Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • January 16, 2013 Ramsey The DACKKs Group for Supportive Housing Development recently raised over $68,000 as the organization honored Donors of the Year Pam and Bill Keegan and Volunteer of the Year Addie Caputi. The group’s annual fundraiser, “Wine and Food: A Perfect Pairing,” was held at the Brick House in Wyckoff. Event Co-chairs Donald Strangfeld, senior vice president at Janney Montgomery Scott, LLC, and DACKKs Group Trustee John Cavan hosted the event, which featured a wine tasting reception and auctions. The Keegans, long time DACKKs supporters, spent the last year recreating the DACKKs website, managing its Facebook page, and keeping the organization in the forefront on Google’s list of homeless providers in New Jersey. A professional programmer and systems analyst for 30 years, Bill has worked primarily with corporations building systems and databases. Pam is a self-taught portraiture artist and electronics aficionado. The Keegans generously donate their design and maintenance skills and the yearly cost of maintaining an online presence for DACKKs. Caputi began volunteering with the DACKKs Group in 2003. She is a long-time member of Saint Paul R.C. Church DACKKs honors Caputi and Keegans at fundraiser Above: The board of directors of the DACKKs Group for Supportive Housing Development gathered at the group’s annual Wine & Food Pairing fundraising evening. Pictured are Stephen Collesano, Ellen Rafferty, Bettina Fowler, DACKKs Group President Karen Amy, John Cavan, Julian Collesano, and honoree Addie Caputi. Right: Ray Smesko, Trish Smesko, Cheryl Kashishian, and Event Co-chair Don Strangfeld. in Ramsey and its Social Concerns Committee. She first became involved with homelessness issues when she coordinated overnight shelter services at Saint Paul’s for homeless adults identified by the Interreligious Fellowship for the Homeless. She has served as the DACKKs Group’s vice president since 2006, and has been a tireless supporter of the organization and its efforts to fight homelessness. The DACKKs Group for Supportive Housing Development is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization that works at “Providing a leg up, not a handout.” Since 2000, the DACKKs Group has provided safe, decent, and affordable permanent and supportive housing to 34 homeless children and adults – many of whom are disabled – in scattered site housing throughout Bergen County. Tenants are selected, not on their ability to pay market rent, but on their ability to pay a rent that is affordable to them. Rent is based on 30 percent of their income, whatever the income. The DACKKs Group was named Organization of the Year by the Mahwah Regional Chamber of Commerce in December 2009.