While charitable donations can be made and will help keep critically important community resources in operation year-round, you have until Dec. 31 to contribute to your favorite nonprofits and still receive a deduction on your 2017 taxes. Checks must be mailed on Saturday, Dec. 30, by 1 p.m. in Beacon and noon in Cold Spring and Garrison, when the post office counters close. Credit card payments, however, can be processed until midnight on Sunday, Dec. 31. (If you prefer to give your time, most of these organizations also welcome volunteers.) Don’t worry: if you’re reading this in 2018, you’re way ahead of the game for next year’s return — as long as you still itemize after the standard deduction doubles under the new tax law.
Generosity Defined
What does it mean this time of year?By Michael Turton
In the 1980s I helped out with a fundraising drive organized by a local non-profit in Windsor, Ontario. The Good Fellows (not to be confused with characters in Goodfellas) do one project a year: They raise money to fill baskets with turkey and the trimmings, treats and necessities for families who need help at Christmas. People make a small donation to “buy” a one-sheet newspaper explaining the campaign. The traditional donation was $1.
When my neighbor brought the project to our little-less-than-a-hamlet, I volunteered and was assigned a 5-mile stretch of the rural highway between Oldcastle and Maidstone. My job was to distribute the newspapers door-to-door, asking for donations.
Off I went on the first Saturday morning in December. I had about 50 houses to cover and was determined to hit every one. Almost everyone was home and all made a donation, typically $1, although a few people gave $2.
When I was almost done, I came upon a ramshackle house with a beat-up car in the driveway. Someone poor lives here, I thought to myself. Why am I asking for money? But, I also wanted to fulfill my pledge of going to every house.
I knocked. No answer. I was relieved but knocked again. The door opened. Before me stood a thin, middle-aged man who had obviously been sleeping. His hair was disheveled. His face had a few days of stubble, and he wore a T-shirt and baggy jeans.
I felt like a complete ass and wished I had not knocked, but it was too late. “I’m collecting for the Good Fellows,” I said. “By any chance would you care to make a small donation?” My face flushed with embarrassment.
The man reached for his wallet and plucked out a bill. “I’d be happy to,” he said. “They helped me out a few years ago.” He handed me $20.
That donation still defines “generosity” for me. He could have used that $20. His contribution was truly generous.
Happy holidays. Be generous in supporting your favorite causes.
Animals
Animal Rescue Foundation
P.O. Box 1129, Beacon, NY 12508
arfbeacon.org
Dutchess County SPCA
636 Violet Ave., Hyde Park, NY 12538
dcspca.org
Friends of the Beacon Dog Park
beacondogpark.org
Putnam Service Dogs
Guiding Eyes for the Blind
611 Granite Springs Road, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
guidingeyes.org
Mid Hudson Animal Aid (Cat Sanctuary)
54 Simmons Lane, Beacon, NY 12508
midhudsonanimalaid.org
Putnam County SPCA
P.O. Box 850, Brewster, NY 10509
spcaputnam.org
Putnam Humane Society
P.O. Box 297, Carmel, NY 10512
puthumane.org
Putnam Service Dogs
P.O. Box 573, Brewster, NY 10509
putnamservicedogs.org
Arts, Music & Theater
Beacon Arts Community Association
P.O. Box 727, Beacon, NY 12508
beaconarts.org
Chapel Restoration
P.O. Box 43, Cold Spring, NY 10516
chapelrestoration.org
Cold Spring Film Society
192 Main St., Cold Spring, NY 10516
coldspringfilm.org
Dia:Beacon
3 Beekman St., Beacon, NY 12508
diaart.org
Downing Film Center
19 Front St., Newburgh, NY 12550
downingfilmcenter.com
Garrison Art Center
23 Garrison’s Landing, Garrison, NY 10524
garrisonartcenter.org
Howland Cultural Center (Photo by Ross Corsair)
Howland Cultural Center
477 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508
howlandculturalcenter.org
Hudson Valley Center for Contemporary Art
P.O. Box 209, Peekskill, NY 10566
hvcca.org
Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival
143 Main St., Cold Spring, NY 10516
hvshakespeare.org
Manitoga / Russel Wright Design Center
P.O. Box 249, Garrison, NY 10524
visitmanitoga.org
Philipstown Depot Theatre
P.O. Box 221, Garrison, NY 10524
philipstowndepottheatre.org
Children
Denniston International
256 Main St., Cold Spring, NY 10516
dennistoninternational.org
Friends of Philipstown Recreation
P.O. Box 155, Cold Spring, NY 10516
friendsofphilipstownrecreation.org
Garrison Children’s Education Fund
P.O. Box 262, Garrison, NY 10524
gcef.net
Garrison School PTA (Photo by Sheila Williams)
Garrison School PTA
1100 Route 9D, Garrison, NY 10524
gufspta.org
Guinan’s Aurora
P.O. Box 446, Garrison, NY 10524
Recycles bicycles for children.
Haldane Central School District PTA
15 Craigside Dr., Cold Spring, NY 10516
haldanepta.org
Haldane School Foundation
P.O. Box 364, Cold Spring, NY 10516
haldaneschoolfoundation.org
Hudson Valley Seed
P.O. Box 223, Beacon, NY 12508
hudsonvalleyseed.org
Putnam County Children’s Committee
P.O. Box 187, Carmel, NY 10512
pccchildren.org
SHRED Foundation
94 Prospect St., Beacon, NY 12508
shredfoundation.org
Saint Basil Academy
79 Saint Basil Road, Garrison, NY 10524
stbasil.goarch.org
Civic
Catholic Charities Community Services of Dutchess County
218 Church St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
catholiccharities-dutchesscounty.org
Catholic Charities Community Services of Putnam County
175 Main St., Brewster NY 10509
catholiccharitiesny.org
Community Foundation of Dutchess County
80 Washington St., Suite 201, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
communityfoundationshv.org
Community Foundation of Putnam County
80 Washington St., Suite 201, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
communityfoundationshv.org
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County
2715 Route 44, Millbrook, NY 12545
ccedutchess.org
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Putnam County
1 Geneva Road, Brewster, NY 10509
putnam.cce.cornell.edu
Fareground Community Kitchen
P.O. Box 615, Beacon, NY 12508
fareground.org
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh
Habitat for Humanity of Greater Newburgh
125 Washington St., Newburgh, NY 12550
habitatnewburgh.org
Highlands Current Inc.
161 Main St., Cold Spring, NY 10516
highlandscurrent.com
United Way of Dutchess-Orange Region
75 Market St., Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
uwdor.org
United Way of Westchester and Putnam
925 S. Lake Boulevard, Mahopac, NY 10541
uwwp.org
Emergency Services
Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps
P.O. Box 54, Beacon, NY 12508
Cold Spring Fire Co. No. 1
154 Main St., Cold Spring, NY 10516
Continental Village Volunteer Fire Department
12 Spy Pond Road, Garrison, NY 10524
Garrison Volunteer Ambulance Corp.
P.O. Box 121, Garrison, NY 10524
Garrison Volunteer Fire Company
1616 Route 9, Garrison, NY 10524
North Highlands Engine Co. No. 1
504 Fishkill Road, Cold Spring, NY 10516
Philipstown Volunteer Ambulance Corps
14 Cedar St., Cold Spring, NY 10516
Historical
Bannerman Castle Trust
P.O. Box 843, Glenham, NY 12527
bannermancastle.org
Beacon Historical Society (Photo by Robyn Wood)
Beacon Historical Society
P.O. Box 89, Beacon, NY 12508
beaconhistorical.org
Boscobel Restoration
1601 Route 9D, Garrison, NY 10524
boscobel.org
Constitution Island Association
P.O. Box 126, Cold Spring, NY 10516
constitutionisland.org
Dutchess County Historical Society
P.O. Box 88, Poughkeepsie, NY 12602
dchsny.org
Friends of the Fishkill Supply Depot
P.O. Box 311, Fishkill, NY 12524
fishkillsupplydepot.org
Garrison’s Landing Association
P.O. Box 205, Garrison, NY 10524
Mount Beacon Incline Railway Restoration Society
P.O. Box 1248, Beacon, NY 12508
inclinerailway.org
Putnam History Museum
63 Chestnut St., Cold Spring, NY 10516
putnamhistorymuseum.com
Hunger
Clearwater (Photo by Brian PJ Cronin)
Kids R Kids Feeding Program
kidsrkidsfeeding.org
Philipstown Food Pantry
10 Academy St., Cold Spring, NY 10516
St. Andrew’s & St. Luke’s Food Pantry
17 South Ave., Beacon, NY 12508
Libraries
Butterfield Library
10 Morris Ave., Cold Spring, NY 10516
butterfieldlibrary.org
Desmond-Fish Library
P.O. Box 265, Garrison, NY 10524
desmondfishlibrary.org
Howland Public Library
313 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508
beaconlibrary.org
Natural Resources
Beacon Institute for Rivers and Estuaries
199 Main St., Beacon, NY 12508
bire.org
Beacon Sloop Club
P.O. Box 527, Beacon, NY 12508
Common Ground Farm
P.O. Box 148, Beacon, NY 12508
commongroundfarm.org
Constitution Marsh (Photo by Joe Brennan)
Constitution Marsh Audubon Center
P.O. Box 174, Cold Spring, NY 10516
constitutionmarsh.audubon.org
Friends of Fahnestock and Hudson Highlands State Parks
P.O. Box 194, Cold Spring, NY 10516
fofhh.org
Glynwood Center
P.O. Box 157, Cold Spring, NY 10516
glynwood.org
Hudson Highlands Land Trust
P.O. Box 226, Garrison, NY 10524
hhlt.org
Hudson River Sloop Clearwater
724 Wolcott Ave., Beacon, NY 12508
clearwater.org
Little Stony Point Citizens Association
P.O. Box 319, Cold Spring, NY 10516
Putnam Highlands Audubon Society
P.O. Box 292, Cold Spring, NY 10516
Riverkeeper
20 Secor Road, Ossining, NY 10562
riverkeeper.org
Scenic Hudson
One Civic Center Plaza, Suite 200, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
scenichudson.org
Stonecrop Gardens
81 Stonecrop Lane, Cold Spring, NY 10516
stonecrop.org
Rehabilitation Services
CoveCare Center
CoveCare Center
1808 Route 6, Carmel, NY 10512
covecarecenter.org
Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center
935 South Lake Blvd., Mahopac, NY 10541
pnwwrc.org
St. Christopher’s Inn
P.O. Box 150, Garrison, NY 10524
stchristophersinn-graymoor.org
Support Connection
40 Triangle Center, Suite 100, Yorktown Heights, NY 10598
supportconnection.org
Topfield Equestrian Center
P.O. Box 367, Cold Spring, NY 10516
topfieldequestriancenter.com
Walter Hoving Home
P.O. Box 194, Garrison, NY 10524
hovinghome.org
