MIDDLETOWN – Regional Economic Community Action Program (RECAP) received a grant of $29,000 from the Dyson Foundation. The funds were used to purchase essential items for children which were distributed to local schools and organizations. Necessities included diapers, wipes, underwear and infant formula.
The Dyson Foundation responded to a call from the community regarding a need for basic necessities for infants and children in the region. Children living in poverty are at risk of not having enough daily health and hygiene supplies. The Foundation awarded, under its Safety Net funding theme, grants to eight Hudson Valley organizations to purchase and distribute items free-of-charge to area nonprofits, school districts, and groups that serve the region’s economically disadvantaged children. Grantees include RECAP, Columbia Opportunities, Family of Woodstock, Community Actin of Greene County, CoveCare Center, Ulster County Community Action, Dutchess Outreach, and United Way of the Dutchess-Orange Region. The grants totaled $100,000 with agency amounts based on county population and poverty rates.
“The Dyson Grant funded items were accepted with great gratitude by the agencies and families they served,” said Francine Tavares, RECAP Human Services Coordinator, who organized the distribution at RECAP. “The items we distributed are hard for our low income population to purchase. Our Orange County families are often presented with the decision of buying non-food items such a diapers and wipes or paying rent for the month for their families. The Dyson Grant helped many of them provide for their children. ”
The Dyson Foundation awards approximately $11 million -$12 million annually nation-wide and has a major funding program in the Mid-Hudson Valley with the goal of improving the quality of life for all residents, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged.
