Vermont Business Magazine The People’s United Community Foundation, the philanthropic arm of People’s United Bank, has announced today that it has awarded $2,500 to Mobius for their Quality Mentoring System (QMS). This brings the Foundations giving in Vermont during February to $45,000, including theGraham Emergency Shelter,Samaritan House,Zack’s Place,The Mentor Connector, and the Vermont Foodbank.
QMS is a national evaluation system developed by MENTOR (The National Mentoring Partnership) to ensure that mentoring programs are meeting all of the best practices in the Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring. In collaboration with Vermont mentoring programs, Mobius - a statewide nonprofit supporting more than 140 adult-to-youth mentoring program sites serving 2,300 mentor pairs - has adjusted this national system to fit the local needs of the Vermont mentoring community.
In order to qualify for funding through the Vermont Mentoring Grants, programs must successfully complete the QMS every three years. Mobius works collaboratively with program staff throughout the year to complete this process.
“We are proud to partner with People’s United to bolster the important work that mentoring programs are doing across Vermont,” said Mobius Executive Director Chad Butt. “This grant will help us to ensure that mentors are well supported and that youth are receiving the full evidence-based benefits of having a mentor.
“Mobius is an incredible resource in our community,” said Michael Seaver, Officer, People’s United Community Foundation and President, People's United Bank, Vermont. “With their Quality Mentoring System, we can feel confident that our mentoring agencies are maintaining high standards for their programs.”
It also has awarded $5,000 to John W. Graham Emergency Shelter Services Inc. of Vergennes.
The funding brings the total grant amount from People’s United Community Foundation to the organization to $17,000.
Since 1980, the John Graham Shelter has served individuals and families as Addison County’s only full-time homeless service provider. The organization provides food, shelter, and housing, support services to help transform lives, and prevention and intervention for people in crisis to address the complex issues that clients face in order to attain permanent housing.
People’s United Community Foundation also has awarded $10,000 to Samaritan House in St. Albans.
Samaritan House assists homeless individuals and families in obtaining sustainable housing by providing temporary shelter, transitional housing and collaborative support services within the counties of Franklin and Grand Isle. The grant from People’s United Community Foundation will fund housing and support services such as rental subsidies, job training and development, budgeting and credit repair assistance.
The funding brings the total amount given to the organization by People’s United Community Foundation to more than $42,000.
“This much-needed donation from People’s United Community Foundation will allow us to help folks transition out of homelessness and into permanent housing and self-sufficiency,” said Linda Ryan, Executive Director, Samaritan House.
“Samaritan House offers critical support to individuals and families throughout Franklin and Grand Isle Counties,” said Michael Seaver. “We are proud to continue our role as a community partner in helping Vermonters obtain and maintain permanent housing and the necessary skills and resources to become self-reliant.”
“Having a warm place to lay your head at night is something many of us take for granted,” said Michael Seaver, Officer, People’s United Community Foundation and President, People's United Bank Vermont. “Unfortunately, the fastest growing homeless population throughout America is our children. We are pleased to continue our support for the important work of caring shelters like John W. Graham, which ensure that there is a warm place for everyone.”
“In the past year, we have had a lot of success in helping homeless families find housing. Now we want to give them the support they need to keep their apartments and remain permanently housed,” said Elizabeth Ready, Executive Director, John W. Graham Emergency Shelter. “We plan to work with families on an ongoing basis to make sure that they have housing well into the future.”
The People’s United Community Foundation has also announced that it has awarded $3,000 to Zack’s Place Enrichment Center of Woodstock.
Zack’s Place provides people of all ages with special needs opportunities for community engagement, education, vocational programs, and recreational activities. The funding from People’s United Community Foundation will support the ZP Greeting Card Business, which teaches clients art, computer, writing, reading, marketing, and a variety of other skills.
“Our participants are crafting a product that they can share with friends, family, and the community, aiding in their job skill development and increasing their self-confidence,” said Dail Frates, Executive Director, Zack’s Place Enrichment. “By creating and selling their own greeting cards, they are able to experience a business model from beginning to end and carry the skills over into job positions in the community.”
“Individuals are learning valuable job skills through the greeting card business program,” stated Michael Seaver. “We are pleased to support a program that is uncovering hidden abilities and aiding in the creation of part-time employment for these individuals.”
It also has awarded $3,500 to The Mentor Connector in Rutland, Vermont.
The Mentor Connector, a formal mentoring program, pairs youngsters in the Rutland area with adult mentors of the same community. Mentors and mentees are matched according to their similar interests and the mentor becomes a trusted adult friend with a long-term, consistent commitment to provide guidance and support.
The funding brings the total grant amount awarded by People’s United Community Foundation to the organization to $19,000.
“Peoples United Community Foundation makes the ongoing support to mentors and their mentees possible and we are so grateful for the continued assistance that helps local youth learn skills involved with everyday life, things we refer to as ‘soft skills,” said Christopher Hultquist, Executive Director, The Mentor Connector. “This is one-on-one attention and guidance in the specific areas of need and mentees also get assistance with career exploration and college opportunities."
“We are pleased to continue to assist The Mentor Connector in their efforts to bring in additional mentors for their Dropout Prevention program,” said Michael Seaver. “We have been longtime supporters of mentor programs throughout Vermont as it is critical in these times that our future citizens are prepared to succeed.”
Earlier this month, the People’s United Community Foundation announced that it had awarded $20,000 to the Vermont Foodbank for the purchasing and distribution of food.
The Vermont Foodbank was founded in 1986 in response to an increased need for emergency food assistance among low-income households in central Vermont. At that time, the Vermont Foodbank distributed to eight food shelves in the central Vermont area. Today, there are 225 network partners statewide that receive food from the Vermont Foodbank for local distribution.
The grant brings the total amount awarded by People’s United Community Foundation to the organization to $120,000.
“The donation from People’s United Community Foundation will help the Foodbank continue to provide food to thousands of our Vermont neighbors in need,” said John Sayles, CEO of the Vermont Foodbank. “We are so grateful for the steadfast support and partnership of the People’s United Community Foundation, which has acted as a constant and strong voice in the fight against hunger.”
Demand for charitable food had never been greater. In fact, the Vermont Foodbank distributed nearly ten million pounds of food to 153,000 people in need in 2015. This year, one in four Vermonters is expected to access a food shelf or meal site at some point.
“Many of us take for granted that we can walk into a grocery store and purchase what we need for the week or even just the day,” said Michael Seaver. “We are pleased to be able to continue our partnership with the Vermont Foodbank and provide $20,000 to aid in securing and distributing healthy food for Vermonters in need.”
Established in 2007, People’s United Community Foundation was formed to help support programs and activities that enhance the quality of life for citizens in the communities that People’s United Bank serves. People’s United Bank, founded in 1842 and serving customers from New York to Maine through a network of more than 400 branches, is the largest independent bank headquartered in New England. The Foundation places special emphasis on programs designed to promote economic self-sufficiency, education and improved conditions for low-income families and neighborhoods. The funding priorities of the Foundation include community development, youth development, and affordable housing.
Source:People’s United Community Foundation