Money is infamous for burning holes in pockets, but there’s something else money often does that isn’t bad at all: It makes the person who has a little or a lot more than he needs want to give some of it away--not recklessly, but effectively, so that suffering of one sort or another is relieved. Sometimes the potential donor has a specific, perhaps slightly eccentric goal in mind—say, he wants to make sure no one in his community goes without warm gloves and hats in winter. As often, the desire to give is unaccompanied by a specific objective. In either case, how does the would-be benefactor proceed? The Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation is dedicated to making the dreams of donors come true, no matter how specific or vague, no matter how little or much they have to give. For the philanthropist who wants to hand out gloves, BTCF finds a more efficient method than standing on a street corner with a box of cold-weather gear. For the direction-less donor, they connect him or her to a cause or program that resonates. They also analyze the needs of the community and create funds and initiatives to address them. And they take a pro-active role in bringing neglected issues to light. Which are just a few of the reasons why Joan Osofsky, owner of the Hammertown stores, is so bullish on the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Currently, she is working with the foundation on an on-line silent auction, and on Saturday, November 15, she will host a festive reception at the Hammertown Barn in Pine Plains, where live bidding may continue until the final hour, when winners will be declared. The items on auction range from the sublime (a private garden tour and lunch party for the winner and eleven friends in the conservatory, above, at Bunny Williams' extraordinary Falls Village property) to the ridiculous (four tickets to John Stewart's, "The Daily Show"), with lots of equally imaginative stuff in between. In addition, from November 15th through the 23rd, 10% of the proceeds from all sales at all three Hammertown stores will go to the Foundation's Funds for Columbia County and Northeast Dutchess. “I’m going to raise $40,000 for them,” she speculates with such resolve it leaves no room for doubt. Despite all the talk of belt tightening that goes on these days in households across our region, somehow, as always, the holiday spirit will chip away at our resolve: We will buy gifts. Here are a couple of ways of taking the edge off the guilt. Shop for a CauseHammertown BarnReception: Saturday, November 15, 5 – 7 3201 Route 199, Pine Plains; 518.398.7075 Open 10 – 5 daily; Sundays, 10:30 - 5 6420 Montgomery Row, Rhinebeck; 845.876.1450 Open 10:30 – 5:30 daily; Sundays, 11 - 5 325 Stockbridge Road, Great Barrington; 413. 528.7766 Open 10:30 – 5 daily; Sundays 11 – 4 Closed Wednesdays
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