Tax Deductible Donations
Tax deductible donations to the Albany Community Trust have been essential for the renovation and reopening of the Albany General Store / The Genny. The Genny opened on June 3, 2021. The Albany Community Trust will turn their attention to another project to “support positive growth and increased vibrancy in Albany VT”.
The Albany General Store was closed August 2013 due to a fire. The nearest place to gather with friends for morning coffee, get a quick meal, gas, grocery staples, prepared foods and baked goods is several miles away.
Tax deductible eligible donations support the Albany Community Trust, a Federal 501(c)(3), mission of “supporting positive growth and increased vibrancy” in Albany, VT.
Depending upon your income tax situation, your donation may be tax deductible.
Life 100 Years Ago to Today
In years past, Albany was a bustling town. It had many dairies, farm equipment sales and repair businesses, grain mills, saw mills, loggers, blacksmiths, doctors, farriers, grain dealers, veterinarians, shops, dance halls, a restaurant, a hotel… These businesses and services were part of bustling towns one hundred years ago. With the disappearance of job opportunities in town, many residents migrated to cities for jobs and some to live. Businesses followed. With advances in technologies, many of the trades required in the past have disappeared or drastically reduced in numbers. Those who continued to live here, but worked elsewhere, did their shopping, saw to medical care, had their cars repaired…in the more developed towns and cities. Over the years Albany has had seven general stores. Sometimes two at a time.
Challenges of small, rural Vermont Towns
It is well-known that small Vermont towns, especially in the NEK, are challenged by:
- Loss of residents
- Aging of residents
- Reduced student populations / forced school mergers
- Migration of business and professional services to more populated areas
- Volunteer EMS & fire departments challenged due to fewer in-town members
- Lack of healthy activities for our youth
- Being “food deserts” USDA defined as not having a major grocery store within ten miles
- VTDigger.com – 10.3.2019: “Vermont’s total population is essentially stagnant and has hardly changed over the last decade. But Census data shows that where people live in the state has shifted dramatically as more people, like Sauer, have chosen to live in Chittenden County and surrounding towns in the northwest. The rest of the state — especially southern Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom — have seen population declines…Vermont’s population migration and birth trends have hit rural areas the hardest, according to Census data.”
General Stores, the Heart & Soul of Small Towns
- Small town general stores are not only a building with things to buy. They are a catalyst of connectivity, community and relationships that help make a town a great place to live, work, visit and travel through.
- A small town general store is often mentioned, by those who have moved away, as their “sense of place” when nostalgically thinking about their hometown. A place where they gathered with their friends to enjoy the moment. A place to obtain their favorite foods and beverages. A place to catch-up on local gossip. A place to warm up on a cold, blustery day. A place to get some comfort food….
- Although many leave their small rural hometowns, to find their own futures, when they return for a visit they yearn to find things that haven’t changed. Small town general stores very often are the only places that haven’t changed or at least have retained much of year’s past personalities.
- Much of society’s energy is devoted to tearing down, developing, paving, redeveloping, consuming, getting bigger… The restoration of our general store is a reviving of a building and the beginning of bringing vibrancy back to Albany, VT. Small town general stores that survive the “bigger is better” mentality of businesses today, provide a glimpse back to the “good old days” of shopping locally, supporting local farmers and artisans, sitting around a pot-bellied wood stove, sipping a beverage and conversing with friends and neighbors.
- Tim Patterson, Craftsbury, VT – “Albany is a wonderful town that deserves a top-notch general store. In rural Vermont villages, a local store is essential infrastructure for civic and cultural life. I’m thrilled for my neighbors in Albany by the prospect of a revitalized general store in the heart of the community, and I applaud the important work of the Albany Community Trust. Please consider supporting this work by making a donation.”
- Judy Geer, Craftsbury Outdoor Center – “I’m excited to support ACT and the Albany Store project because a general store is such a key part of any town. It’s a gathering place, a communication center, a community hub–not to mention the convenience of having groceries and coffee available close to home. I’m impressed with the energy and vision of ACT!”
About the Albany General Store
The Albany General Store closed in August 2013 due to a fire. The owners did not re-open it and sold it in May 2018 to the Albany Community Trust, Inc., a Vermont Domestic Nonprofit Corporation. Since the fire, Albany VT, a town of under one thousand residents has been without a store to buy grocery staples, baked goods, coffee, gas, beverages, newspapers or a place to gather with family and friends. Your tax deductible donations will support the renovation of our general store and restore our town’s heart and soul.
A Little About the Albany Community Trust
- In late 2017, a group of residents, passionate about Albany VT began meeting with the goal of reviving the Albany General Store. These dedicated residents, believing a general store is the heart and soul of the town, formed the Albany Community Trust (ACT) with the simple mission of “positively impacting the growth & prosperity of Albany, VT.”
- ACT has devoted hundreds of hours in planning, fundraising, and attending to the myriad details required for a nonprofit to renovate and lease the store to an experienced operator. Although ACT has received significant donated funds from local residents and various grants we haven’t yet met our total store project goals. We are well on our way but need your tax deductible donations to assure our goals are met. Click on the Donate button to make tax deductible donations to enhancing life in our small Vermont town.
- Effective January 5, 2018, Albany Community Trust became an IRS 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization therefore tax deductible donations made by check should be made payable and mailed to: Albany Community Trust Inc. – PO Box 509 – Albany, VT 05820.
