SCHENECTADY – Reverend Phillip “Phil” N. Grigsby, former executive director of Community Ministries in Schenectady, passed away on Tuesday.
Grigsby, a ubiquitous advocate in the city for racial, economic and social justice, joined SiCM (formerly Schenectady Inner City Ministry) in 1986.
In a statement announcing his death on Tuesday, SiCM said Grigsby was overseeing the growth of ministry programs, including “making SiCM’s pantry the largest in Schenectady County, establishing the now 27-year-old summer meal program. years for young people and children, and make SiCM an organizing agency for the CROP Hunger Walk in Schenectady. “
“Phil’s legacy of commitment to justice, equity and peace will continue to be an important foundation for SiCM’s work with and alongside the community,” said Rev. Amaury Tañón -Santos, Executive Director and CEO of SiCM. “The name Phil Grigsby will be synonymous with building a community of health, solidarity and resilience.”
Mayor Gary McCarthy gave Grisby a key to the city and named him boss, one of Schenectady’s highest honors.
Councilor Marion Porterfield worked under Grigsby and saw him as a mentor.
Among her biggest legacies, she said, are her efforts to start programming using SiCM as an incubator and ultimately turning them into self-sustaining organizations, including SAFE House, the at-risk youth shelter in Hamilton Hill’s neighborhood. the city.
“The community will be greatly missed,” Porterfield said.
Madelyn Thorne, executive director of Habitat for Humanity in Schenectady County, also viewed Grigsby as a role model, recalling him as a fierce fighter for the city’s underserved residents.
Grigsby, she said, has strived to treat social service recipients with dignity and has sought to solicit their input and build consensus on what they need by actively involving them in the process, which was not always the dominant attitude at the time in charitable circles. .
“He was an example of how to run a nonprofit and stay on mission,” Thorne said. “He was practical, but he had a vision for the way he wanted the world to be. “
And when Grigsby was beaten, he didn’t put his cock between his legs, but rather got up from the mat and strategized to find another way to approach a problem, she said.
Grigsby is survived by his wife, Dr. Janet “Jan” Grigsby, and sons Matthew “Matt” Grigsby and Christopher “Chris” Grigsby. Information on the services is forthcoming, SiCM said.
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