MIDDLEBURY, VT - More than $281,000 was awarded to 38 organizations across the state as part of the Vermont Community Foundation’s Basic Human Needs grant round, which makes awards to organizations that promote children, elderly, and family services; housing, food, and shelter; and health. A greater number of general operating support grants were made in this grant round because the Foundation understands that in challenging economic times operating support is crucial.

The following organizations received grants:

Addison County
Addison Central Teens & Friends was awarded $10,000 to support afterschool activities, wellness programs, youth leadership development, community service projects, and mentoring/tutoring programs.

Boys and Girls Club of Greater Vergennes was awarded $10,000 for general operating support.

Bristol Family Center was awarded $5,640 to expand community outreach through monthly parent education workshops open to all area families.

John Graham Shelter was awarded $10,000 to provide four furnished units of transitional housing with utilities to homeless families along with case management, mental health counseling, and comprehensive services.

Shoreham Elementary School was awarded $10,000 to develop an on-site food service program.

Bennington County
Bennington Interfaith Council Emergency Food and Fuel Fund was awarded $10,000 to start a free medical clinic for uninsured adults.

Bennington Project Independence was awarded $10,000 to quadruple the number of families served by securing a part-time development person to oversee the final building stages of a state-of-the-art facility for the community.

Caledonia County
Umbrella, Inc. was awarded $8,109 to enhance its Family Room Supervised Visitation Program.

Chittenden County
Champlain Valley Area Agency on Aging was awarded $10,000 to develop a web-based database to more efficiently manage its Meals on Wheels programs.

Committee on Temporary Shelter was awarded $10,000 to help cover back rent for households at imminent risk of becoming homeless, and to increase its capacity for overflow emergency shelter.

Dismas of Vermont – Burlington was awarded $1,000 for general operating support.

KidSafe Collaborative was awarded $10,000 to support its Safety Net program, which provides crisis intervention and therapy for children and families of an incarcerated parent.

King Street Youth Center was awarded $10,000 to implement Responsive Classroom, a new approach to afterschool programming that develops higher levels of academic and emotional growth.

Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont was awarded $9,877 to increase the access of farmers' markets to low-income consumers through the use of Electronic Benefit Transfers.

Recycle North was awarded $10,000 to support the Essential Goods Program, which provides essential items to those in need

Sara Holbrook Community Center was awarded $10,000 to provide summer educational services to children who speak English as a Second Language.

Spectrum Youth and Family Services was awarded $4,950 for general operating support.

Vermont CARES was awarded $10,000 to support the goal of realigning its funding to focus on the anti-poverty work that represents the majority of its services.

Vermont Children's Aid Society was awarded $10,000 to educate people in the state about the impact of incarceration on children, families, and communities through a campaign based on the Children of Incarcerated Parents: A Bill of Rights.

Vermont Legal Aid was awarded $10,000 to build a website that serves its clients and others in Vermont seeking legal help and information.

Visiting Nurse Association of Chittenden and Grand Isle Counties was awarded $2,000 for general operating support.

Franklin County
Samaritan House was awarded $7,000 to offset fuel and utility costs and provide more support services for clients.

Grand Isle County
Champlain Islands Parent Child Center was awarded $5,000 to design and install a new outdoor learning space for the early childhood program in South Hero.

Rutland County
College of St. Joseph was awarded $10,000 for its STEPS program, which provides foster youth the needed resources and support systems to attend the college.

Dismas of Vermont – Rutland was awarded $2,000 to expand its offerings to the wider community and incorporate prevention work into its curriculum.

Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports was awarded $10,000 to support advanced equipment purchases, specialized volunteer training, scholarships for participants, and its Bolton Valley expansion initiative.

Statewide
Rural Vermont was awarded $5,500 to present 15 farm and food talks to libraries and community centers throughout the state.

Vermont Community Loan Fund was awarded $10,000 to study the energy efficiency needs of Vermont's affordable housing developers, with the goal of developing an effective financing program to meet these needs.

Washington County
Alzheimer's Association of Vermont and New Hampshire was awarded $2,000 for general operating support.

Central Vermont Community Land Trust was awarded $10,000 to create an energy awareness program and reshape its programmatic activity to engage all residents in green practices.

Faith In Action, Northern Communities Partnership was awarded 1,000 in general operating support.

Home Share of Central Vermont was awarded $10,000 to meet the increased demand for matches due to rising fuel and housing costs.

Washington County Mental Health Services was awarded $10,000 to support its Child and Family Trauma Treatment Program.

Windham County
Morningside House was awarded $9,640 to strengthen its capacity through the creation of a formal development program.

Windsor County
Community Cares Network of Chester/Andover was awarded $1,000 for general operating support.

COVER Home Repair was awarded $5,000 to complete urgent home repair projects for disabled, low-income, and elderly Upper Valley residents, using volunteer work crews.

Health Connections of the Upper Valley was awarded $10,000 to conduct a health needs assessment for the towns of Royalton, Sharon, Strafford, and Tunbridge. It will also establish a community based coalition to review the data, determine health priorities, and develop an action plan.

Willing Hands Enterprises was awarded $1,000 for general operating support.