Costumes, Causes and the Hudson Valley’s Pervasive Sense of Community
Haynes Llewellyn | October 28, 2014One of the things I enjoy most about living in the Hudson Valley is the sense of community in everyday life. Of course, no matter where you live in the world, this togetherness quickly arises following an unforeseen tragedy or natural disaster. But in the seven years I have lived in the Hudson Valley, it is a daily occurrence. I’m a former jaded New Yorker, so this at first was startling. Having lived for almost a decade in one of Manhattan’s White Glove buildings, my experience with community was, at best, limited.
Throughout the weekend I attended a number of events, each with the purpose of enhancing the quality of life for others in our region — events which raised funds to restore a children’s park and recreational facility, a scarecrow contest that afforded children and adults the opportunity to celebrate the rich farming history of the Hudson Valley. And this weekend was no anomaly.
So, in keeping with the theme, this Thursday, October 30, my dear friends Marstephanie Corsonnes, Nancy Garraghan, Elenie Loizou, and Robert Tonner (founder of the Tonner Doll Co.) and I are hosting Costumes for a Cause to raise needed funds for People’s Place’s Thanksgiving meals and holiday children’s gift program. People’s Place is just one of the many charities rising to the challenge in the region, providing daily meals, clothing items and varied necessities for families in need in the Hudson Valley.
The setting for this event will be the stunningly renovated Kingston home of Vickie St. John Gilligan. Vickie, through her repeated generosity as well as her willingness to share her home with others, redefines the term philanthropist. Did I also mention Vickie’s home is a stunner?
Costumes for a Cause perfectly illustrates the meshing of individuals to enhance the quality of life for everyone in our town, and throughout each region of the Hudson Valley this sense of community permeates the lives of transplants, natives and weekenders.
Read On, Reader...
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Jane Anderson | April 1, 2024 | Comment A Westtown Barn Home with Stained-Glass Accents: $799.9K
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Jane Anderson | March 25, 2024 | Comment A c.1920 Three-Bedroom in Newburgh: $305K
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Jane Anderson | January 30, 2024 | Comment A Renovated Three-Story Beauty in Poughkeepsie: $695K