The mission of the Boys & Girls Club of Brattleboro is to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. 2019 marked our 20-year anniversary as a chartered Boys & Girls Club! The Club is proud to have grown and changed to meet the changing interests and needs of youth in our community. As one of the largest youth-serving organizations in Southern Vermont, we know that one simple barrier for many of our members in achieving their goals is an empty stomach. Our Club provides thousands of nutritious, free meals and snacks to low-income children and families in the Brattleboro area.

St. Brigid’s Kitchen and Pantry is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to feeding our neighbors in need for the past 37 years. We provide food, hospitality, and caring to those in need and treat those coming to our kitchen as guests at the family table. We average 1,860 meals per month. In 2018 we provided over 21,000 meals. St. Brigid’s also offers a monthly pantry mainly to families and seniors with an emphasis on fresh vegetables and other wholesome food. St. Brigid’s Boutique offers gently used clothing to guests throughout the year with an emphasis on warm coats, boots, blankets, and sleeping bags for cold weather.

When children have the skills to become safe and confident cyclists, they become a generation to choose a bike as a fun and sustainable transportation option. When 9,200 riders confidently secure their bike at our Valet Bike Parking at farmer’s markets and major events, they’re reducing their carbon footprint and enjoying a car-free quality of life. The Bike Ferry at the Colchester Causeway is a world-class destination for recreational cyclists and is an important economic driver locally and regionally. Local Motion’s work ranges from on-the-ground advocacy and community organizing and project-specific technical assistance to workshops and classes for all ages and bike-friendly resources for businesses and communities.

The Putney Foodshelf has worked for over a decade to support people by providing healthy supplemental food for area people in need without regard to name or residence. Twice weekly our 40+ volunteers offer milk, eggs, yoghurt, meat, and fresh produce alongside essential non-perishables to residents of Putney and 7+ surrounding communities, enabling them to sustain themselves and their families in difficult times. Our new Food4Kids pantry at the local elementary school aims to reach families who can’t come to the foodshelf and ensures children have access to the food they need to thrive during weekends and the summer. Our patrons tell us they “depend on us to survive,” and they “didn’t know what else to do.” In voting for the Putney Foodshelf, you are voting for the right of all people, and especially children, to have access to healthy food.

Like the small rock piles (cairns) seen along many trails that guide hikers in the right direction, PAVE’s mission is to help victims of domestic and sexual violence find their way to a better place – physically, emotionally, and mentally. From PAVE’s grassroots beginnings consisting of a phone line in the living room of a concerned citizen, we have grown into an agency that provides a full range of services to victims of domestic and sexual violence for almost 40 years. Some of our services include support and referrals on our 24-hour crisis hotline, assistance at court for emergency Relief from Abuse orders, accompaniment at the hospital for sexual assault victims, supervised visitation for families, and emergency shelter for individuals and families fleeing violence.

Salvation Farms works with farmers, partners, and community members to move wholesome crops that have no market to those in need of nourishment. We are working toward a future where communities are increasingly fed by local farms. We exist to reduce food loss on farms, increase the use of locally grown food, and foster appreciation for Vermont’s agricultural heritage and future. Since creating the most adapted model for gleaning in Vermont 15 years ago, we established the Vermont Gleaning Collective, operated Vermont’s first surplus crop food hub, provided training to unemployed and incarcerated members of our communities, and conducted research with farmers that discovered more than 14 million pounds of edible vegetables and berries remain on Vermont farms each year.

Edible Brattleboro is a volunteer-run organization with a mission to “Grow food everywhere for everyone.” We offer public help-yourself gardens in several locations in Brattleboro, and operate a weekly “Share the Harvest” stand, providing free fresh local produce to the community (more than 4,800 pounds serving more than 300 people in 2019). We also offer free cooking and eating experiences where participants gather to prepare and enjoy a delicious three-course meal. Our Steering Committee continues to explore new ways to connect people with fresh whole foods while building community and healthy soil, as well as educating the public about the interconnectedness of health, food, soil and community.

For 40 years, the Peace & Justice Center (PJC) has worked to create a just and peaceful world, tackling the interconnected issues of economic and racial justice, peace, and human rights through education, advocacy, and nonviolent activism. The premise of PJC’s work is that our political, social, and economic institutions were built on principles that favored some (male, white, typically abled, straight, cis-gendered, wealthy, militarily powerful) at the expense of others (women, people of color, people with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and the nonviolent). PJC is committed to raising awareness of these issues, and to helping people lead viable social change movements that include and empower all people, redress the harms of generational oppression, and lead to a more equitable future shaped and shared by all.

Teens Reaching Youth (TRY) for the Environment is an environmental leadership opportunity for students in grades 7-12. It is an environmental education program taught by teens and designed to increase environmental literacy and responsibility in younger youth. TRY for the Environment includes five program areas – energy fundamentals, waste solutions, water, forests and food systems – to connect young people to real-world environmental problems, allowing them to be key change agents contributing to real-world solutions. TRY for the Environment is a program of the UVM Extension, 4-H Teen & Leadership Program, and has received the Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence in 2015, 2016, and 2017.

Audubon Vermont, with its 255-acre Green Mountain Audubon Center, has been a community hub of outdoor education and conservation for 55 years. Using a local approach to access and education, we aim to foster a stewardship ethic that supports personal well-being and conservation action across generations. We deliver nature-based education programs on-site, in school, and throughout the community that reach Vermonters of all ages and backgrounds and build a community invested in the magic, beauty, and necessity of our natural world.

Connecticut River Conservancy (CRC) is one of the oldest watershed groups in America. We advocate for the protection and restoration of the Connecticut River and its watershed, encompassing 11,000 square miles in four states. We have three full-time staff who work and live in the Vermont and New Hampshire portion of the watershed, which makes up more than half of the river. Our work involves coordinating volunteers for annual river cleanups, educating the public through local civic organizations and school children, engaging in state-wide policy work to increase protection of our natural resources, participating in the relicensing of hydro-electric facilities to get the best deal for our rivers, and working with landowners to manage and install river restoration projects on their land.

Vermont Catholic Charities is a statewide social services agency which has been providing services to the young and the elderly, individuals and families, vulnerable and at-risk populations, and the imprisoned of all faiths since 1929. Through the Emergency Aid Program, financial assistance is given to Vermonters who are experiencing unexpected crises in their lives due to unanticipated medical bills, reduced work hours, increased housing costs and/or utility and heating expenses. The program helps clients with rent and security deposits to avoid eviction, utility assistance to prevent disconnect, fuel assistance to secure heat, and food assistance to ensure people/families are not hungry.

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) is a nonprofit conservation, farm, and youth development organization that teaches young people personal responsibility through meaningful work that connects them to the land, community, and each other. Youth and young adults ages 15 and up are employed and participate in programs that operate year-round in Vermont. VYCC offers paying jobs, AmeriCorps service positions, internships, and a gap semester. Youth benefit from meaningful employment, connections with the natural world, and the challenge of completing high quality community service projects. Working with Crew Leaders and alongside peers, Corps Members are part of a culture dedicated to service, self-improvement, self-advancement, and professional success. VYCC’s two major programs—Conservation and Food & Farm—offer a variety of hands-on, immersive learning experiences.

Groundworks Collaborative provides ongoing support to families and individuals facing a full continuum of housing and food insecurities in the greater Brattleboro area. We envision a community in which every person has their basic needs met, including a safe and dignified place to call home.

Twin Pines Housing’s mission is to increase access to quality housing and supportive services to meet the pressing and long-term needs of the Upper Valley community. We are the primary developer and provider of permanently affordable housing in the region for individuals and families with low-to moderate incomes. Founded in 1990, we currently house more than 1,000 people and own 500 rental apartments at 23 locations. Twin Pines Housing also stewards 50 shared-equity homeownership properties that are permanently affordable. In addition, we provide property management and supportive services for nearly three-quarters of our units. By coordinating case management, social services, food programs, and other supports, we ensure that our residents remain healthy and housed.

At Capstone Community Action, we improve the lives of Vermonters in need by providing opportunities, education, and vital assistance. By breaking down the barriers that prevent people from thriving, we offer the hope people need, the dignity everyone deserves, and a better community for all.

Old Spokes Home is a Burlington bike shop and 501©(3) nonprofit creating access to bikes and the opportunities that they provide for our entire community. Each year the shop refurbishes 500+ donated bikes and makes them affordable to income-eligible Vermonters for transportation and recreation as part of its Everybody Bikes program. Professional mechanics and youth trainees provide low/no-cost maintenance and repairs. And workshops and group rides empower riders to cycle in myriad conditions. As a result, Everybody Bikes customers have transportation to work, shop, and access services and their children have a means of active recreation. Youth develop mechanic skills that are valued in their communities and future workplaces. And Vermonters of all income and ability levels commute by bike, reducing the state’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Being in nature is essential to us all. Vermont Parks Forever is a public charity created to protect and enhance Vermont’s treasured state parks for generations to come. Our mission is to foster lifelong connections between park visitors and our natural world. We’re guided by three goals: to inspire stewardship of the parks, provide innovative educational experiences, and improve access to parks for underserved communities. With your help, we can continue to serve Vermonters by providing passes to those who couldn’t otherwise reap the benefits of our 55 state parks, funding a youth conservation internship, revitalizing educational nature centers, and managing land grants that become our newest parks. Thanks for your help – hope to see you in the parks!

EarthWalk Vermont is a nonprofit nature education organization located in the Winooski River Valley in Plainfield, Vermont. EarthWalk’s mission is to inspire and empower children, families, and communities to reconnect with and care for one another and the Earth through long-term nature mentoring. NATURE MENTORING is a holistic and dynamic education model in which nature is the primary teacher and mentors skillfully guide and reconnect us to one another and the natural world. Annually EarthWalk serves more than 300 families through year-round youth and adult programs.

Green Mountain RSVP (GMRSVP), a Senior Corps, National Service program is for people age 55 and older who want to contribute their time and energy to positively impact their community. Sponsored by the Southwestern VT Council on Aging and serving Bennington, Windsor, and Windham Counties, we match volunteers with nonprofit organizations, including The AARP TaxAide Program, Meals on Wheels/senior meal sites, schools, blood drives, hospitals, libraries, and museums. We place volunteers with social service agencies as drivers to medical appointments and companions who visit with seniors to balance checkbooks and pay bills. We sponsor Bone Builder program exercise classes for seniors to help address osteoporosis. We are piloting a financial literacy program to help Older Vermonters learn about financial exploitation from our “Fraud Squad” volunteers.

Junior Achievement is a 100-year-old nonprofit with a proven track record of success in delivering impactful, hands-on, engaging and educational programs to youth in grades K-12, focusing on financial literacy education, entrepreneurship, and career exploration/workforce readiness. JA programs help students develop 21st century essential skills- critical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making, teamwork, and communication. JA is a volunteer-driven organization, where volunteers from the community, area businesses, colleges, and universities serve as role models in the classroom, helping the students make the link between what they are learning in school and the real world. JA brings education to life.

For more than 50 years, HOPE has been a vital resource for low-income people in Addison County, Vermont. HOPE provides a wide array of poverty relief services to more than 3,000 people every year who struggle to make ends meet. Depending on an individual or family’s needs, HOPE can assist by providing nutritious food from our food shelf (the largest in the County); financial payments for housing, electricity, or water; heating fuel or wood; clothing, furniture, and essential household goods; medical and dental payments; assistance with car repairs and job-related items for working persons; assistance for homeless persons; and more. HOPE operates a large resale store that provides free or low-cost items for people who cannot afford essential household goods or clothing.

The Vermont Jump$tart Coalition mission is to improve the personal financial literacy skills of Vermont’s youth. Establishing a strong foundation prepares our youth to make wise financial decisions throughout their lives, while providing a sense of economic well-being. A conference which is open to all educators, (teachers, parents, and others working with VT youth) is held yearly. Tools are available online and speakers are available. We encourage leadership among VT educators. VJSC works with the Gov. to proclaim April as Financial Literacy Month and to inform the public on ways they can become involved. VJSC is an all-volunteer board so every dollar goes to programming.

The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come. We serve Vermonters by helping communities save or create their most cherished outdoor places. Places like our most recent success—Catamount Community Forest, Williston’s town-owned community forest. This much-loved recreation destination is located at the site of the Catamount Outdoor Family Center and draws more than 20,000 people from all over Vermont each year. A We Care 2 grant this year will help us accomplish three land-for-people initiatives that are sure to be forever stitched in the fabric of what a good quality of life in Vermont means. With your help, we will: cut the ribbon on a new backcountry playground for key junctions of the Catamount, Velomont, and Long Trails, by adding 2,700 acres to Green Mountain National Forest in Chittenden, Killington, and Mendon; ensure unspoiled views over nearly 2,000 acres of healthy forests surrounding Hunger Mountain and the Hunger Mountain Trail; and protect one of the last remaining unsecured sections of the Long Trail in Johnson. Our land-for-people approach to conservation builds healthy and vibrant communities by making it possible to for everyone to play outside somewhere inspiring—from Main Street to mountaintop. Please join us.

Our mission is: to advocate for the health, education and financial stability of Lamoille County individuals and families. The United Way of Lamoille County advocates for Lamoille County in many ways, including developing new programs that empower people and lead them towards a life of self-sufficiency; encouraging people to be active participants in improving their lives; and encouraging the community’s participation in helping us improve lives.

At Youth Services relationships are the intervention. Through 19 programs ranging from substance abuse treatment and counseling to restorative justice, a youth-led business and case management for youth aging out of foster care, we are a critical safety net for young people and families as well as many adults. Celebrating 46 years, we collaborate with many other Southern Vermont organizations and ensure we are not duplicating services. As a nonprofit we aim to be agile in responding to new crisis and programming opportunities. We provide transformative prevention, intervention, and youth development programs.

Community of Vermont Elders (COVE) is dedicated to supporting Vermonters as we age, through education and advocacy. We travel across the state, engaging communities of every shape and size to examine their own aging process, and to provide the support and tools to grow old with dignity.

OUR House is the Special Investigations Unit and Child Advocacy Center for Washington County. In 2018 we worked with 145 criminal cases of physical and sexual abuse. This number does not include their families, care givers, etc. OUR House provides a safe and secure area for DCF and Law Enforcement to interview and meet with the victims throughout the criminal process. Without OUR House, victims would meet at the police station and perhaps even be interviewed multiple times with staff who are not trauma informed or trained in best practices on sexual violence and trauma.

CVOEO serves over 23,000 people in crisis annually through its food, fuel, and housing assistance programs. However, not everyone comes through our door in times of hardship. Some come seeking to learn advocacy and leadership skills through our Mobile Home Program. Our staff provides free leadership and advocacy training along with other services such as education on housing rights, conflict resolution, referral, and a hotline. Mobile home park residents are empowered to improve their housing conditions and strengthen their communities. These communities provide essential affordable housing options in our rural state. “One young lady who works for CVOEO helped me to mitigate a serious issue for the mobile home park I live in that that in turn helped everyone in the park.”

The Intervale Center is a farm and food organization based in Burlington with a mission to strengthen community food systems. Founded with the vision to reclaim an agriculturally significant stretch of land along the Winooski River for new, community-based farm and land enterprises, today, the Center manages a model 340-acre campus and delivers agricultural and conservation programming statewide. The 340 acres we manage is home to commercial organic farms, community gardens, hiking trails, conservation areas, and a host of Intervale Center-run programs and enterprises. Our impact radiates out, as we grow and plant native trees for watershed restoration, provide business planning and technical assistance to Vermont farms, deliver local food, conduct market research, and help other organizations leverage our expertise state- and nationwide.

Since 2014, Community Harvest of Central Vermont has gleaned 527,500 servings of food that would otherwise not be harvested from 40 local farms to enhance the health and well-being of the Central Vermont community. We bring together nearly 300 community volunteers to glean local farmers’ fields after harvest, keeping farm surplus from going unused. The fresh produce is donated to 22 recipient organizations that are feeding those in need, making fresh, local food available to more Vermonters. CHCV also fosters appreciation and awareness of local food through community volunteer engagement. CHCV promotes connections and involvement with farms by bringing people out into the fields to work together and learn how fresh food is grown in their community.

The Initiative for Local Capital is an innovation lab that promotes economic justice for all. We use research, project development, and consultancy to explore and test new programs that help communities invest in themselves, especially those under-served by traditional capital sources. We envision a future where the circulation of wealth within a region cultivates strong, vibrant, and resilient local economies; a sense of place and community among citizens; and financial prosperity for all.

ANEW Place provides emergency shelter, a group home, and transitional housing for 66 homeless adults in Burlington, Vt. Our mission is to provide a holistic continuum of services for the homeless, centered in love and dignity, that foster growth and cultivate community engagement so that each person may start anew. Beyond a temporary place to stay, our guests attain a positive and supportive community, substance use disorder recovery assistance, mental health support, personal finance training, and aid in finding long-term housing. Our ultimate goal is NOT to create more shelter beds but to equip our neighbors experiencing homelessness with the tools for lifelong change.

Hunger Free Vermont’s mission is to end the injustice of hunger and malnutrition for all Vermonters. We believe that everyone, at every age, has the right to food to sustain an active and healthy life. Since 1993 we have helped communities all over Vermont create long-term changes that make it possible for all their residents to have dignified, stable access to food whenever they need it. We accomplish this by providing free, in-depth assistance to community organizations, schools, and childcare centers to help them effectively use federal nutrition programs to feed eligible children, families, and older Vermonters. We also serve as Vermont’s primary source of public awareness about hunger and work with state and federal leaders on measures that help Vermonters take care of themselves.

Lamoille Housing Partnership develops, rehabilitates, and maintains safe, decent, energy efficient affordable housing through rental, home ownership, or other means to low-and moderate-income persons and families living within Lamoille County and the Town of Hardwick. LHP provides such assistance without discrimination or prejudice using a combination of private and public funding partnerships. Our work supports families, local workers, aging and disabled Vermonters, veterans, and people who have experience homelessness with the safety, comfort, and stability of a home.

Prevent Child Abuse Vermont (PCAVT) is the Vermont Chapter of Prevent Child Abuse America and the National Circle of Parents. The mission of PCAVT is: Prevent Child Abuse Vermont promotes and supports healthy relationships within families, schools, and communities to eliminate child abuse. PCAVT has been serving children and families at significant risk of child abuse and neglect for 43 years by creating, adopting, and carrying out innovative, highly effective prevention programs. PCAVT serves several thousands of children, adolescents, parents, caregivers and educators each year.

Downstreet exists to bolster an environment of social justice for all and as a result, strengthen the health and future of Vermont communities through the power of housing. Far too many Vermonters today are struggling with poor and undesirable housing conditions, unaffordable rents, or are homeless, and our rural communities are feeling the effects. Downstreet is on a mission to eradicate the housing challenges of our time. To achieve this, we are actively pursuing and developing new approaches to housing for our rural communities, creating and preserving affordable housing, and connecting people and families to the resources they need to thrive. By voting for Downstreet, you’re voting for a healthy Vermont housing future.

Jenna’s Promise was started to help those in recovery in every way possible in Vermont. It is creating a community center for Johnson to give those in Johnson a place to come together, have meetings, hold AA meetings and other mental health help. It is also going to create sober living in Johnson to help more people get back on their feet. They also have a mission to work with local businesses and creating a coffee shop to help get those in recovery employment.

North Branch Nature Center (NBNC) in Montpelier provides Vermonters with rich and varied opportunities to connect with the natural world in all seasons. NBNC programming ranges from our weekly nature playgroup and family-friendly nature festivals to nature walks and workshops for adults. For nearly 25 years, NBNC has offered summer nature camps, in-school and out-of-school programs, citizen science projects, programs for adult learners, and so much more. Our 28-acre reserve, just two miles from downtown, is a haven for those looking to relax, learn about, and enjoy the natural world. NBNC hosts a community garden and a street tree nursery, in addition to trails and access to the North Branch of the Winooski.

Martha’s Community Kitchen provides food security for families and individuals including seniors in Franklin County. We provide breakfast and lunch seven days a week and have added two evening meals a week. We provide take-home meals to seniors and essentially anyone who is hungry in our area if needed. We served over 450 food insecure people in 2018. Our volunteers provided over 9,100 hours of service and together we served 29,220 meals. Representatives from area agencies come to the Kitchen weekly to provide medical, mental health, and housing services. We purchased a building with a low-interest loan from a community member and our mortgage is less than the rent we were paying. We receive money from foundations, businesses and private donors. We have five major fundraisers a year as well. We have one full-time and two part-time employees.

The Vermont FBLA organization focuses on bringing business and education together for all Vermont students (9-12) by both brick-and-mortar chapters as well as virtual chapters. The essential need of financial literacy is addressed during our multiple breakout sessions during both the Fall and Spring conferences. Additionally, VTFBLA partners with the National Jump$tart Coalition to bring new and cutting-edge resources to our student and teacher members. Vermont FBLA is the only Vermont Career and Technical organization that consistently delivers on its program of work, that consistently grows each year, and that has no limits to the opportunities that are presented to our student members.

Lund has been helping families in Vermont for 130 years. Lund provides adoption services, clinical treatment for substance use and mental health disorders, and child and family support services to over 5,400 Vermonters each year. Lund believes in the potential of every parent, every child, and every family. We see the unique and incredible possibilities that lie ahead for our families, we do not define them by what has happened in their past. Because of Lund, children have hope, people have opportunities, and families in Vermont are stronger.

H.O.P.E. is a private, nonprofit agency helping families and individuals with life’s basic needs and improving quality of life. We strive to be a support system in the community. H.O.P.E. is not affiliated with any religious organization or agency, and operates a thrift store in Lyndonville, Vermont to help fund its mission. We value and support families by filling basic needs such as food and clothing, and by finding solutions to unsolved problems in a creative way with help and resources from within our community. We provide many services, including our Backpack Program, clothing vouchers, and work with homeless persons. We are also an information resource for people seeking additional services.

Teen Challenge Vermont provides youth, adults, and families with an effective and comprehensive solution to life-controlling addictions in order to become productive members of society.

Park House is an independent living facility for elders and qualifying adults in beautiful downtown Rochester, Vermont. We have been home to over 150 Vermonters since opening in 1991. We offer meals, light housekeeping and security, as well as easy access to all that Rochester offers. Park House is a very important part of the Rochester community, and we are extremely grateful to all our friends and neighbors! Thank you for your consideration!

The Springfield Family Center’s food shelf and daily hot meal provide sustenance and nutrition to those who would otherwise go hungry. About 200 families benefit from the food shelf each month, and 25-30 people enjoy lunch at the Family Center during the week. Additionally, our day shelter and on-site showers and laundry facilities offer warmth and hygiene to those who have been exposed to harsh weather and social inequity. We have partnered with other social service agencies to guide people in mapping out their personal paths toward independence and self-sufficiency. Job skill training programs are provided for people from Vermont Associates, 3 Squares Vermont, and Reach-Up who work in reception, food service, and housekeeping to prepare them for work in our community. Together, these diverse offerings make us a unique and comprehensive hub for emergency provisions, and help us to empower our neighbors to live with independence and dignity.

Our mission is to assist homeless individuals and families in obtaining sustainable housing by providing safe temporary shelter, transitional housing, and collaborative support services. Last year we served more clients and provided more services than ever before. The homeless population is growing despite all efforts to combat it. The income gap between earned wages and market value rent is one of the largest contributing factors to this epidemic. Please consider supporting our mission and our clients.

The Clarina Howard Nichols Center works to end domestic and sexual violence in Lamoille County through a 24-hour hotline, advocacy services, and emergency shelter for survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Last year we served 403 individuals. Our small team of five advocates provided emergency shelter for 37 individuals (18 adults and 19 children), legal advocacy for 200 individuals, and responded to 1,109 hotline calls.