By Matt Devoti
Feb 13, 2024
If you’re reading this newsletter, you’re a member of Hill 2000. Your receipt of this publication is one of many membership benefits. The newsletter is published monthly and delivered only to members. Within its pages are articles about your neighbors, photographs showing your community, and information about current and upcoming events. The newsletter exists because of the work of a group of dedicated folks. It’s printed, published, and delivered, in part, by your membership dues. You will see your dues increase come June 1. Beginning then, an individual membership will cost $50 per person; if you’re over the age of 65 years, the cost remains the same: $35 per person. The increase in cost is necessitated by the general conditions we’re all experiencing. For example, the cost of printing and providing you with this newsletter costs the association just under $35 per year, leaving little margin to support our other pillars. Of course, one of those pillars remains the preservation of the neighborhood’s Italian heritage. Our efforts are best seen at the Hill Neighborhood Center, a space rented, operated, and managed by Hill 2000. The Center is the place where our community’s stories come to life. The Center houses artifacts, archives, photographs, and the documents underlying our shared history. We pride ourselves on our museum as well as the availability of a staff archivist capable of helping you by sharing a story, explaining an exhibit, or assisting with family research. But the efforts of your association don’t stop there. Throughout the year, Hill 2000 supports several annual festivals, ranging from the Easter Egg Hunt later this month, to the Wine Walk, Hill House Tour, Giro della Montagna, the Italian Heritage Parade & Festa, and the Winter Festa. We have a Safety & Security Committee composed of resident volunteers and, next month, will gather to clean up the neighborhood on Earth Day. The association supports these events through sponsorship, financial funding, and many, many volunteer hours; initiatives undertaken by Safety & Security are supported in whole by directed donations. These events and their benefits are open to members and non-members, neighbors and visitors. Our efforts would not be complete without the assistance of your time, talent, and money. The association’s annual budget typically exceeds $90,000. Your membership dues underwrite about 30% of the annual budget; the remainder is met through association and event sponsorships, individual and family donations, and the purchase of goods at our events. We hope our efforts are self-evident. Yet, we’re often asked, “What does Hill 2000 do for me?” You know the answer to that question. Help us spread the word – both about Hill 2000 and the benefits of membership. Together, we’re better!
