Last winter, the Greentree Foundation made another substantial grant of $175,000 for distribution to charitable groups in the Town of North Hempstead. After a careful selection process, the 2007 grant winners were announced at a recent luncheon at the Greentree property here in Manhasset. Several Manhasset organizations, including the Manhasset SCA, Adventures in Learning and Manhasset/Great Neck EOC, were among the 22 grant recipients. In addition, charities serving neighbors in Port Washington, Great Neck, Herricks and Roslyn also received funding to help address important needs.

In July 2003, the Greentree Foundation, founded by the late Mrs. John Hay Whitney of Manhasset, established the "Greentree Good Neighbor Fund." Since then, Greentree Foundation has generously donated $650,000 to this worthy program. This fund, donated entirely by the Greentree Foundation, has been allocated by the Manhasset Community Fund to organizations addressing priority needs of people in the Town of North Hempstead.

The Manhasset Community Fund's role of selecting recipients of "Greentree Foundation Good Neighbor Grants" is completely separate and in addition to their traditional work of raising money from residents for distribution to organizations that operate here in Manhasset. That important work, now in its 61st year, continues to be the community fund's primary purpose, and all recently received the fund's annual appeal letter.

It was just this long history of experience with local charitable work that first led Greentree Foundation to partner with the Manhasset Community Fund. Greentree President Richard Schaffer explained: "Once again, our grantmaking partners at the Manhasset Community Fund have done an excellent job of distributing the 'Good Neighbor Grants' to worthy organizations in the North Hempstead area. We thank the team of tireless volunteers on the selection committee who spent countless hours reading grants, making site visits, and selecting the grantees."

Community fund former co-president Thomas P. O'Malley was the chair of the Good Neighbor Grant Selection Committee. He expressed his thanks to Greentree Foundation for its generous grants and acknowledged the hard work of the selection committee members. O'Malley reported that over 600 requests for proposals were sent to various North Hempstead organizations. This year, 93 applications were received (an increase of over 40 percent) and the quality of the submissions was the highest yet. After a thorough selection process that included over 30 site visits, the 2007 Greentree Foundation Good Neighbor Fund Grants were awarded to:

Adventures in Learning ($5,000): To support the Parent Network Program for parents of at-risk children in Manhasset and Great Neck.

Casa Mary Johanna ($10,000): To expand this after-school tutorial program, immigrant services center and adult ESL facility in New Cassel.

Child Abuse Prevention Services (CAPS) ($10,000): To expand bully prevention and Internet safety programs.

Community Organization for Parents and Youths (COPAY) ($10,000): To enhance its "Kids Helping Kids" after-school and summer program for needy children in Great Neck.

Gold Coast - Lake Success Rotary Club ($7,000): To provide SAT training to disadvantaged high school students in Great Neck.

Great Neck Performing Arts Center ($8,000): To provide arts education programs to underserved youth.

Health & Welfare Council ($10,000): To launch a health care assistance program for the elderly and disabled.

Herricks Youth Council ($10,000): To fund a Youth Council Director.

Hispanic Counseling Center ($5,000): To support education and training initiatives for immigrant parents.

La Fuerza Unida: ($10,000): To sustain the day-worker shape-up center and its programs.

Littig House Community Center ($5,000): To provide after-school and summer activities for at-risk kids in Port Washington.

Long Island Alzheimer's Foundation ($5,000): To enhance programs for Alzheimer's patients and caregivers.

Long Island Cares - The Harry Chapin Food Bank ($7,000): To expand food distribution to the needy.

Long Island Gay and Lesbian Youth: ($5,000): To support its new North Hempstead outreach center.

Long Island Jewish Medical Center ($8,000): To implement an anti-bullying program in schools.

Manhasset/Great Neck EOC ($5,000): To fund the Family Support Program.

Manhasset School Community Association (SCA) ($5,000): To provide Summer Center scholarships to disadvantaged children.

MPowering Kids ($15,000): To obtain computers for an after-school program for needy students in Westbury.

North Shore Child & Family Guidance ($10,000): To support the "Help Each Other" violence and gang prevention program in Port Washington.

Port Washington Parent Resource Center ($5,000): To fund preschool programs for low-income families.

Port Washington Youth Council Teen Center ($10,000): To provide after-school and summer enrichment activities to needy children.

Sid Jacobson JCC ($10,000): To expand an after-school program for disadvantaged children in Roslyn.