It was a Times Union series on children and poverty in the Capital Region in 2007 — and discovering while reporting that series that there was a need for programs and services solely geared to children — that inspired what became the Times Union Hope Fund.
It began as a Times Union employee-run initiative where each dollar donated by an employee is matched thrice over, with one from the publisher, George Hearst, one from the Times Union itself and one from an anonymous donor.
As an employee-run initiative, there are no operational costs and every dollar raised is donated to local organizations and initiatives working for the welfare of children in the region, from nutrition to education and after-school programs.
Working with the Community Foundation for the Greater Capital Region, the Hope Fund identifies such programs and connects the Hope Fund to them. Shelly Conolly, vice president of community grantmaking at the foundation has been working closely with the Hope Fund since its inception.
“The Hope Fund really was established to provide children who perhaps wouldn’t have the opportunity to attend summer camp or after-school programming,” she said.
According to Ruth Fantasia, board president of the Hope Fund and director of human resources at the Times Union, 2020’s big initiative was the Boys and Girls Club.
“One of the things we focused on last year was programs that also feed children on top of just providing them with camp,” said Fantasia. “The Boys and Girls Clubs are really good at that.”
Other organizations that the fund supported in 2020 were the Capital Region Youth Tennis Foundation and the Underground Railroad History Project.
According to Connolly, the Hope Fund identifies these programs through a grant system that gives local organizations up to $5,000.
“We do have an application process,” she said. “The Hope Fund likes to focus on the four major counties in the Capital Region. And we also like to touch as many kids as we can. We like to have programs that have a lot of kids in them. And we like to have a range in age. The summer programs that were selected this year ranged in age all the way from 5 years old to 18 years old, which is really nice, because sometimes it is a little bit harder to reach out of programming for those older age groups.”
Donations aside, the Hope Fund also raises money by selling calendars online and from the sale of books published by the Times Union. “The Story of Albany” is an anthology of individual stories submitted by residents across the Capital Region. “Great Dogs of Albany and Beyond” is an anthology of stories of pets in the region. The proceeds of these books go to the fund and through them, to the children of the Capital Region.
While these programs are meant for children, they have helped their parents too.
“It helps the child build skills and confidence and provides them with a safe space,” said Fantasia. “And it also provides the parents an opportunity to work. I know when a parent used the time that her child was in camp so that she could finish her associates degree and get a better job.”
Hearst believes that it is everyone’s duty to assist the less fortunate and to lend a helping hand to their neighbor. He believes that as the local newspaper, this is an extension of the Times Union’s mission to inform and educate.
“The establishment of the Hope Fund and focusing on the younger members of our society has been positive. It’s also been uplifting for our employees who volunteer their time. And the company is very, very proud to be affiliated with it and to promote it.”
Times Union Hope Fund
timesunion.com/hopefund/
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