a guaranteed income through The Current, we witnessed amplified exchanges, inspired action and collaborative leadership that has encouraged us to continue on with this program in the future.”
Participants in the Pollinator Program are selected by a committee and approved by the Hudson Valley Current Board of Directors. The committee is now receiving applications on its website for the next Pollinator Stipend, available to Midtown Kingston residents, that will launch in October of this year.
