In collaboration with the Dutchess County Government and the Dyson Foundation, Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley is announcing the third round of grants deployed from the Dutchess Responds Fund. The fund launched in late March to provide community members with a charitable vehicle for mitigating impacts of Covid-19. To date, the Dutchess Responds Fund has awarded nearly $280,000 to area nonprofits.
 
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said, "Our residents continue to astound us with their generosity, contributing to assist their neighbors in need during this pandemic. It's heart-warming to see how 'Dutchess Responds' during difficult times like these, and countless County residents will benefit from this selflessness. We thank the Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley for administering the Dutchess Responds Fund, and our community's continued support is greatly appreciated by so many."
 
“We are proud to work on behalf of the community in delivering these grants,” said Cristin McPeake, Vice President of Programs at the Community Foundations. “Each dollar of each grant has been seeded by generous neighbors to cultivate a caring response to Covid-19. As the days and weeks pass, these investments are feeding families, purchasing medical equipment, and shoring up vital services.”
 
The Fund awards grants to two key priority areas. Front Line Grants, which fund community programs facing increased demand for services; and Service-Challenged Grants, for organizations modifying service-delivery modes in light of safety guidelines and ordinances. One such recent grantee, Dutchess Outreach, has seen an increase in demand on its feeding programs.
 
For 46 years, Dutchess Outreach has provided emergency food access – but has escalated its efforts in response to Covid-19. In the last 8 weeks, their two signature programs (The Beverly Closs Food Pantry and the Lunch Box) have served more than 32,500 meals. This has required purchasing more than 58,000 pounds of food, of that, 9,000 pounds were fresh fruits and vegetables. Of these increased efforts, Development Director Sarah Salem said “we couldn’t do any of this good work without the support of our community. We count ourselves lucky to exist among such gracious and giving individuals, local farms, organizations, local governments, and foundations. That’s what is keeping us moving, the beauty that is our Community of Care in the City of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, and throughout the Hudson Valley.”
 
“Our nonprofits are doing an incredible job of meeting the unprecedented needs of the moment,” said McPeake. “The Community Foundations is grateful to do our part to facilitate the generosity of neighbors, the vision of the County and Executive Molinaro, and the dedicated professionals of the local nonprofit sector. The Foundations Board and Staff thank everyone who has contributed their resources and talents to this effort. As restrictions lift, that support will remain an integral part of not only responding to the moment – but helping our community to recover.”
 
Individuals, families and businesses are invited to donate online here, or by sending a check made out to Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley to: 80 Washington Street, Suite 201, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.
 
Learn more and lend a hand at the Dutchess County Government website.
 
The latest round of grants total nearly $59,000, awarded to: Friends of Historic Hyde Park, Hudson River Housing, Inc., Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation, Mediation Center of Dutchess County, Holy Light Pentecostal Church, Jayne Brooks Food Pantry at the Episcopal Church of the Messiah, Poughkeepsie Farm Project, Rhinebeck Reformed Church Food Pantry, Unshattered, and the Wassaic Project.