News
December 16, 2025Business for Good Foundation Donates $30,000 Matching Grant to Vanderheyden to Support Special Needs Career Training at The Vandy Thrift Shoppe
Business for Good Foundation (BFGF) recently awarded Vanderheyden a matching grant for $30,000 towards rent at The Vandy Thrift Shoppe, located at 412 Broadway in downtown Albany. Vanderheyden provides education and residences for youth and adults struggling with mental health issues, histories of trauma, behavior challenges, as well as intellectual or developmental disorders. The Vandy is part of Vanderheyden’s job training program for at-risk individuals. The Vandy is a project-based approach that focuses on the operation of the storefront to teach valuable transferable and work-specific skills that can be applied to a variety of industries later in personal working experiences. The store is 100% stocked by donations and 100% of the proceeds go to Vanderheyden.
“Workforce and community development is a foundational priority for BFGF. We’re proud to support Vanderheyden’s critical work in the Capital Region, which directly addresses barriers and equips individuals with the skills they need for sustainable employment,” says Maire Masterson, Executive Director of the Business for Good Foundation.
Finding employment after graduation is a significant obstacle for Vanderheyden’s special needs student population. Many are in foster care or residential treatment centers and do not have family who can teach and support them in this transition. The Vandy gives real-life work opportunities in an environment where students can learn to navigate colleague relationships and customer interactions in a safe space with trained staff to assist.
“The extraordinary generosity of the Business for Good Foundation has helped us raise funds to operate The Vandy for two full years,” says Karen M. Carpenter, President and CEO of Vanderheyden. “This means we can continue to focus on our work with at-risk individuals to gain real-world work experience while offering a great place to shop in downtown Albany.”
To receive the full $30,000 from BFGF, matching donations were provided by Pioneer ($10,000), Stewart’s Shops ($10,000), Broadview ($6,000), and M&T Bank ($4,000). This donation of a total of $60,000 would not have been possible without these valuable community partners.
Vanderheyden began as the Troy Orphan Asylum in 1833 and has been providing services for more than 185 years. Today our facilities offer a safe haven for youth, adults and families who have experienced family disruption, trauma, abuse, emotional difficulty, developmental disability and learning problems. The Richard A. Desrochers Educational Center at Vanderheyden is a Regents accredited 7-12 grade program. It provides education to individuals who are at risk of not succeeding at school, and those in need of a special education. Vanderheyden is a designated Children and Family Treatment and Support Services Provider (CFTSS). The agency is committed to a family focused, trauma informed and community-based system of care. Every day at Vanderheyden, we work to change lives to save lives. For more information visit www.vanderheyden.org and follow us on social media.
