SHEFFIELD, MA– This year marked the sixth 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 Fund for Columbia County and Northeast Dutchess Fund, two charitable funds of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation.
This year the event brought in a record $35,000 for the two funds. The Fund for Columbia County and Northeast Dutchess Fund will direct all proceeds from the event to the Foundation’s Neighbor-to-Neighbor program.
“We are humbled that in these times, our community has once again come out in full force for their neighbors in need,” said Sally Berg, co-chair of the Fund for Columbia County. “The Neighbor-to-Neighbor program continues to be a much-needed source of emergency aid for hundreds of individuals in our rural area.”
In addition to the reception and auction, Hammertown Barn donated 10% of sales during the week following the event. The event was sponsored by Bank of Millbrook, Dutchess Oil & Propane, Film 44-Peter Berg, Green Peas TV, Hammertown Barn, Laura & Arthur Hyde, McLaughlin & Stern, LLP and Salisbury Bank.
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 518.828.4611; in northeast Dutchess: 845.264.4675 or 845.235.5713.
