Food a Focus of Recent Vermont Electric Co-op Community Fund Awards
Johnson, VT - Local food shelves across northern Vermont got some solid support recently from the last round of grants awarded by the Vermont Electric Co-op's Community Fund.
Champlain Islands Food Shelf in Grand Isle (pictured above), the People’s Farmstand in Burlington, and the town of Starksboro Food Shelf all were awarded funds to help purchase food supplies, and the Heart Full Kitchen food shelf in Montgomery was awarded money to help pay for installation of heat pumps in their new location.
Food security is one of the focus areas of the fund, along with community support/development, emergency/disaster relief, and economic security.
Ed Peterson, chair of VEC’s Community Fund Allocation Committee, thanked the more than 2,500 VEC members who voluntarily support the fund by opting to round up their monthly electric bill to the next dollar, or donate their member capital.
“These grants – whether for food supplies or the many other non-profit initiatives across our service territory – are possible because of the generosity of so many members who have helped to grow and support the fund,” Peterson said.
Other organizations receiving awards from the Community Fund recently were:
- All Brains Belong to support a health fair supporting neurodivergent Vermonters
- Craftsbury Energy Committee for window inserts to reduce air leakage and heating costs for limited-income residents
- First Step Recovery House for branded t-shirts for recovery events
- HOBY Vermont for youth leadership initiatives
- Johnson Elementary School for end-of-year culminating experience at the Hurlburt Outdoor Center in Fairlee
- North Country Supervisory Union to support a science and engineering fair
- Northwoods Stewardship Center for an on-site, universally accessible woods trail
- RAFT (Recovery After Flooding Team) to launch a Long Term Resiliency Group to help residents of Huntington, Hinesburg, and Richmond and other towns recover after floods.
- Vermont Associates for Training and Development to support workforce development to create a pool of skilled workers, particularly those over 55.
- YWCA VT Camp Hochelaga for summer camp scholarships.
To learn more about how to apply for funding, or support the fund, visit: vermontelectric.coop/community-fund.