Co-Founder of URO
Audrey Cooper
Audrey Cooper (1948-2021) moved to Ithaca to attend college in 1967 at the age of seventeen. In her first year in Ithaca she worked as a receptionist for the Northside House, a community recreation center which became the Greater Ithaca Activities Center (GIAC) in 1972.
Audrey served as the Deputy Director of GIAC for a number of years, and was a board member for 35. In the 1970's she was instrumental in the Dispositional Alternatives Program (DAP) of the Family and Children’s Center, an innovative project that provided services, case management, advocacy, housing, and support for teens in need, particularly those on probation.
She later served as the Executive Director of Southside Community Center pushing forward projects such as the West End Breakfast Club, and the establishment of Ithaca's first shelter for men.
Audrey was featured as part of The History Center in Tompkins County's Breaking Barriers exhibit in March 2022.
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Listen to a clip of Audrey's oral history interview recorded in 2019 and held in The History Center's oral history collections:
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https://tinyurl.com/ycktwy55
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The 'Breaking Barriers: Women's Lives & Livelihoods' exhibit ran from 2021 - 2022. It highlighted the stories and legacies of the phenomenal Tompkins Women that have helped shape our county and community.
From 1998-2014 Audrey was the Director of the Multicultural Resource Center growing the organization from a resource library housed at Beverly J. Martin Elementary School into a collaborative community space that celebrated and highlighted the rich cultural tapestry of Ithaca and Tompkins County.
Over decades of activism and community engagement Audrey also spearheaded programs like the annual Sister Friends Celebration, and establishing a norm of Gayogo̱hó:nÇ«' (Cayuga) land acknowledgements at public gatherings; as well as serving on countless boards and local initiatives to advance civil rights, cultural representation, and strengthening support systems for at risk populations.​
Among her many honors, Audrey received the New York State Harriet Tubman Humanitarian Achievement Award, the Cecilia Montaner-Vargas Spirit of Inclusion Award (Human Services Coalition), and the INHS Lucy J. Brown Leadership Award.