2009

• PathStone celebrates 40 years of service to families, individuals and communities.
• PathStone launches its new Web site, designed to make it easier for people to find assistance and information about the work we do.

2008

• ROI rebrands to better reflect its work, with the Board of Directors voting to adopt the organization’s new name: PathStone Corporation. A tagline also is adopted: “Connecting You to Opportunities.”
• Pennsylvania celebrates 30 years of service.
• Following extensive discussion with the Board of Directors, ROI creates a 28-member board, of whom 51 percent is eligible for services.
• The Committee for Farmworker Justice is renamed the Committee for Social Justice.

2007

• New Jersey celebrates 25 years of service.
• ROI launches an effort to rebrand the agency, which now has nine lines of business, and a growing Board of Directors, which has 40-plus members.

2006

• ROI begins a new senior employment program through a progressive agreement with the National Council on Aging, working to provide job training and placement services for seniors 55 or older in need of employment.

2005

• Ohio celebrates 20 years of service.
• ROI incorporates with Housing Opportunities, Inc. of Rochester.

2002

• ROI expands its U.S. Department of Labor programs to provide outreach to migrant and seasonal farmworker youth in Vermont and Puerto Rico.
• New York initiates its Farmworker Access to Vocational Rehabilitation program.
• ROI launches Seeds of Success Web-based curriculum, offering bilingual entrepreneurship and financial literacy skills.

2001

• ROI receives an HIV Education Grant.
• Ohio implements Farmworker Access to Vocational Rehabilitation program.
• Newburg Community Reinvestment Corp. rehabilitates dilapidated homes for very low-income first-time homebuyers.

2000

• ROI begins new rehabilitation programs in Ohio and New York for migrant farmworkers.
• ROI forms incentives for Farmworker Youth Coalition and initiates SAVE Project for migrant farmworker youth.
• Newburgh Community Improvement Corp. incorporated.

1999

• The board adopts three-year strategic business plan.
• Housing development projects are established in Puerto Rico.
• ROI leads Eastern Stream Youth Coalition in implementing U.S. DOL Program for migrant and seasonal farmworker youth.
• Lander I & II were constructed, revitalizing 33 buildings and 64units into affordable housing in Newburgh.

1998

• ROI purchases historic Hiram Sibley Mansion (circa 1867) at 400 East Avenue in Rochester, N.Y., for its corporate headquarters.
• Rural Opportunities Enterprise Center, Inc. is certified by the U.S. Department of Treasury as a Community Development Financial Institution, greatly expanding its small-business lending capacity.
• ROI’s operation in Ohio establishes as an affiliate to attract local and state resources.

1997

• The Enterprise Center establishes as an affiliate, dedicated to managing a small-business loan program.
• Milestone and graduation initiatives are established to recognize participants’ success.

1996

• ROI is chartered by the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (NeighborWorks), a Congressionally mandated affordable housing development corporation.

1995

• Rural Opportunities Housing Corp. of Michigan, Inc. and of Indiana, Inc. established as affiliates, to create affordable housing for low-income families.

1994

• Board adopts the ROI Strategic Action Plan, “Up to 2000.”
• ROI celebrates 25 years of service.

1993

• Board adopts revised mission statement.
• Board adopts Action Pledge, which emphasizes commitment to celebrate the diversity of participants, programs, staff and board.
• President Bill Clinton honors ROI in the Rose Garden for its Rural Venture Fund.
• Board reviews bylaws to streamline and clarify board membership structure.
• Board expands ROI employee benefit services to a full cafeteria-style plan.

1992

• Ohio begins a Head Start for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker program.
• New Jersey celebrates 10 years of service.

1991

• Pennsylvania begins a Head Start for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworker program.
• Finance Office initiated in-house General Ledger Accounts Payable and Payroll System.

1990

• Board adopts principles to guide ROI’s economic development strategy.
• Board establishes the Rural Venture Fund and appoints a Loan Review Committee.
• New York receives the Job Training Partnership Act Presidential Award.

1989

• The Greater Rochester Metro Chamber of Commerce awards Stuart J. Mitchell the prestigious 1989 Civic Award from for outstanding work in the area of human services.
• Governor Mario Cuomo designates ROI as the New York State Affiliate to the National Rural Development & Finance Corporation (a rural business lending program).
• ROI celebrates 20 years of services and renews its Corporate Decision Making Principles.
• Pennsylvania celebrates 10 years of service.

1988

• Ohio responds to extraordinary problems faced by farmworkers because of a statewide drought.
• ROI creates in-house computerized data collections system.
• The Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs elects Stuart J. Mitchell its president.

1987

• CPA audit firm conducts first unified/single audit covering all of ROI’s operations.
• Pennsylvania receives funding to operate statewide primary health care program for farmworkers.

1986

• New York State Department of Labor funds the Migrant Occupational Safety Training Program, a pesticide education program.
• New Jersey initiates ROI’s first Head Start for Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers program.
• ROI experiences about 20 percent reduction in funding from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment & Training grants.
• New York State initiates first empowerment/diversity awareness training for staff.
• Board votes to fund first company funded pension program for employees.

1985

• Board votes to change the name of organization to Rural Opportunities, Inc.
• Board approves resolution to compete for U.S. Department of Labor Farmworker Training & Employment grant for Ohio. ROI awarded grant and began operations.
• the Farmers Home Administration contracts with ROI to develop farmworker housing. This is ROI’s first technical assistance grant.

1984

• Board adopts a new employee benefit program that increases individual employee options.

1983

• Board revises bylaws to establish farmworker representation on the board in proportion to the numbers of farmworkers served in employment and training programs.
• The U.S. Department of Labor Employment & Training funding for farmworkers is incorporated into the new Job Training Partnership Act.

1982

• Board approves expansion of programs into New Jersey. The U.S. Department of Labor awards New Jersey a Farmworker Training & Employment Program.
• New York adopts legislation that includes RNYFO in the Community Services Block Grant legislation.
• RNYFO computerizes its agencywide data collection system for employment and training programs.

1981

• The board approves the establishment of the Committee for Farmworker Justice, a voluntary advocacy and lobby committee supported by volunteer donations from staff, board and friends.

1980

• RNYFO develops a New York legislative action plan to improve living and working conditions for farmworkers.
• RNYFO translates the Annual Report into Spanish.
• RNYFO develops a participant handbook for employment and training participants.

1979

• The board establishes of a Pennsylvania statewide advisory committee and appoints three representatives to the corporate board of directors.
• The board develops a long-range strategic planning document.
• The board establishes its first Housing Affiliate, Rural Housing Action Corporation.

1978

• PFI’s name changes to Rural New York Farmworker Opportunities, Inc. (RNYFO).
• RNYFO is awarded the USDOL Employment & Training contract for Pennsylvania.

1977

• Karen Noble Hanson (Karen N. Tobin) resigns position as Executive Director to become State Director of the Farmers Home Administration in New York, with appointment by President Jimmy Carter.
• Stuart J. Mitchell III is appointed by the board to become Executive Director.
• The board adopts rural economic development as a strategic planning initiative.

1976

• The organization provides technical assistance to the New York State Department of Agricultural and Markets to upgrade migrant child care program.
• The organization sees the advent of its organization-sponsored HUD Section 8 Rental Assistance Program.

1975

• The organization establishes a statewide relocation loan fund to assist farmworkers.
• The organization publishes the first statewide farmworker rights handbook.
• The organization manages a nine-state farmworker emergency food distribution program.

1974

• The board votes to expand direct program services to all of the major fruit, vegetable and horticulture agricultural areas in New York.
• The organization hired its first full-time housing development staff person.
• The organization contracted with the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to provide vocational training skills to workers in Upstate New York food processing plants.
• The board revise the bylaws to require 51 percent farmworker participation on the board.

1973

• President Richard Nixon begins to dismantle the Office of Economic Opportunity. The farmworker program transfers to U.S. Department of Labor and became funded under the Comprehensive Employment and Training Administration.
• The Annual Farmworker Caucus identifies housing problems as its first priority.

1972

• Program Funding, Inc. participates in the formation of the Association of Farmworker Opportunity Programs and National Association of Farmworker Organizations.
• The board votes to initiate direct programs operations and reduce contracts with delegate agencies.
• The board establishes institutional advocacy for the improvement of living and working conditions for farmworkers as its primary mission.
• PFI holds its first Annual Conference.
• The first farmworker caucus develops 15 demands and presents the list to the board. The board adopts these demands as its 1973 work plan.

1971

• The board expands to include representation from various state and private state agencies, as well as private not-for-profit organizations.
• The board votes to incorporate the Bureau of Program Funding as a separate entity from the Center for Migrant Studies and also changes the name of the organization to Program Funding, Inc. (PFI).
• PFI moves its Central Offices to Rochester, N.Y.

1970

• Delegate agencies form an advisory committee to provide input into decisions made by the board.

1969

• The federal Office of Economic Opportunity enters into a $350,000 contract with the New York State Center for Migrant Studies to operate migrant and seasonal farmworker housing and educational, training, job development, placement, medical and welfare services.
• The Center, housed at the State University of New York at Geneseo, forms a grant management committee and titled it The Bureau of Program Funding. This committee serves as the policy/planning board for the grant. Positions for farmworkers were included on this committee.
• The Bureau of Program Funding funds several local, not-for-profit farmworker service agencies to operate a full range of programs, operated primarily in Western New York.