Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation

Northeast Dutchess Fund Awards $64K in Grants to Twenty Nonprofit Groups

July 28, 2011

SHEFFIELD, MA—The Northeast Dutchess Fund announced today that it has awarded $64,120 in grants to 20 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.

"This Northeast Dutchess Fund grant comes at a time when we are feeling the pinch of the economic downturn,” said Reverend Betsy Fisher of the Food of Life Pantry at Saint Thomas Episcopal Church in Amenia. “The number of people in need of food increases every month, and the amount of money available through state funding and other sources has decreased. This grant makes it possible for us to continue to provide nutrition to those families who live with no safety net and often have to make choices between buying food or medicine, gas, and utilities.”

The fund awarded the following grants:
ArtEast: $1,000 to develop promotional materials for a free open studio tour.

Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County: $1,500 for the Relatives as Parents Programs, which provides training, counseling and activities for relative caregivers.

Dutchess Community College Foundation: $5,000 to purchase of materials for GED instruction, as well as provide transportation and child care for participants.

First Presbyterian Church of Millerton: $4,000 to sustain the English as a Second Language program to promote quality of life for immigrants.

Food of Life Food Pantry: $7,500 to help feed the growing number of families in northeast Dutchess County who are experiencing food vulnerability.

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival: $3,000 to fund Free Will at Millbrook High School, an arts-in-education program that teaches Shakespeare and supports a production of Romeo and Juliet for the entire Millbrook community.

Millbrook Early Childhood Education Center: $4,800 for the Family Support Initiative supporting new mothers and their children.

Mental Health America of Dutchess County: $1,820 for classes open to parents and caregivers to learn skills in communicating with their children.

Millbrook Free Library: $5,000 to increase the energy efficiency of the library by replacing windows.

Millerton Adopt-A-Family: $3,500 to provide warm winter clothing and toys to needy families.

North East Community Center: $5,000 to support three childhood enrichment programs that provide child education and development activities, day care and parent support.

NorthEast-Millerton Library: $1,000 for “Music in the Annex,” a series of free performances.

Rebuilding Together Dutchess County: $5,000 to renovate two homes for low-income residents.

Rural & Migrant Ministry: $1,500 for the Overnight Leadership Camp, a youth empowerment program for children of migrant workers.

Saint Francis Health Care Foundation: $3,000 to prevent substance use among youth and help them understand associated risks by teaching healthy behavior patterns, good judgment and effective problem-solving skills.

Stanford Grange: $500 to host a Christmas party for foster children.

The Susie Reizod Foundation: $2,000 for New Shoes Donation Program which provides new shoes to low-income families.

The Wassaic Project: $2,000 to provide high quality sound for the annual three day, free, public festival of music and art.

Town of Amenia: $2,000 to provide free after-school dance instruction to youth in the Webutuck School district.

Village of Millerton: $5,000 to renovate the basketball court at Eddie Collins Park.

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 will be Spring 2012. Applications are available online or by calling 413.229.0370.

To make a donation to the Northeast Dutchess Fund or for more information, please contact Berkshire Taconic at 800 North Main St., PO Box 400, Sheffield, MA 02157, call 413.229.0370, send an email or go online.

Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation builds stronger communities and improves the quality of life for all residents of northwest Litchfield County, CT; Berkshire County, MA; and Columbia County and northeast Dutchess County, NY, acting as an agent for positive change in the region. Since 1987, Berkshire Taconic has managed a growing collection of charitable funds created by individuals, families and businesses. Each year, the foundation distributes over $7 million through grants and scholarships for programs in the arts and education, health and human services and environmental protection, helping thousands of donors achieve their philanthropic goals and hundreds of nonprofits carry on their good work. Berkshire Taconic is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity.

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