To raise critical funds in support of two community soup kitchens, the Bardavon solicited donations directly from its Bardavon and Ulster Performing Arts Center (UPAC) audiences at every show in December. Audiences for A Christmas Carol, The Nutcracker, Amos Lee, Cyndi Lauper, The Met Live in HD, the Hudson Valley Philharmonic and the films A Christmas Story and The Princess Bride contributed $4,200, which will be split between the Beverly Close Memorial Food Pantry in Poughkeepsie and the Queens Galley in Kingston.

The Beverly Close Memorial Food Pantry is part of the Dutchess Outreach program. It is an emergency food bank that provides clients with up to three days’ worth of food in times of need. The Queens Galley is a Kingston-based nonprofit organization that provides awareness, education, relief and prevention of food insecurity.

Last year, Queens Galley executive director Diane Reeder and UPAC operations manager Ila Carnes created the concept of “Dinner & Show – Just $3.” “People don’t realize that for as little as $3, we are able to feed one person a dinner at the food pantry,” points out Reeder. The “Dinner & Show” slogan suggested to Bardavon and UPAC ticketholders (who had already bought tickets to a show at one of the theatres) that a $3 donation could help a person with food insecurity. Dutchess Outreach administrator Carol Hegener praised the initiative and remarked, “Those we serve are thrilled!”