Photo caption: Betsy Harper of Cambridge, as Santa’s “elf,” makes a meal delivery visit to the home of Julia Northrop of Underhill during a recent Christmas season. Photo courtesy MMV.
Vermont Business Magazine Way back in 2014, a handful of staff and board members at the Vermont Electric Co-op launched the VEC Community Fund. The idea was to create a way for VEC members, if they so desired, to support non-profit organizations in the VEC region.
In early 2015 with $646 in hand, the fund made its first two awards: one to Capstone Community Action and another to the Johnson Historical Society.
Today, more than 2,600 VEC members support the fund, raising over $30,000 a year for grants. More than 80 different non-profits in the VEC area have received grants.
A recent beneficiary was Mount Mansfield Villages, a group of volunteers who help their older neighbors in Cambridge, Jericho, and Underhill with simple tasks, like changing lightbulbs, shoveling walkways, doing errands, delivering meals, and even offering friendly check-ins. The fund granted $750 to the group to support the hiring of administrative assistants.
“This grant will help boost our administrative capacity as we continue to make it easier for older Vermonters to age in their homes right here in our communities, with our neighbor-helping-neighbor approach,” said Nancy McRae vice chair of the MMV board of directors.
Lindsey Fenton, a VEC member service representative and chair of the Community Fund, noted that the growth of the fund since 2014 “speaks volumes – it tells us that our members are clearly committed to our co-op community – and this effort is a great illustration of one of the seven cooperative principles: ‘concern for community.’”
If you know a non-profit organization in need of funding, or would like to support the fund yourself, learn more here: https://vermontelectric.coop/community-fund
About Vermont Electric Cooperative
Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC), established in 1938, is a non-profit, member-owned electric distribution utility that provides safe, affordable, and reliable electric service to approximately 33,000 members in 75 communities in northern Vermont. Committed to a 100 percent carbon-free power supply by 2023, VEC is nationally recognized for innovative and advanced use of technology. VEC largest locally-owned electric distribution utility in Vermont. www.vermontelectric.coop
About Mount Mansfield Villages
Mount Mansfield Villages (MMV) is a social network providing members with the support they need to stay in their homes while getting older. MMV helps members remain active, socially-connected, and independent for as long as possible by linking volunteers to neighbors who need services. Mount Mansfield Villages is part of the Village to Village Network, a national network of “villages” across the country. This network provides many good ideas on how MMV can help our neighbors, and ourselves, to “age in place.”
Johnson, Vt – VEC 11.8.2022
