Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Northeast Dutchess Fund Awards $20,000 in Grants to Ten Nonprofit Groups

June 18, 2009

GREAT BARRINGTON, MA— The Northeast Dutchess Fund announced today that it has awarded $20,000 in grants to ten nonprofit groups. A fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, the Northeast Dutchess Fund awards grants to nonprofit organizations serving Amenia, Clinton Corners, Dover Plains, Millbrook, Millerton, North East, Pine Plains, Stanford, Washington, Wassaic and Wingdale.

The fund awarded the following grants:

Astor Home for Children Foundation: $1,000 to purchase toy kitchens for two classrooms of the Head Start and Early Head Start programs and to support the Fleece Blanket Project, which helps children and parents work together to create blankets.

Council on Addiction Prevention and Education: $1,000 for its Marathon Project, a 33-week innovative distance running program that pairs adult mentors with at-risk youth and aims to reduce childhood obesity, school drop-out rates and substance abuse.

Dover Little League, Inc.: $1,000 for “Light It Up,” a community-based collaboration to improve and increase the energy efficiency of lighting equipment on baseball and softball fields.

Dutchess County Community Action Agency, Inc.: $3,000 for the Holiday Savings Program, which encourages low income families to make monthly savings deposits which are matched 1:1 up to $250 to further their economic self-sufficiency.

Dutchess Land Conservancy: $1,500 to purchase an LCD projector for presentations at Town and Planning Board meetings.

First Presbyterian Church of Millerton: $3,500 to expand the English as a Second Language Program to improve the quality of life for new immigrants.

Millerton Adopt-A-Family Fund: $3,000 to provide families in need with food, warm clothing, educational materials and toys during the Christmas season. Susie Reizod Foundation: $1,500 to provide sneakers, leather shoes and winter boots to over 100 children in need.

Rural and Migrant Ministry: $2,500 for the Pine Plains Leadership Development Program, a two-week summer program for middle school children from lower income and migrant families.

Town of Amenia: $2,000 to hire a dance instructor for a ten-week after-school ballroom dancing program for the Webutuck School District.

A committee of local residents reviews applications to the fund and awards grants based on excellence of the proposed project or service, its impact on the organization or community, and the ability of the organization to carry out the project. The next deadline to apply for Northeast Dutchess Fund grants is September 1, 2009. Applications are available here or by calling 413-528-8039.

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. Thanks to its generous donors, in 2008 Berkshire Taconic distributed nearly $9 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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