About

Our Mission

Open Catskills is dedicated to supporting refugees and asylum seekers who are finding their home in Delaware County, New York, and advocating for the human rights and freedoms of displaced people fleeing difficult situations. To these ends, Open Catskills partners with individuals, community groups, and other organizations in Delaware County and beyond to create opportunities for asylum seekers and refugees to rebuild their lives here in the Catskills.

History

Open Catskills was established in 2021 by Delaware County, New York residents Dan Gashler, Esther Lee, Sangeeta Pratap, and Mina Takahashi. The original name of the group was Delaware County Citizens for Refugee Support (DCCRS). Together with community members, DCCRS brought four asylum seekers to Delaware County, conducted a winter clothing drive for hundreds of migrant families housed at Floyd Bennett Field in New York City, assisted refugee families and individuals employed locally via the Department of Labor; and is currently supporting two refugee students at SUNY Delhi under the auspices of the Welcome Corps on Campus program. DCCRS became a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization in 2023, and was renamed Open Catskills in 2024.

Directors

Dan Gashler (Delhi) is a history professor at SUNY Delhi and secretary for the Delhi chapter of the United University Professions labor union. He is also an Elder and volunteer coordinator at the Delhi branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dan is fluent in Russian, Spanish, and South Slavic Languages.

Esther Lee (Bovina) is a retired corporate leader who brings her organizational strategy, execution, and communications experience as well as her extensive network of other professional resources to our efforts.

Sangeeta Pratap (Bovina) is a professor of economics at the City University of New York. Her research studies economic development at the macro level and her vocation is to use her analytical and technical skills to contribute to the well-being of the community she considers home in Delaware County.

Mina Takahashi (Delhi) is a hand papermaker and editor of Hand Papermaking magazine. She is a working member of Bushel Collective, a volunteer-run, mixed-use space in Delhi NY, dedicated to art, agriculture, ecology, and action. Mina has also been a part of Catskills Unity, a messaging campaign to build a shared community, rooted in mutual respect and empathy.

Erin Wagner (Oneonta) is an English professor at SUNY Delhi. She is an author of speculative fiction and researches medieval heresy in her spare time. Erin volunteers for the Oneonta NAACP and serves as co-chair of the SUNY Delhi Faculty Equity Council. (not pictured above)