Greater Pike Names 2024 honorees

The founder of GAIT Equine Assisted Services, the family behind a historic Milford restaurant, and a nonprofit organization that has improved and beautified the streets of Milford for the past 25 years are the Greater Pike Community Foundation’s 2024 honorees. GAIT’s founder, Martha Dubensky, the Jorgenson family of The Historic Dimmick Inn, and the Milford Enhancement Committee will be honored at Greater Pike’s 9th annual awards dinner on Sunday, Sept. 8, 2024, at Silver Birches Resort in Hawley.

“These three honorees exemplify the spirit of community engagement and service that lies at the heart of Greater Pike Community Foundation’s mission, and we hope you’ll join us in honoring them and their contributions to our community,” said Greater Pike Board Chair Luke Turano.

The annual dinner event in September is open to all, and sponsorships are now available at greaterpike.org/annual-dinner. As part of the awards, Greater Pike will provide a donation to the nonprofit organization of the honorees’ choosing, to be announced at the dinner.

Awards

The Barbara J. Buchanan Community Service Award goes to Martha Dubensky, Founder of GAIT Equine Assisted Services. When Dubensky founded GAIT in 1995, she had a dream and a handful of volunteers who shared her vision to improve the quality of life of children and adults with special needs through equine activities and therapies, enabling them to lead more independent lives. In the nearly 30 years since, GAIT has served innumerable children, families, veterans with PTSD and others. Today, GAIT serves 30 to 50 participants per week, with eight horses, a staff of six, and more than 50 volunteers. GAIT EAS is a PATH International Premiere Accredited Center, with EQUUS Guardian status and Platinum Transparency. In addition to her work with GAIT, Dubensky also serves on the Gifford Pinchot Audubon Society, is treasurer of Choosing Integrity, and policy committee chair for Green Trees Early Learning Center. She is also a member of several other nonprofit organizations and has been a Sunday school teacher for more than two decades.

The Jorgenson Family and their restaurant, The Historic Dimmick Inn, are the recipients of the Richard L. Snyder Business Leadership Award. The Jorgensons have shown a leadership commitment to community service and support since they opened their first Milford business, Jorgenson’s Deli and Bagels, in 2002. The restaurant is also the prime mover behind a variety of community events, such as their annual Brooklyn Day Street Fair, and the family helps to raise funds for the Milford Fire Department and other community organizations.

The Nonprofit Excellence Award will be presented to the Milford Enhancement Committee. For more than 25 years, the Milford Enhancement Committee (MEC) has raised the funds for improvements in Milford’s public spaces and streetscapes, securing more than $9 million in investment. The MEC hosts an annual Welcome Party that has become the “point of entry” to community volunteerism for scores of new Pike County residents. Founded by the late Dick Snyder in 1997, the MEC’s initial goal was landscaping around what is today the Walgreens at the corner of Harford and Broad. Over the years, the scope has expanded to include the installation of new sidewalks, curbing, historic-style pedestrian lighting, benches, and landscaping in Milford’s commercial district, making it safer, more accessible, and more attractive.

For more information about the Greater Pike Community Foundation, contact Executive Director Rick Little at 570-832-4686, ricklittle@greaterpike.org, or visit greaterpike.org.