Largesse with Limits

In October 2014, the Galvan Foundation purchased the building at the corner of Third and Allen streets that had been the home of the Salvation Army for probably two decades. This is where the Salvation Army serves lunch and distributes food to those in need. When the Galvan Foundation acquired the building, it was announced that Galvan had contributed $15,000 to the Salvation Army's food program and would allow the organization to occupy the building rent free while it was determined "whether to improve and expand the existing building or assist in relocating it to another property in Hudson."

A year ago, on March 4, 2016, Galvan announced that it was creating a new home for the Salvation Army in the building on the first block of Warren Street that was built in 1975 as a strip mall and was for many years the location of COARC. The press release at the time stated: "Salvation Army joins Berkshire Farm Center and Services for Youth and Warren Street Academy as tenants in Galvan Opportunity Center. These organizations provide critical programs proven to expand social and economic opportunity for the residents of Hudson."

At the affordable housing forum a couple of weeks ago, Rick Scalera, special adviser to the Galvan Foundation, said they were "finishing up 11 Warren Street, where the Salvation Army is moving into." It seems, however, that it is up to the Salvation Army to outfit the space. 

Recently, a GoFundMe campaign was launched to help with that challenge. The narrative about the campaign explains: "Although local stores and farms provide most of the food we cook and give away, we're on our own in terms of funding the Soup Kitchen's supplies and operations. Our wonderful director has to raise all the money herself, and there's not enough left over to outfit a new kitchen." Right now, the goal is to raise $7,000 for a new stove, but there are many other things that are needed, among them "a walk-in cooler, a dishwasher, good utensils, steamer trays, steel counters, and real plates (not horrible plastic foam)."

Click here to contribute to the GoFundMe campaign and help buy a new stove for the soup kitchen.
COPYRIGHT 2017 CAROLE OSTERINK