Neighbors helping neighbors since 2019
In January 2019, MaryJo Charron set out three wicker baskets on a porch at 24 First St in Hoosick Falls. No fanfare. No grant. Just a few items and the idea that neighbors should be able to help neighbors without anyone having to ask.
Since then, that porch has grown into something much bigger. There is an apartment-size refrigerator and freezer stocked with fresh and frozen food. Shelves hold hygiene products, cleaning supplies, laundry products, and feminine products. Our hens and a local farmer keep fresh eggs on the porch. In spring and summer, fresh vegetables and herbs from The Hoosick Community Garden join the mix. Pet food is always there for the animals people count on.
The porch is open 23 hours a day, every day of the year. No knock. No form. No questions. Anyone who needs something can walk up and take it. Anyone who has something to give can leave it.
From that porch, the Community Porch has grown to run a backpack program for children every fall, a Christmas program with the local police department and businesses, an Easter program, and a Grow and Share garden program that brings plants and garden beds directly to people who cannot get to The Hoosick Community Garden.
None of it happens alone. It takes a village, and Hoosick Falls has been the most loving, caring village we could ask for. It is still just neighbors helping neighbors, and that has not changed.
Our sponsored partner
The Community Porch is not a 501c3. It operates under the umbrella of Unity House of Troy as a sponsored partner. That relationship is what allows the Community Porch to apply for grants and pursue larger community projects. Unity House of Troy provides organizational support and partnership. The work on the ground, every day, is MaryJo and the community.
What grants have made possible
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2024
The first grant funded a full cow and shelf-stable items for the community.
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2025
The second grant expanded the Christmas program to include new coats and clothing for children, in addition to toys.
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Current
The third grant funds the Grow and Share program, bringing garden beds, soil, and rooted herbs, vegetables, and fruits directly to community members who cannot get to The Hoosick Community Garden.
These grants are made possible through the sponsored partnership with Unity House of Troy.
It takes a village
The Community Porch runs on the love and support of this town. We could not do any of it alone. The Hoosick Community Garden is one of our biggest supporters. They donated the fresh veggies and herbs that kicked off our Grow and Share program. A local farmer teamed up with us so we can keep fresh eggs on the porch. The Hoosick Falls Police Department and local businesses make the Christmas program happen every year.
And then there are the neighbors. The ones who drop off groceries, ship a box from across the country, plant a row in the garden, or stop by just to check in. Every single person plays a role in what we do here. That is the heart of it, simply neighbors helping neighbors.
