FOUNDATION NEWS 2024

November 18, 2024

MILFORD, PA – A generous donor has offered Green Trees Early Learning Center, Pike County’s oldest licensed day care center, a fundraising challenge. The anonymous donor recently pledged $25,000 to support the center’s operations, structuring the gift as a matching challenge intended to motivate other donors to help Green Trees raise an additional $25,000 by the end of the year.

“That means that every gift given to the Green Trees Strong Roots Fund at Greater Pike Community Foundation by December 31 will have double the value and will be matched dollar-for-dollar,” said Susie Lyddon, Green Trees’ new Director. Green Trees will use the income for classroom supplies, building repairs, equipment purchases, and scholarship support for needy families.

Green Trees, a nonprofit day care center, got its start in 1985 at the Good Shepherd Church in Milford, with a mission to provide safe, high-quality childcare to children of all backgrounds and income levels. In 2017, the center moved to its current home in the historic Muir House. The state rates Green Trees as a Keystone STAR Four Center, the highest designation for early-learning centers in Pennsylvania.

“Serving children 10 hours a day and 12 months a year means peace of mind for our working parents,” said Ms. Lyddon. “They know that their children are in a safe and engaging learning environment while they are working hard to make a better life for themselves and their families. We educate more than 100 children each year from ages 6 weeks through 12 years old.”

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November 8, 2024

MILFORD, PA – The Pike County Commissioners, Pike County Veterans Affairs Office, Greater Pike Community Foundation and VetStock have banded together to establish the Pike County Veterans Support Fund (PCVSF), a new fund administered through Greater Pike to support local Veterans.

The PCVSF is designed to support the operation, services, and programs of the Pike County Veterans Affairs Office, for which it is exclusively established. Funds will be utilized by the Veterans Affairs Office to:

• Enhance or expand services and programs provided by the Pike County Veterans Affairs Office including but not limited to staff training, supplies, technology and equipment
• Assist with training and education programs and opportunities to aid Pike County Veterans in finding employment, working in conjunction with the Pike County Workforce Development Agency

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November 3, 2024

MILFORD, PA – In the run-up to the holidays, Greater Pike Community Foundation has awarded four area food banks $1,000 each to assist in their efforts to fight food insecurity in our community. Grants went to the Ecumenical Food Pantry of Pike County in Milford, the Good Cheer Food Pantry in Greeley, the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church Food Pantry in Dingmans Ferry, and Saint Ann’s Food Pantry in Shohola.

The funds come at a critical time for these food pantries, given the advent of colder weather and the approach of the winter holidays. Area food banks have reported a steady increase in the number of families seeking assistance.

“This donation, along with others, will help us provide 120 of Pike County’s most vulnerable families with food for the Thanksgiving holiday,” said Barbara Hupfer, food pantry director at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. “We are grateful for the continued support of Greater Pike.”

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October 25, 2024

MILFORD, PA – In the wake of a hit-and-run accident that took the life of his dog, Milford resident Richard C. Morais has opened a memorial fund in her name at Greater Pike Community Foundation with the aim of enhancing pedestrian safety. The Maya Milford Memorial Fund for Public Safety will underwrite solutions that address the perils facing individuals trying to cross the borough’s busy streets.

Mr. Morais, a novelist and financial writer whose family has been in Milford for four generations, was attempting in early September to cross at Broad and Ann Streets with his two dogs, Maya and Sherry. A vehicle driving too fast failed to stop for them at the crosswalk, as required by Pennsylvania law. Mr. Morais and one dog managed to jump out of the way, but Maya – a 4-year-old Chihuahua rescue with huge character and a sweet disposition – was struck and killed. The driver did not stop.

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October 7, 2024

PIKE COUNTY – A specialized fund at Greater Pike Community Foundation is going a long way toward promoting stable, professional emergency medical services throughout Pike County. The Pike County Emergency Services Initiative (PCESI) Fund is currently underwriting EMT classes while also providing funding for critical supplies.

A full complement of 25 students had already signed up for the county’s fall EMT training course as of mid-August, and the advanced EMT (AEMT) course is similarly fully enrolled, with eight people attending. This is the first time the Pike County Training Center has offered the AEMT class. This certification will allow students to perform more paramedic-type procedures.

“This is the earliest these classes have rostered,” said Timothy Knapp Sr., Pike County’s Public Safety Director. “That’s a good sign that we offer a good, stable program.”

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August 7, 2024

MILFORD, PA – The Richard L. Snyder Fund at Greater Pike Community Foundation has awarded $91,000 in grants to 31 area nonprofit organizations working in the arts, civic beautification, and public health. The grants will underwrite concert, art, and theater events; improvements to parks and public spaces; and emergency medical and other services at local agencies.

“The breadth and quality of work being done by the many nonprofit organizations in our community are outstanding,” said Carol Witschel, chair of Greater Pike’s Grants Committee. “Greater Pike is excited to be able to support so many worthy projects – which is what Dick Snyder intended when he helped create the foundation and through his bequest, which provides this critical funding on an annual basis.”

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July 29, 2024

MILFORD, PA – The Center for Developmental Disabilities of Pike County (CDD), a cornerstone in providing educational and behavioral support to children with developmental disabilities in the Milford area, has been awarded $13,248 in scholarship funding from Greater Pike Community Foundation to cover summer pre-K costs for 10 children. This funding ensures that families can access essential services at minimal cost, particularly during the summer months when financial support is limited.

The tuition assistance comes from funds that Greater Pike administers via Pennsylvania’s Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) program. Contributions to Greater Pike enabling these scholarships came from Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, UGI Utilities, Wayne Bank, and The Dime Bank.

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July 8, 2024

MILFORD, PA – Greater Pike Community Foundation will hold its ninth annual dinner event on Sunday, September 8, starting at 5:00 p.m. at the Silver Birches Resort on the shores of Lake Wallenpaupack in Hawley, PA. Individual tickets and table purchases are now available via Greater Pike’s website.

Highlighting the evening will be the presentation of three major awards to community leaders whom Greater Pike is honoring for their longstanding contributions. Martha Dubensky, the founder of GAIT Equine Assisted Services, will receive the Barbara J. Buchanan Community Service Award. The Jorgenson family, who operate The Historic Dimmick Inn in Milford, will receive the Richard L. Snyder Business Leadership Award. And the Milford Enhancement Committee, which has worked on beautification efforts in the borough of Milford for more than 25 years, will receive the Nonprofit Excellence Award.

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June 21, 2024

MILFORD, PA – Greater Pike Community Foundation has awarded 13 area students with scholarships totaling $54,208, including recurring awards to three past recipients who are continuing their college studies. The awards, which go to seniors from Delaware Valley, Wallenpaupack and Kittatinny high schools, come from a variety of scholarship funds administered by Greater Pike.

“We are grateful to our generous donors, whose support will make a positive difference in the future lives of our scholarship recipients,” said Ann Morey, chair of Greater Pike’s Scholarship Committee. “This year we had an exceptional group of college-going applicants to seven of our scholarship funds.” Ms. Morey encouraged more individuals to consider opening scholarship funds at Greater Pike, so as to afford “a greater number of  worthy students this same opportunity.”

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June 7, 2024

MILFORD, PA – The Petersheim Fund, a charitable fund established in 2019 by Chuck Petersheim at Greater Pike Community Foundation, recently made major grants to two area nonprofits. The fund awarded $10,000 to the Farm Arts Collective cultural center in Damascus, PA, and $3,150 to Friends of the Delaware Valley Warrior Football Booster Club.

The Farm Arts Collective sponsors performances, workshops, and special events around the themes of conservation, ecology, and sustainable agriculture. Founded in 2018 by farmer and performing artist Tannis Kowalchuk, it hosts a variety of programs including workshops in farming, art, food, and ecology as well as performances and events that highlight environmental stewardship, diversity, and healthy ecologies.

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May 20, 2024

MILFORD, PA – A pair of Donor Advised Funds at Greater Pike Community Foundation recently made disbursements to several local nonprofit organizations. The Pike County Humane Society and the Humane Society of Port Jervis/Deerpark each received $200 from the Edson D. Mosher Jr. Fund, while the Veterans Memorial Park and Education Center in Matamoras got a $100 grant from the Mosher Fund.

At the same time, the Ralph F. Berry Memorial Fund has awarded $250 to the Ecumenical Food Pantry in Milford.

A Donor Advised Fund is a private fund for charitable giving that is administered by a third party on behalf of an individual, family, or organization. Greater Pike currently hosts 16 Donor Advised Funds under its umbrella.

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May 1, 2024

MILFORD, PA – Greater Pike Community Foundation will award grants of up to $5,000 apiece to local nonprofits working in the areas of arts and culture, historic preservation and beautification, and health and wellness through the Richard L. Snyder Fund. Applications for Snyder Fund grants will be accepted from May 15 through June 15.

The Richard L. Snyder Fund is an annual open grant program that funds nonprofit organizations conducting work in the following areas: maintaining and enhancing the public areas of the Borough of Milford; sponsorship of local arts, culture, festivals, and events; and medical research in the fields of multiple sclerosis, HIV, LGBT issues, and domestic violence.

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April 8, 2024

MILFORD, PA – The founder of GAIT Equine Assisted Services, the family behind a historic Milford restaurant, and a nonprofit organization that has improved and beautified the streets of Milford for the past 25 years are the Greater Pike Community Foundation’s 2024 honorees. GAIT’s founder, Martha Dubensky, the Jorgenson family of The Historic Dimmick Inn, and the Milford Enhancement Committee will be honored at Greater Pike’s 9th Annual Awards Dinner on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, at Silver Birches Resort in Hawley.

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March 19, 2024

MILFORD, PA – Four area nonprofits will receive $425 apiece in grants newly awarded through the Barbara J. Buchanan Fund of the Greater Pike Community Foundation. The recipients are Grey Towers Heritage Association, Pike Autism Support Services of Northeast Pennsylvania, Pike County Public Library and Pike County Historical Society. The Barbara J. Buchanan Fund has supported a wide range of organizations in human services, the arts, historic preservation and civic improvement since its inception in 2014 as Greater Pike’s first donor-sponsored fund. Mrs. Buchanan, who died in 2018 at the age of 95, was a lifelong volunteer, patron, philanthropist and community activist whose work supported many Pike County agencies and activities.

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March 11, 2024

MILFORD, PA – Leaders of area nonprofit organizations will gather to network, exchange information and learn about funding opportunities at Greater Pike Community Foundation’s Annual Nonprofit Workshop, scheduled for Thursday, April 11, at the Tom Quick Inn in Milford. The event will begin with a light breakfast at 9:00 a.m. The program commences at 9:30 a.m. sharp and will end at noon. “This workshop is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness about your nonprofit, learn what other organizations are doing and gain a better understanding of ways in which we can work together to benefit our community,” said Rick Little, Greater Pike’s Executive Director.

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February 27, 2024

Delaware Valley High School – The Delaware Valley Music Department Booster Club was the recipient of the very first grant from the Walt Edwards Ashenfelter Fund for Performing Arts, administered by the Greater Pike Community Foundation. This grant underscores the commitment of both organizations to support the development of young, aspiring musicians within the Delaware Valley School District and our community.Established by Kathryn Wolf-Ashenfelter and Michael Zimmerman, the Walt Edwards Ashenfelter Fund for Performing Arts honors the legacy of Milford’s Walt Edwards Ashenfelter (1943-2020), a beloved music artist and advocate for live performing arts. The fund’s mission is to provide grants to nonprofit organizations presenting performance arts and scholarships to young musicians, thereby fostering the growth of artistic talent in our region.

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February 1, 2024

MILFORD, PA – Greater Pike Community Foundation recently announced the availability of grants up to $500 from the Barbara J. Buchanan Fund for eligible nonprofits beginning February 1.The deadline for applying is midnight on March 6. This annual program funds eligible local nonprofit community organizations in the arts and culture, basic human needs, health, families, education, and the environment with innovative ideas for improving our community’s quality of life.Greater Pike has an online application process. Organizations that have received a grant in previous grant cycles must be current with all reporting requirements to be eligible for a new grant. To apply, visit greaterpike.org/bjb-grant.

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January 24, 2024

MILFORD, PA – Greater Pike Community Foundation recently announced that Rick Little will be the new executive director and Luke Turano will be the new board chair.Little, who has worked for the past few years as a principal at a nonprofit consulting firm, has extensive experience in the nonprofit world covering administrative operations, fundraising, fiscal management, strategic planning, board relations, community engagement, communications, and more. He also worked on the High Line project in New York City for over 13 years, helping it grow and eventually rose to become its COO. Little is enthusiastic about his role at Greater Pike, and says, “I’m excited to partner with the board and fund holders to advance the foundation’s work and contribute to our wonderful community.” Little is also on the board of Pike Opera. He and his partner Nick have a home in Milford which they share with Bruiser, their cat.

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