About Deb Belding
Deb Belding is the program coordinator of the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory, an anchor project and part of the Middle Main Initiative of Hudson River Housing. She has 37 years of experience in the retail industry, and is also an entreprenueur. After doing outreach for her local church for many years, she was introduced to Hudson River Housing. After retiring from her past career, and spending time volunteering with the Hyde Park community garden, an opportunity to become part of this project popped up, and she jumped at the chance.
Get in touch with Deb: Email
About Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory/Hudson River Housing
Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory is a part of the middle main initiative from Hudson River Housing. Open since March 30th, 2017, it is an anchor project in the mission to revitalize the Middle Main Street Corridor. Middle main is a particular neighborhood in the city of Poughkeepsie, NY which saw major shifts in the economy and safety throughout the last several decades.
Hudson River Housing is a 501c Nonprofit organization in Poughkeepsie that helps to provide affordable and transitional housing for those in need in the Poughkeepsie and Dutchess county, NY areas.
Learn more about Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory: Website
Learn more about Hudson River Housing: Website
Photos from Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory (by Caylena Cahill, for Hudson Valley Magazine)
Our Conversation
In this episode, I speak with Deb Belding, Program Coordinator of Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory, an anchor project affiliated with human service nonprofit organization Hudson River Housing. I’ve been wanting to feature the Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory since they opened. From the name alone, it’s not necessarily obvious how it fits with our themes, but the project is exactly the thing I get excited about.
In our conversation, we discuss:
- History of Main Street in Poughkeepsie, NY
- What Hudson River Housing is
- History of Hudson River Housing
- History of Poughkeepsie Underwear Factory
- How it’s never too late for career transition
- How this project is transforming (albeit, slowly) the neighborhood
- A model to follow for changing and revitalizing a neighborhood, and raising people up
- Evolution of Poughkeepsie over the last 25 years
- A model for reclaiming abandoned historical buildings
- What is the Middle Main Initiative
- Why the Underwear Factory is a haven for creatives and entrepreneurs
- And so much more!