Foundation Impacts

From the beginning, HRBT Foundation focused on not-for-profit enterprises that themselves engaged the larger community around them. The local hospital and community college were obvious places to make dollars work for the general good, and to date they have received the largest single portions of the grant funds distributed by the Foundation.

Columbia Memorial Health has received funds over the years that were instrumental in creating the adjoining medical office building and parking garage (named in recognition); renovating and restructuring the Emergency department; outfitting the physical therapy and rehabilitation facility on Fish & Game Road; as well as numerous equipment purchases designed to improve patient care.

Columbia-Greene Community College has received funds to support scholarships, day care activities, technology upgrades, security, laptops, and other initiatives. Currently the Foundation funds First Generation scholarships, a low-interest loan fund for students, and an emergency expense fund to pay for the unexpected things (from car repair to medicine) that can cause students to drop out of college. The College has named its dining hall in recognition of this support.

Since its first year of operation, the Foundation has also maintained a special relationship with the 12 public libraries in Columbia County, providing unrestricted annual support grants intended to strengthen their historical role as centers of individual and community self-improvement. Additionally, the Foundation has supported major library building and rebuilding projects in Hillsdale, Hudson, Kinderhook, and Germantown, seeing library revitalization as strengthening community connection.

Not surprisingly, given origin and geography, the Foundation has special relationships with the City of Hudson and the Hudson City School District. The Foundation has supported the Hudson Youth Department for after-school and summer programs, as well as construction of a skateboard park at Oakdale Lake and repairs and improvements to the Boys & Girls Club. Most recently the Foundation provided funds for purchase of a new van for the Youth Department.

The Foundation has been a frequent supporter of teachers and administrators in the Hudson City School District looking to provide enrichment and opportunity for their students, and funding such extras as the Robotics Club travel to regional competitions. Dating back to 2005 the Foundation made a substantial grant to the Booster Club’s Save Our Sports program, and in 2017 donated funds to the district’s new athletic fields.