As we approach the end of the year, it is time to reflect on what we have achieved and what remains to be finished.
We are coming to the close of an extraordinary year, our most productive yet. In January we purchased the first of five housing units for the LINKs Project -which will provide permanent supportive housing for eight homeless and disabled individuals and adults with families- and followed with two more units in October. In June we received word of a matching grant award from the County of Bergen which put us closer to our goal of fully funding rather than financing our HUD purchases. Our third annual fundraiser – Wine and Food: a Perfect Pairing, held in October at the lovely Brick House in Wyckoff was our most successful event to date. And during that evening we announced that we had been issued a challenge grant by the Domain Fund, a private foundation dedicated to alleviating the affordable housing crisis. The Domain Fund has offered to match dollar for dollar any donation to our capital campaign for the LINKs Project–up to $35,000- received through September 2005. This challenge grant is a unique opportunity to maximize the impact of your generous donations throughout the next year. We are very excited about this opportunity and hope that you will be too.
We have real reasons, tangible reasons to be proud of what we have accomplished in one short year. And we have every indication that next year will be even more successful as we work to achieve our funding goals and bring to a successful beginning the fully operational LINKs Project. We continue to move ahead only because we are an all-volunteer organization supported by an ever-expanding group of dedicated volunteers and donors whose generosity allows us to direct nearly 95% of every donated dollar toward maintaining our existing properties and saving for more. Let's continue working together to make safe, decent and affordable housing a reality... because everyone should have a safe, decent and affordable home.
The DACKKs Group Board of Directors and I wish you and your loved ones the very best during this holiday season and in the New Year.
With sincere appreciation,
Karen E. Amy
President
December 2004