Finish Strong: Empowering and Uplifting Poughkeepsie Youth
Brooklyn native Dennis Woodbine was training for boxing with his wife Dr. Linda Woodbine when he told her to keep pushing, be resilient, and “finish strong.” Finish Strong would become the name of the nonprofit wellness center the two would soon create together.
Finish Strong Wellness Center is a free after-school program for Poughkeepsie youth. It focuses on strengthening the physical and emotional well-being of young people through trauma-informed care, which takes into account a person’s life experiences. Finish Strong works to promote the strengths and abilities of youth through programs such as non-contact boxing and other sports, fitness and weight lifting, arts and crafts, photography and filmmaking, and academic tutoring.
Woodbine started the nonprofit to uplift the community and ensure that youth facing difficult circumstances would not go down the same path that he once did.
“I’m not gonna allow others to go through what I have gone through,” said Woodbine.
Growing up with a mother who struggled with depression and a father who was not in the picture, Woodbine experienced many traumatic events that led him to become incarcerated at a young age.
While incarcerated, Woodbine met his wife, a trauma specialist, who shared readings on trauma, specifically citing ACEs (adverse childhood experiences). “Although I still believe in taking responsibility for the choices a person makes in their life, she opened my eyes to the fact that I also grew up in really trying circumstances,” said Woodbine. “I experienced a great deal of trauma without any support, and the things that I experienced impacted the trajectory of my life.”
Woodbine eventually received clemency from Governor Cuomo and wanted to do something with his new understanding of his adverse circumstances: experiences that youth, specifically youth of color, frequently face.
“I started to look at all my peers and how they also had shortened lifespans,” said Woodbine. “They ended up either dying early, or they ended up with life sentences, and we had similarities. We grew up without fathers in our homes. We grew up with mothers who were either struggling with substance abuse or mental health. We grew up under the same conditions, and unfortunately a lot of us lost our way. We made choices at a young age when our brains weren’t even fully developed, and unfortunately we ended up inside.”
Woodbine made it his mission to take his past and turn it into a lesson to share with others.
“I wanted to do my part in trying to break the cycle,” said Woodbine. “I wanted to do away with the negative things that [were] passed down to me, and break that cycle to the best of my ability.” Woodbine lives by the saying from a popular community member: “If trauma can be passed down from generation to generation, then so can healing.”
“Finish Strong was my response to trauma,” said Woodbine.
“Meaning-making” as it relates to trauma, is an integral part of the program. “Sometimes you can take a negative and say because this happened to me, I’m now gonna reverse it and do something about it,” said Woodbine. “Because I experienced this bad thing in my life, I’m now gonna give it meaning.”
Working with his wife, Woodbine wanted to center the program around his boxing experience, using it as a therapeutic way to promote better mental health in the kids he worked with. “When you’re teaching somebody to box, you’re also able to form that connection and get them to open up, and talk, and provide that mentorship,” said Woodbine. He wanted to create a space where Poughkeepsie youth could build resilience and overcome obstacles in a supportive environment: one he was not afforded, growing up.
Woodbine was a 9th grade dropout with a 6th grade education.
It was in prison where he received his GED, Associate’s degree, and Bachelor’s Degree, and was halfway through completing his Master’s Degree when he received clemency. “Even with that education, none of that prepared me for this,” said Woodbine. Woodbine’s own fear was the most difficult aspect of creating the program.
“One of the things that I always worried about was if people knew that I was formerly incarcerated, will they still respect me or give me their support, or will they not believe in me or give me a chance?” said Woodbine.
Fortunately, he has received a great deal of support. Finish Strong was started during Covid, but despite this obstacle, the program grew and even expanded into a larger space. The city and county also significantly helped the program through grants.
Finish Strong also receives a lot of support from interns and volunteers from Marist and Vassar colleges. The college students support the kids both academically and emotionally.
The main quality Woodbine looks for in the college students is their ability to connect. His interns connect with the kids on a deep level and leave a positive mark on the kids’ lives forever.
Marist senior Shannon Grass, comes to the program every day it runs and has been doing so for the past two semesters. She started as an intern and has now come back to volunteer. “Because I have been here for two semesters, my relationship with the kids has definitely grown and developed,” said Grass. “I’ve really gotten to know the kids and their tendencies, and build relationships with them.”
As a psychology major and Marist Cheer Captain, she has much to offer the kids. She provides academic support, athletic training, and helps to run restorative justice circles. “Even if they just need a hug that day, I’m here for them,” said Grass.
Both Grass and Woodbine find the most gratifying part of their work to be uplifting the kids in the program and making a meaningful difference in their lives.
“The most rewarding part is being there,” said Woodbine. “Making these youth happy. Giving them those happy moments. Being able to take them on a shopping spree for Christmas. Being able to throw a birthday party here. Being able to just provide these services, and know that they’ve got a place they can come to, that they’re happy, and that they’re connecting with people.”
