Gwen Friesen

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Mechanicville Area Community Services Center (MACSC), whose mission includes enhancing
the life of area residents through family support, recreation & education, serves residents in and
around Mechanicville, NY. A comprehensive community needs assessment was completed in an
effort to help the community center better serve area residents. A needs assessment identifies the
strengths and resources available in the community, as well as weaknesses and deficits.
Information for the needs assessment was gathered primarily from government websites such as
the United States Census Bureau and New York State Department of Health and was
supplemented with data from various other private websites as well as personal interviews.
Demographics
Located in eastern Saratoga County of New York State, Mechanicville has a population of just
over 5,000 individuals. Table 1 provides a comparison of local, state, and national 2010 census
demographic data. The statistics indicate that Mechanicville is a predominantly Caucasian
community, with other ethnicities compromising less than 5% of the total population. Age and
gender figures indicate the composition of Mechanicville is similar to both state and national
levels.
Table 1 - Demographic Data - Percentage of the Population
2, 3

Age Gender Ethnicity
Under
5
Under
18
Over
65
Female Male White
African
American
Hispanic Asian
Local
6.6 23.7 15.6 53.5 46.5 95.3 0.8 2.5 1.0
State
6.0 21.8 14.1 51.5 48.5 71.2 17.5 18.2 8.0
National
6.4 23.5 13.7 50.8 49.2 77.9 13.1 16.9 5.1

The data presented in Table 2 indicates that residents of Mechanicville lag behind the state and
national levels for individuals obtaining a bachelors degree or higher. The median household
income for a resident of Mechanicville is $20,000 less than the median income for residents of
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New York State, and $15,000 less than the national median income. Nearly 18% of the residents
of Mechanicville fall below the poverty level compared to approximately 15% at both the state
and national levels.
Table 2 - Demographic Data
2, 3

Education
Below Poverty
Level Income
High School
Diploma
(% Of Population)
Bachelors or
Higher
(% Of Population)
% Of Population
Median
Household
Local
88.1 14.6 17.7 $ 37,642
State
84.9 32.8 14.9 $ 57,683
National
85.7 28.5 14.9 $ 53,046

Table 3 provides data on live birth rates, infant mortality as well as death rates.
Table 3 Vital Statistics
4, 5, 6, 7, 8,

Live Births Infant Mortality Death Rate
Per 1,000 live births Per 1,000 population
Local
118 U/A U/A
County
2,194 4.1 7.6
State
239,224 5.1 7.6

Health Statistics
The health statistics in Table 4 present a small sample of the public health priorities defined by
the New York State Department of Health. The sole unfavorable comparison for Saratoga
County is in the number of obese individuals. The percentage of adults and children, ages 2-4,
indicate rates of obesity greater than both the state and national levels.


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Table 4 Health Statistics
7

% Obesity
% of Adults
w/Diabetes
Cancer
Mortality
% of Adults who
smoke cigarettes
% of Adults w/
Health Insurance

Adults
2-4
year olds

per
100,000

County
28.9 15.3 8.4 35.0 16.9 90.1
State
24.5 13.1 10.4 27.5 18.1 85.3
National
27.8 14.4 9.5 39.0 21.2 82.1

Program Participation
The US Census Bureau reports 347 households in Mechanicville received SNAP benefits within
the previous 12 months.
9
According to the USDA Economic Research Service the number of
Saratoga County individuals receiving SNAP benefits has steadily increased. There were a total
of 14,781 participants in 2010, 0.07 % of the countys population and in comparison 0.04 % of
the population or 4,648 individuals received SNAP in 2000.
10
Just over a quarter of all students
enrolled in the Mechanicville School District are eligible for free or reduced price lunches.
11

Saratoga County Office of the Aging operates a congregate meal site Monday through Friday at
the Mechanicville Senior Center. According to Beverly Custer, director of Elder Services at
MACSC, participation in the $2 per meal lunch program, has been consistent over the last
several years and averages 12-15 individuals per day. Saratoga County Economic Opportunity
Council operates the Head Start program, located in Stillwater, NY six miles north of
Mechanicville, which serves residents of Mechanicville. According to Head Start personnel, the
program has two classrooms, which can accommodate 18 students, ages three to five years old.
A home-based program is offered for infants to age three, which includes a weekly 90-minute
visit by a Head Start educator, along with group socialization programs every other week.
MACSC hosts these biweekly socializations groups in their gym. According to the Head Start
personnel, participation has been very consistent for the past years. No participation data was
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available, however the program consistently has a waiting list.
Health Resources
Residents of Mechanicville have access to multiple area hospitals within a 20-mile radius,
including the 171 bed Saratoga Hospital and two hospitals in Troy, St. Marys and Samaritan,
with 196 and 212 beds, respectively.
12, 13
Six family practice physicians have offices within the
city limits of Mechanicville as well as an orthopedic practice with seven physicians.
14
Cook
Adult Home is a privately operated 13-bed assisted living facility located in Mechanicville.
15
Ellis hospital operates an 24 hour, 7 days a week emergency urgent care facility five miles away
in Clifton Park.
16


Community Resources.
MACSC operates the citys only emergency food pantry. The food pantry offers both morning
and evening hours twice a week for individuals in need of food assistance. The sole full service
grocery store in Mechanicville is Price Chopper. Capital District Transit Authority does not
currently operate bus service to Mechanicville, the service was discontinued in 2012 due to low
ridership.
17
The closest bus stop is located in Waterford, NY, 8.5 miles south of Mechanicville.
The Mechanicville City School District has a total enrollment of 1,330 students divided between
the elementary school and the Jr/Sr High School. Augustine Classical Academy is a small,
private K-12 school located in Mechanicville.
18
There are four group daycares operating within
Mechanicville, with MACSC operating two of these daycares.
19
MACSC offers both a
daycare/preschool program as well as an afterschool program for school aged children which
also provides care on school holidays and snow days. The city of Mechanicville does not
currently have a soup kitchen.

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Conclusion and Recommendations
Considering almost 20% of all residents live below the poverty level, that 25% of school-aged
children qualify for free or reduced lunches, and that nearly 30% of adults are classified as obese,
it is clear that poverty and obesity are two major concerns for residents of Mechanicville.
MACSC is perfectly situated to address the issue of childhood obesity within their existing
programs. By incorporating nutrition education into the curriculum, educating parents on proper
childhood nutrition, as well as providing fruits and vegetables and other energy-dense snacks to
students, MACSC could serve as a role model and resource for healthy eating in the community.
Another area identified for improvement is participation at the congregate meal site. The
program is largely under utilized given that the meal site, located adjacent to a fully occupied
101-unit low-income senior apartment complex, averages only 12-15 participants per day. The
Elder Services at MACSC could begin to address the low participation rates by conducting a
survey of the residents of the apartment complex to determine why so few residents take
advantage of the daily meal. Once the low participation is better understood a plan of action
could be developed to increase the participation rates.
It is clear that MACSC currently makes a considerable contribution to those in need in this small
community. By implementing the above recommendations, MACSC could ensure the needs of
both the young and the elderly are better addressed.
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References
1. Mechanicville Area Community Services Center.
http://www.mechanicvilleacsc.org/default.html. Accessed June 5, 2014.
2. United States Census. State and county quick facts. Mechanicville, NY.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/36/3646360.html. Accessed June 5, 2014.
3. United States Census. USA Quick Facts.
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/00000.html. Accessed May 31, 2014.
4. New York State Department of Health. Vital statistics. Live births summary.
http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/vital_statistics/2012/table04.htm. Access May 31,
2014.
5. New York State Department of Health. Vital statistics. Live births by county.
http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/vital_statistics/2012/table07.htm. Accessed May, 31,
2014.
6. New York State Department of Health. Vital statistics. Live birth by school district
http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/vital_statistics/2012/table54.htm. Accessed May 31,
2014.
7. New York State Department of Health. Saratoga county indicators for tracking public
health priority areas.
http://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/prevention_agenda/indicators/county/saratoga.htm.
Accessed June 1, 2014.
8. New York State Department of Health. Vital statistics. Death by resident county.
http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/vital_statistics/2012/table36.htm#1. Accessed May
24, 2014.
9. United States Census Bureau. Easy Stats. Recipients of Food Stamps/SNAP by location.
http://www.census.gov/easystats/#. Accessed May 24, 2014.
10. United States Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service.
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/supplemental-nutrition-assistance-program-
(snap)-data-system/go-to-the-map.aspx#.U4tze_2jUg0
11. Zip Data Maps. 12118-Mechanicville, NY. http://www.zipdatamaps.com/12118.
Accessed June 1, 2014.
12. New York State Department of Health. Saratoga County Hospitals.
http://hospitals.nyhealth.gov/browse_search.php?form=COUNTY&rt=saratoga.
Accessed June 7, 2014.
13. New York State Department of Health. Rensselaer County Hospitals.
http://hospitals.nyhealth.gov/browse_search.php?form=COUNTY&rt=rensselaer.
Accessed June 7, 2014.
14. Healthygrades. Group practices: Mechanicville, NY.
http://www.healthgrades.com/group-directory/new-york-ny/mechanicville. Accessed
June 7, 2014.
15. New York State Department of Health. Adult care facilities in Saratoga County.
http://www.health.ny.gov/facilities/adult_care/county/saratoga.htm. Accessed June 7,
2014.
16. Ellis Medicine. Medical Center of Clifton Park. http://www.ellismedicine.org/clifton-
park/default.aspx. Accessed June 7, 2014.
17. Capital District Transportation Authority. http://www.cdta.org/news_detail.php?id=182.
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Accessed June 5, 2014.
18. Augustine Classical Academy. http://augustineca.org. Accessed June 1, 2014.
19. Childcare Center.us. Childcare centers, Mechanicville, NY.
http://childcarecenter.us/new_york/mechanicville_ny_childcare. June 1, 2014.