Cudmore planting seeds of charity with campaign

PHOTOGRAPHER: John Enger

Twenty-five dollars is a relatively small amount of money, but according to Bob Cudmore, local radio host, author and Gazette columnist, a lot of good can come from even such a modest donation.

“If a farmer approaches you asking for money so he can buy seed to plant a crop, he’s not asking for much,” Cudmore said, describing the theory behind his recently established Seed Money donation campaign. “The idea is that the farmer will take a small amount and make it grow.”

But Seed Money doesn’t have to do with literal crops. Starting this month and running every month through the end of 2012, Cudmore will be making donations of $25 to four different local charities.

The idea formed last fall as Cudmore promoted his book, “Stories from the Mohawk Valley,” an edited collection of his Gazette history columns.

“I’m old,” the 66-year-old history buff said. “So I have other revenue streams. I have Social Security, so when I would do a reading at a library or something, I would split the profits from the books I sold.”

This year reading events have slackened, but “Stories from the Mohawk Valley” is still selling, so Cudmore decided to find another place to put his book profits.

This month his four donations went to the Shuttleworth Park Foundation, the City Mission of Schenectady, the Amsterdam Veterans Memorial Fund and the Interfaith Partnership for the Homeless, which is working to establish a permanent emergency shelter in Amsterdam.

“I thought I’d give them a little money and then beat the drum to raise awareness so they can raise more money,” he said.

According to Kathy Leyden, deputy director of Interfaith Partnership, Cudmore’s Seed Money is helping.

The Amsterdam emergency shelter operates from November through April, the time of the year when the homeless most need a place to stay, and is currently based in a rented building. Interfaith Partnership hopes to raise enough money from donations and small foundation grants to buy a permanent location.

Cudmore’s morning show on Lite 104.7 FM is a big part of the Seed Money campaign, not only for raising awareness but in choosing the charities themselves.

“It’s a community radio show, so we talk about the community news,” he said.

“Both the veterans memorial and the homeless shelter have been talked about for years, and the City Mission was suggested to me by a caller.”

To learn more about Seed Money, go to wvtlfm.com.