February 28, 2018
Actors Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton Return for Second Phase of Renovation Project at Astor Services for Children & Families
Last year Morgan and Burton worked with dozens of volunteers to provide critical hands-on assistance in the project’s first phase. That work included the mini-renovation of 10 of RTC’s 44 beds and other areas, with the couple developing finish selections and designs, securing pro-bono contractors, and coordinating donated goods. Now the famed duo is back to continue that work on another wing of the RTC, including another 10 beds plus the wing’s kitchen common areas, with the project slated for this spring.
Funding for the second phase of the project was raised during Astor’s Ghost Stories event, which was headlined by Morgan and Dean and held late in 2017. The event raised enough to cover renovation costs for the RTC’s remaining three wings.
“Children living in Astor’s residential treatment center are benefitting tremendously from the support of Hilarie, Jeffrey and our community’s truly generous volunteers, donors and pro-bono workers,” said James McGuirk, Ph.D., Executive Director and CEO. “Their wonderful contributions not only make a tangible difference in the kids’ everyday lives, but also lets them know their community appreciates how much they matter.”
Burton also established an online donor registry program in support of all children living at Astor, where individuals can select and donate bedsheets, blankets, carpets and other items ranging from less than $7 to about $375 and have them sent directly to Astor’s Rhinebeck campus, allowing current and future children to customize their rooms in the RTC, https://www.myregistry. com/organization/Astor-Home- Rhinebeck-NY/1507625.
“Once these four existing wings are renovated, our endgame is to raise enough money to build an entirely new wing,” said Burton. “I’m proud that out of all of New York state, our community is where the Astor organization decided to bring these important kids.”