Our Guiding Principles
At the heart of everything we do are four foundational values that shape our programs, partnerships, and people. These principles are not simply words on a page — they are the living architecture of our organization, the compass that guides every decision we make, every community we serve, and every relationship we build. They were chosen carefully, tested through years of real-world impact, and refined by the voices of the communities we are privileged to work alongside. Together, they spell H.O.P.E. — and that is exactly what we are committed to delivering.
Health
Promoting wellness, preventive care, and physical vitality for communities of all ages. We believe that true health is holistic — encompassing physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Our programs bring medical outreach, nutritional education, fitness initiatives, and mental health support directly into the communities that need them most, removing barriers of cost, geography, and stigma. Because a healthy community is the foundation on which everything else is built.
Opportunity
Opening doors through education, nourishment, and access to resources that empower lives. Opportunity is not a gift — it is a right, and our mission is to ensure that circumstance of birth, zip code, or socioeconomic background does not determine a person's ceiling. Through scholarships, job training, food security programs, and mentorship networks, we work to level a playing field that has never been level enough. Every door we open creates the possibility of countless more.
Peace
Building bridges across cultures, fostering understanding, and nurturing lasting human connection. Peace is not merely the absence of conflict — it is the active presence of dignity, respect, and mutual recognition. Our peace-centered initiatives bring together people of different backgrounds, beliefs, and lived experiences to find common ground through dialogue, shared service, and collaborative problem-solving. We believe that communities who work together, heal together.
Environment
Protecting our planet through sustainable practices, local agriculture, and global stewardship. The earth is not simply the backdrop of our work — it is our most essential partner. From urban community gardens and regenerative farming initiatives to environmental education curricula and clean energy advocacy, we invest in the long-term health of the ecosystems that sustain all life. We recognize that environmental justice and human justice are inseparable, and we act accordingly.
The Philosophy of Effortless Generosity
We believe that when people are empowered to give freely — without pressure, without expectation, and without bureaucratic barrier — truly extraordinary things begin to happen. The Hatherleigh Foundation was built on this simple but profound conviction: that generosity, when it flows from a place of joy rather than obligation, becomes self-sustaining. It multiplies. It inspires others. It creates ripple effects that no single donor or institution could manufacture on its own. At our core, we harness the collective human energy that already exists within every community, channeling it toward the most pressing local needs — not through coercion or guilt, but through the irresistible pull of inspired, joyful, and meaningful participation.
This philosophy is not merely idealistic — it is deeply practical. When people feel genuinely welcomed into a cause, when they see their contributions making a visible difference, and when they are celebrated rather than merely thanked, they return. They bring their friends. They expand the circle of generosity organically, transforming a single act of giving into a lifelong relationship with purpose. The Hatherleigh Foundation is built to cultivate and sustain exactly this kind of deep, durable community engagement.
Harnessing People Power
Every great solution begins with someone willing to act — to raise their hand, to show up, to say "I can help." The Hatherleigh Foundation believes that this instinct to contribute is not rare; it is universal. Our role is to create the structures, systems, and spaces that channel existing human goodwill into lasting, measurable impact. We do not manufacture motivation from nothing — we amplify what is already there, removing the friction that so often stands between a generous impulse and a transformative action. By making participation accessible, meaningful, and even joyful, we ensure that people power becomes the most renewable resource in our communities.
Creativity Through Participation
We actively encourage fresh, unconventional thinking at every level of our organization — from our most experienced program directors to first-time volunteers and newly engaged community members. No idea is too small to be worth exploring, and no contributor is too new to offer a perspective that reshapes how we work. We have seen breakthrough solutions emerge from unexpected places: a teenager suggesting a new outreach channel, a local farmer proposing a distribution method, a retiree volunteering a skill no one knew to ask for. Every voice has the potential to push our mission forward, and we have built an organizational culture that genuinely listens, responds, and evolves as a result.
Together, these twin commitments — to harness the power of people and to cultivate creativity through inclusive participation — form the operational backbone of everything the Hatherleigh Foundation does. They are not aspirational slogans but daily practices, embedded in how we design programs, how we welcome partners, and how we measure success. When effortless generosity becomes the norm rather than the exception, communities do not just survive — they flourish.
Local Impact: Hobart Food Pantry & Farmers Market
At the heart of the Hatherleigh Foundation's work is a deep commitment to the communities we call home. In Hobart and across Delaware County, we've built two interconnected programs that address food security from two angles — emergency nutritional support and sustainable local agriculture — creating a resilient, community-centered food ecosystem that nourishes both bodies and relationships.
Hobart Food Pantry
We serve food-insecure families in Hobart, NY with consistent, dignified access to nutritious staples. Our pantry meets urgent need week after week, providing more than just groceries — we offer a welcoming space where every visitor is treated with respect and compassion. Volunteers carefully curate selections to ensure families receive balanced, wholesome food that supports health and well-being, not merely caloric intake. Beyond the immediate relief of a filled bag, the pantry serves as a touchpoint for connection, linking families to additional social services, community programs, and ongoing support networks that help address the root causes of food insecurity in our region.
Community Farmers Market
Our seasonal farmers markets are vibrant, living expressions of community vitality. By connecting local growers directly with residents, we create a marketplace where dollars spent stay within Delaware County, strengthening the regional agricultural economy while ensuring community members have access to the freshest, most nutritious produce available. Each market day brings together farmers, artisans, families, and neighbors in a shared celebration of local abundance. We work hard to keep prices accessible, offering subsidy programs and accepting SNAP benefits so that fresh, locally grown food is never a luxury reserved only for those who can easily afford it.
Volunteer-Powered Operations
Both the pantry and the market run on the extraordinary dedication of our volunteer community. Each week, dozens of individuals — from high school students earning service hours to retired professionals lending decades of expertise — show up to sort donations, staff distribution tables, manage market logistics, and build the warm, welcoming atmosphere that defines our programs. Volunteering with us is never a transactional experience; it is a genuine act of community membership. We invest in our volunteers through training, recognition, and meaningful roles that allow each person to contribute their unique skills and passions to our shared mission.
Building Social Connection
Food has always been one of humanity's most powerful tools for building belonging. Our programs are intentionally designed not just to transfer resources, but to cultivate relationships. At the pantry, familiar faces and remembered names create an atmosphere of trust that reduces the shame too often associated with seeking help. At the market, the simple act of sharing a conversation with the farmer who grew your vegetables deepens a sense of rootedness in place and community. Over time, these repeated interactions weave a social fabric that makes our entire community more resilient — better equipped to support one another through difficulty and to celebrate one another's successes.
Seasonal Programs & Education
Beyond distribution, we offer a growing roster of educational initiatives that empower community members to deepen their relationship with food. Cooking demonstrations at the farmers market teach practical skills for preparing seasonal produce on a budget. Gardening workshops, offered in partnership with local schools and the Delaware County Cooperative Extension, help residents grow their own food at home. Nutrition education sessions at the pantry provide context and guidance so that families not only receive nutritious staples but understand how to incorporate them into nourishing, delicious meals. Together, these programs transform our food initiatives from emergency services into lasting investments in community health and self-sufficiency.
Supporting Education: The Backpack Feeding Program
No child should go hungry over the weekend. In partnership with South Kortright Central School, our Backpack Feeding Program ensures students carry home nutritious food supplies every Friday — so hunger never stands between a child and learning. Food insecurity doesn't pause for weekends or school breaks, and for many children in rural Delaware County, the gap between Friday afternoon and Monday morning can mean going without adequate meals for two or more days. This program was born from a simple but powerful belief: that a child who is well-nourished is better able to focus, grow, and thrive in the classroom and beyond. By quietly and consistently filling that gap, we help ensure that every student arrives Monday morning ready to learn.
Weekend Nourishment
Discreetly packed bags of wholesome, child-friendly food travel home with students each Friday, bridging the critical nutritional gap that opens when school meals are no longer available. Each bag is carefully assembled to include a balance of proteins, grains, fruits, and snacks — enough to meaningfully supplement a family's weekend meals. Items are selected with children's tastes and ease of preparation in mind, so that kids can enjoy them independently or with their families without requiring complex cooking.
School Partnership
Working hand-in-hand with educators, counselors, and administrators at South Kortright Central, we have built a model of collaboration rooted in trust and mutual respect. School staff play a vital role in identifying families who may be quietly struggling, ensuring that participation remains voluntary, private, and free of stigma. This close partnership means that the program is woven into the fabric of the school community — not an outside intervention, but a shared commitment between educators and neighbors to support every child's success.
Year-Round Commitment
Our support doesn't stop when the semester ends. Hunger doesn't take a summer vacation, and neither do we. We ensure that nutrition sustains learning and wellbeing throughout the entire school year, including extended breaks and holiday periods when children may be home for longer stretches without access to school meals. By maintaining our commitment across all seasons, we provide families with reliable, consistent support they can count on — not just during the school week, but whenever their children need it most.
Dignity & Discretion
One of the most important principles guiding the Backpack Feeding Program is that every family deserves to receive support with dignity and without shame. Bags are packed and distributed with complete discretion — tucked quietly into backpacks so that no child feels singled out or embarrassed. We believe that removing the social stigma around food assistance is just as important as the food itself. When children feel safe and respected, they are more likely to benefit fully from the program, and families are more willing to participate without hesitation.
Community-Powered Impact
The Backpack Feeding Program would not be possible without the generosity and dedication of our broader community. Local donors, volunteers, and food drive contributors all play a direct role in keeping the program running week after week. Each bag that travels home with a child represents hours of sorting, packing, and coordination by community members who believe deeply in the power of education and the fundamental right of every child to be fed. When you donate to or volunteer with this program, you are making a tangible, immediate difference in the lives of children right here in our community.
Global Media Initiative
Amplifying good work is itself a form of generosity. The Hatherleigh Foundation provides publicity, technology, and media outreach services to non-profit organizations whose missions align with our core themes of Health, Opportunity, Peace, and Environment. In a world saturated with noise, meaningful causes can struggle to be heard — and that silence has real consequences. When a worthy organization cannot reach its audience, donations go unmade, volunteers go unrecruited, and lives go unchanged. The Global Media Initiative exists to close that gap, giving mission-driven nonprofits the tools, platforms, and strategic support they need to rise above the noise and connect with the communities and supporters who matter most.
Strategic Publicity
We help mission-driven organizations tell their story to the audiences who need to hear it most. This means crafting compelling narratives, identifying the right media channels, and ensuring that each organization's unique voice is not only heard but remembered. From press releases and editorial placements to social media campaigns and community outreach, we build visibility strategies tailored to each nonprofit's goals and capacity.
Technology Access
From digital infrastructure to media production, we bridge the tech gap for under-resourced nonprofits. Many organizations doing transformative work are held back simply by a lack of access to modern tools — professional video equipment, website development, content management systems, or even reliable broadband connectivity. We provide direct technology support, training, and equipment grants so that no organization is left behind because of a resource disparity.
Amplified Impact
Greater visibility means greater reach — and greater reach means more lives changed. When a nonprofit's story is told well and distributed widely, the ripple effects extend far beyond awareness. Donors give more generously. Volunteers show up in greater numbers. Policymakers take notice. Communities rally. We measure our success not in impressions or clicks, but in the downstream outcomes that flow from a world that pays attention to good work.
Nonprofit Partnership Network
Through years of collaboration, the Global Media Initiative has built a diverse and growing network of nonprofit partners across multiple continents. We actively connect organizations with one another, fostering cross-sector partnerships, knowledge sharing, and collaborative campaigns that multiply each partner's individual impact. When good organizations work together, the sum is always greater than its parts.
Capacity Building & Training
Beyond direct support, we invest in the long-term communications capacity of every organization we serve. Through workshops, one-on-one coaching, and curated resource libraries, we equip nonprofit staff and volunteers with the skills to sustain their own media presence long after our formal engagement concludes. Empowering organizations to tell their own stories is the most lasting gift we can give.
Advancing Health & Preventive Medicine
Prevention is the most powerful — and most underfunded — form of medicine. While the healthcare system is designed to treat illness after it strikes, the Hatherleigh Foundation believes that the greatest gains in human health come long before a patient ever enters a clinic. We champion wellness before illness through targeted, community-rooted programs for children, veterans, and elderly populations — groups who are too often underserved, overlooked, and left behind by conventional healthcare frameworks. By investing upstream in education, fitness, screenings, and advocacy, we help communities build the resilience they need to thrive for generations to come.
Exercise Initiatives
Structured fitness programs designed for children, seniors, and veterans to build strength, resilience, and community. From after-school movement programs for youth to adaptive exercise regimens for aging adults and returning service members, we meet people where they are — physically and emotionally — and create environments where consistent, joyful movement becomes a way of life rather than a chore.
Screenings & Education
Free and accessible health screenings paired with educational outreach to catch problems early and empower informed choices. Our mobile screening units reach rural communities, underserved urban neighborhoods, and veteran populations who lack consistent access to primary care. Screenings for blood pressure, diabetes, vision, and mental health are paired with plain-language education materials and follow-up support, ensuring that early detection leads to real action — not just awareness.
Closing the Funding Gap
We advocate loudly for preventive care funding — because investing in wellness today saves lives and resources tomorrow. Preventive medicine receives a fraction of the healthcare budget despite delivering outsized returns in reduced hospitalizations, lower chronic disease rates, and improved quality of life. The Foundation actively engages policymakers, philanthropists, and healthcare institutions to redirect more resources toward prevention, and we publish research that makes the economic and moral case for this critical rebalancing.
Mental & Behavioral Health
Physical health cannot be separated from mental and emotional wellbeing. Our behavioral health programs offer counseling access, stress management workshops, and peer support networks — particularly for veterans navigating PTSD, elderly individuals facing isolation and depression, and children experiencing trauma or anxiety. By treating the whole person, we help communities build the psychological resilience that underpins every other dimension of health.
Nutrition & Lifestyle Programs
What we eat shapes who we become. The Foundation supports nutrition literacy initiatives, community gardens, and food access programs that put fresh, wholesome food within reach of families who have long lived in food deserts. Paired with cooking demonstrations, dietary counseling, and culturally responsive meal planning, these programs address one of the most fundamental — yet most neglected — drivers of long-term health outcomes across all age groups and communities.
The Practice of Peace
Peace isn't a policy — it's a practice built one relationship at a time. Through cultural exchange, overseas mentoring, and immersive retreats, we foster the kind of deep human connection that transcends borders, challenges assumptions, and plants the seeds of lasting mutual understanding. History has shown us that lasting peace is not negotiated in conference rooms alone — it is woven into the fabric of shared meals, collaborative projects, honest conversations, and the slow, patient work of learning to see the world through another person's eyes. Our programs are built on this conviction: that when people truly know one another, conflict loses its foothold.
Cross-Cultural Retreats
Immersive multi-day experiences that bring together individuals from vastly different backgrounds — different nations, faiths, languages, and lived realities — and invite them into genuine dialogue. These retreats are carefully designed to move beyond surface-level exchange, creating structured yet open environments where participants can share their stories, confront stereotypes, and discover common ground. Past participants have described them as transformative — moments where the abstract idea of "the other" becomes a real, complex, beloved human being.
Foreign Study Programs
Supporting students and scholars who carry the spirit of collaboration into international environments, learning not just academic disciplines but the art of living alongside people whose customs and worldviews differ from their own. These programs fund research partnerships, language immersion, and joint academic projects between institutions across continents. When a young engineer from one country solves a problem alongside a peer from another, they don't just advance science — they build a bridge that outlasts the project itself.
Overseas Mentoring
Pairing experienced leaders and practitioners with emerging changemakers across the globe to build lasting bonds of trust, professional growth, and mutual accountability. These mentoring relationships are not one-directional — mentors frequently report that their understanding of global challenges is deepened and enriched by the perspectives of those they guide. Over time, these pairings form networks of trusted colleagues who collaborate across borders on issues ranging from public health to climate resilience to community governance.
Relational Peacebuilding
Individual relationships are the foundation of global peace. We nurture them deliberately and with care, recognizing that every friendship formed across a cultural or national divide is a small but meaningful act of resistance against the forces of fear and division. Our relational peacebuilding initiatives support community-level programs, inter-faith dialogue circles, and neighborhood exchange initiatives that create spaces for people to encounter difference with curiosity rather than suspicion. Peace begins locally — and ripples outward.
Storytelling & Narrative Exchange
We believe that stories are among the most powerful peacebuilding tools available to us. Through documentary projects, oral history archives, and cross-cultural storytelling workshops, we help communities share their histories with one another in ways that humanize rather than politicize. When a farmer in one country hears the story of a farmer in a nation once considered an adversary, something shifts — not just intellectually, but emotionally and morally. Our narrative exchange programs are designed to create exactly these moments of recognition and solidarity.
Grants, Awards & Recognition
We celebrate those who give without expectation — and invest in communities that reflect our values. Our annual recognition program honors extraordinary service and everyday generosity alike. Whether someone has dedicated decades to a cause or quietly stepped in when a neighbor needed help, we believe every act of genuine service deserves to be seen, honored, and held up as an example to others. Recognition is not merely a ceremony — it is a statement about what we value as a community and who we aspire to become.
The Frederic Flach, MD Angel Fund
Named in honor of a beloved physician and humanitarian, this fund supports community betterment projects that reflect Dr. Flach's legacy of compassionate service. Dr. Flach spent a lifetime in service to others — not only as a healer of the body but as a steadfast advocate for the dignity and wellbeing of every person he encountered. His belief that medicine was fundamentally a human enterprise, rooted in relationship and empathy, continues to guide the spirit of this fund. Grants are awarded to grassroots initiatives, nonprofit organizations, and community-led projects that prioritize human connection, health equity, and the kinds of quiet, sustained care that rarely make headlines but profoundly change lives. We invite proposals from those who share Dr. Flach's conviction that compassion, when organized, can transform communities from the inside out.
The Wawókiye Award
Wawókiye — a Lakota word meaning "one who serves" — honors individuals who help others without expectation of recognition or reward. It is a word that carries within it an entire philosophy of living: that service is not a transaction but a way of being in the world. The Wawókiye Award was created to shine a light on the people in our communities who quietly show up — who bring meals to elderly neighbors, who mentor young people at risk, who volunteer year after year without seeking credit or compensation. These are the individuals who hold the social fabric together, often invisibly. Nominations are accepted annually from the community, and we strongly encourage nominations from all corners — rural and urban, young and old, from any background or walk of life. No act of service is too small to merit recognition. Recipients are honored at our annual gathering and celebrated throughout the year in our publications and social channels.
How to Nominate
Know someone quietly changing lives? Submit a nomination through our website. Our selection committee — composed of community members, past recipients, and program staff — reviews all candidates with care and thoughtfulness, giving each nomination the full consideration it deserves. Recipients are announced at our annual gathering, where their stories are shared with the full community in a spirit of celebration and gratitude.
Who Is Eligible
Any individual, regardless of age, background, or affiliation, who has demonstrated sustained commitment to the wellbeing of others is eligible for the Wawókiye Award. We actively seek nominees from underrepresented communities and rural areas where service often goes unnoticed. Organizations and collectives may also be recognized through our community grants program. The only requirement is a genuine orientation toward others — a life lived in the direction of service.
Grant Application Process
Organizations seeking funding through the Frederic Flach, MD Angel Fund may apply during our annual grant cycle, which opens each spring. Applications are reviewed holistically, with particular attention to community rootedness, long-term impact, and alignment with the fund's founding values of compassion and human dignity. First-time applicants are encouraged to reach out to our grants team before applying — we are here to help you tell your story well and put your best proposal forward.
Community Input & Transparency
We believe that recognition programs should reflect the communities they serve, not just the priorities of a selection committee. That is why we actively solicit community input at every stage — from shaping award criteria to reviewing the diversity of our nominees. All award decisions are shared publicly with a summary of the selection committee's reasoning, and we welcome feedback from the community to continually improve our process.
Past Recipients & Their Stories
The stories of past Wawókiye Award recipients and Angel Fund grantees are among the most powerful testaments to what community-rooted generosity can look like in practice. From a retired teacher who built a free tutoring center out of her living room, to a nonprofit that delivered home-cooked meals to over 400 homebound elders during a regional crisis — these stories remind us why we do this work. We archive all recipient profiles on our website as a living record of service, and we encourage visitors to read, share, and be inspired by them.
Join Our Mission
The Hatherleigh Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization — your contributions are fully tax-deductible and directly fuel expeditions, research, education, and community outreach that change lives. Every gift, large or small, becomes part of something larger than any single person or project. When you give to the Hatherleigh Foundation, you are investing in a vision of the world rooted in compassion, curiosity, and connection — one where communities are strengthened, environments are protected, and human potential is nurtured. We believe that generosity is contagious, that knowledge is transformative, and that healing begins when people are seen, heard, and supported. Join us in turning that belief into action.
🌍 Fund Expeditions
Support field research and environmental exploration that advances our understanding of the world we share. Our expeditions take researchers, educators, and community partners to some of the most vital and vulnerable ecosystems on Earth — from rainforest canopies to coastal wetlands — generating knowledge that informs policy, inspires conservation, and empowers local stewardship.
🤝 Partner With Us
Organizations and individuals aligned with H.O.P.E. are always welcome. Let's build something meaningful together. Whether you are a corporate sponsor, a nonprofit seeking collaboration, a university with research capacity, or simply an individual with a passion for service, there is a place for you in our growing network. Partnerships allow us to extend our reach, share resources, and multiply impact in ways no single organization could achieve alone.
💛 Donate Today
Every dollar given with generosity multiplies. Your gift powers programs that nourish, educate, heal, and inspire. Whether you make a one-time contribution or commit to a recurring monthly gift, your support sustains the full arc of our work — from the earliest stages of community listening and program design to the long-term follow-through that transforms temporary assistance into lasting change.
📚 Sponsor Education
Knowledge is the most enduring gift we can offer. By sponsoring educational initiatives, you help us bring curated curricula, workshops, and mentorship programs to students, families, and community members who benefit most from access to learning. Your support funds materials, instruction, and the kinds of hands-on experiences that ignite lifelong curiosity and open doors to new possibilities.
🌱 Invest in Community
Lasting change is rooted in community. Your investment helps us develop locally-led programs that address real needs — from food security and health access to environmental stewardship and cultural preservation. We work alongside community members, not above them, ensuring that every initiative is shaped by the people it serves and designed to endure long after our teams have moved on.
The Hatherleigh Foundation operates with full transparency and accountability. Our programs are rigorously evaluated, our financials are publicly available, and our team is committed to ensuring that every dollar entrusted to us is used with purpose and care. When you give, you can be confident that your generosity is being honored — and that it is making a real, measurable difference in the lives of people and places around the world.