KINGSTON – Family of Woodstock is a household name in Ulster and Sullivan Counties whether you have ever needed emergency housing support or not.
The non-profit agency traces its roots back to the Woodstock Music and Art Festival that drew 460,000 people to Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel in August 1969.
Family of Woodstock started its telephone hotline 57 years ago as people by the thousands rolled into Woodstock looking for a place to stay and not realizing the event was being held in neighboring Sullivan County, notes James Armenta, current Ulster County deputy county executive.
“They arrived there, had no money and no way to get anywhere because their sole goal was to get to the Woodstock festival and they couldn’t even get to Bethel Woods,” Armenta said.
Family of Woodstock used a neighbor’s phone number to help the young concertgoers find lodging.
“This emergency housing number is still today the home phone number of the woman in the original volunteer group who agreed to be the point person for people when they came into town.”
Armenta said Family of Woodstock’s emergency housing hotline is still that woman’s phone number.
The Bethel Woods Center sits on the site of the original Woodstock festival.
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