​NEDIS began as Grace Latino Outreach (GLO), and was known as Grace Immigrant Outreach from 2018 to 2022.

 

GLO was created in 2005 under the guidance of the Rev. Dr. Douglas J. Fisher (now the IX Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts), Jack Banning, Walter M. Cadette and the dedication of the members of Grace Episcopal Church Millbrook, NY who raised the funds necessary for the start of the program. The founders of the program realized that many in the local immigrant community had very little knowledge about how to access resources available to them and felt isolated by their distance from family. Lack of transportation intensified their isolation and fear. GLO began with two basic programs: English as a Second Language courses, and assistance in opening checking accounts with debit cards.

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Evelyn E. Garzetta became the coordinator of the program in 2008 and subsequently Executive Director in 2011.  We collaborated with many agencies in assisting the immigrant community, including Community Action Partnership, St. Thomas Church in Amenia Union, and MESA Episcopal Mission in Dover. We have allied with Literacy Connection, Somos la Llave del Futuro, Eastern Dutchess Rural Health Network, Hudson/Sun River Health, Northeast Community Center, Cornell Cooperative Extension and many other collaborators.

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In 2018, GLO changed its name to Grace Immigrant Outreach to reinforce our belief that all immigrants contribute to our community and deserve our attention. 

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In 2022, we became Northeast Dutchess Immigrant Services LLC (NEDIS). 

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In 2024, Evelyn Garzetta retired and we distributed many of our services to other organizations, focusing on the Rural Dutchess Academic Mentoring Program and referrals.