Hilltown Community Development Corporation

Economic Development

Business Training Workshops
Individual Business Counseling
Hilltown Business Directory

Housing Programs

Homebuyer Counseling
Housing Rehabilitation
Housing Development
Community Planning Assistance

Social Services

Hilltown Elder Network (HEN)
Health Outreach Program for
Elders (HOPE)
Hilltown Food Pantry
Families Together

Community Facilities

Hilltown CDC Social Services Programs

The Hampshire County Hilltowns served by Hilltown CDC suffer from a lack of social service programs, especially for elders and families. Though Community development organizations often focus on economic development, maintaining affordable housing and community planning, Hilltown CDC includes Social Services as a priority area. Hilltown CDC is dedicated to filling the social services gap in the Hilltowns and remains acutely aware of area social needs and is committed to the intensive nature of ongoing fundraising for social programs in rural areas.

Mass. Community Development Block Grants form the base, though not the total extent, of funding for Hilltown CDC social service programs, which require many supplementary funding sources in order to insure stability and provide continuity.

Hilltown Elder Network

The Hilltown Elder Network (HEN Program) provides eligible rural elders with in-home services, such as home chore or transportation services, which help to insure safe and independent living conditions. To receive HEN assistance, elders must be at least 60 years old and meet household income criteria and have depleted, or be ineligible for, other forms of assistance, such as State Home Care.

Eligible elder participants in the northern Hilltowns area receive assistance with cleaning, laundry, food shopping and meal preparation, snow removal and escorted transportation at no charge. A participant’s ability to pay is taken into account during the intake & evaluation process. In some cases an over-income applicant who has been unable to locate or coordinate their own services may use HEN as an agency through which to locate a screened, experienced and supervised caregiver who will reliably work in the Hilltowns. Donations are accepted. HEN services are currently limited to the towns of Westhampton, Chesterfield, Williamsburg, Goshen, Cummington, Plainfield and Worthington.

HEN Caregivers are highly valued and rare individuals who are paid for their services. Each is caregiver is screened and CORI checked. HEN services do not include personal care. Of the 80 to 90 available caregivers, one third work regularly. Regional coordination and supervision is accomplished through Town and/or Council On Aging cooperation. HEN services are often available during off hours, weekends and during bad weather when most “for profit” providers fail. HEN management employs techniques of intensive coordination and interaction with other provider agencies, such as Area Agencies On Aging and Visiting Nurse Associations, so as to limit duplication and maximize the impact of services.

Although difficult to coordinate, especially in terms of funding, the HEN Program provides a viable model for rural service provision that is unique and efficient.

In addition to CDBG funding, Hilltown CDC accessed other funding for the HEN Program from Hampshire County United Way, The Katherine Pierce Trust, the Boynton Foundation, the Town of Williamsburg and co-payments and private donations.