Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

$27,000 Raised for Berkshire Taconic’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor Program

October 15, 2010

SHEFFIELD, MA—This year marked the fifth in a row that Hammertown Barn, the award-winning home and lifestyle store in Pine Plains, Great Barrington and Rhinebeck, held a reception and auction hosted by Northeast Dutchess Fund and Fund for Columbia County, two charitable funds of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. This year the event brought in a record $27,000 for the two funds. The Northeast Dutchess Fund and Fund for Columbia County will direct all proceeds from the event to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor program.

“In this time of great economic difficulty, it is important that this money goes to those who need it the most,” said Sally Berg, co-chair of the Fund for Columbia County. “The Neighbor-to-Neighbor program ensures that people in dire straits get the immediate help they need to stabilize their situation.”

The Neighbor-to-Neighbor program helps individuals and families who face serious economic challenges by covering past due utility bills, assisting with rent payments or medical emergencies. All requests to Neighbor-to-Neighbor must come through a social service agency or church. One-time grants of approximately $500 are made directly to the vendors involved (e.g. the landlord or utility company). Families and individuals in Columbia and Northeast Dutchess counties who feel they qualify for assistance from Neighbor-to-Neighbor are urged to contact: Columbia Opportunities in Columbia County at 518.828.2851; in northeast Dutchess: 845.264.4675 or 845.235.5713.

The Fund for Columbia County and the Northeast Dutchess Fund are two of Berkshire Taconic’s area funds. They award grants to nonprofit groups whose work improves the quality of life for all residents in their areas. Over the last decade, these two funds have distributed over $1.1 million in grants to over 230 local nonprofits.

The grants were given to programs ranging from early childhood music programs to environmental restoration programs and support for local arts groups and libraries.

To make a donation please visit www.berkshiretaconic.org/makeadonation or call 413.229.0370.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of Berkshire County, MA; Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY; and northwest Litchfield County, CT. Berkshire Taconic connects donors with causes they care about by administering and investing their charitable funds. Thanks to its generous donors, in 2009 Berkshire Taconic distributed nearly $7 million in scholarships and grants for programs in the arts and education, health and human services, and environmental protection. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

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