Donations will help 150 Vermonters stay warm this winter
Vermont Business Magazine Several Vermont businesses have partnered with the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) to outfit homeless Vermonters currently residing at the Holiday Inn with winter clothing and accessories. Vermont Gas (VGS), Mutual of America, Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel and the South Burlington Rotary donated much needed coats, boots, hats and gloves to CVOEO to help these Vermonters stay warm this winter.
Paul Dragon, Executive Director at CVOEO, says “CARES Act funding from the federal government covers the facility, staffing and food, but these folks need so much more to make it through the winter. So grateful to Lenny’s, Mutual of America, VGS and the SB Rotary for stepping up to help in our time of need.”
The Holiday Inn in South Burlington is housing 148 individuals (as of November 2020), making it the largest shelter in the state. CVOEO has assisted more than 250 individuals since opening the shelter in April 2020. In addition to CVOEO staff there are also staff members from ANEW Place. Residents are provided with additional services to help them move to permanent safe housing, and to sustain that housing. This includes workshops in tenant rights and responsibilities, budgeting, tracking spending, and support overcoming mental health issues and substance use.
“Mutual of America Financial Group is pleased to support CVOEO in its mission to provide Vermonters in need with warm winter jackets and gloves for those at the Holiday Inn this winter.” said Joe Gerardi, Senior VP of Mutual of America’s Providence Regional Office. “Like CVOEO, we are proud of our longtime commitment to Vermont and to our deep culture of caring, giving back and making a positive, meaningful difference in the communities where we live and work.”
“We all understand how harsh the winter can be in Vermont, and people experiencing homelessness are the most vulnerable during this time," said Mark McCarthy, Co-Owner of Lenny's Shoe & Apparel. "Adequate cold weather gear is perhaps the most pressing need. We feel grateful to be able to support our neighbors in need with warm winter boots this season."
“At VGS, we take our responsibility to keep Vermonters safe and warm seriously. Our team is focused on providing help where we can, including offering qualified customers access to critical financial assistance programs and working with families on ways they can save money through home weatherization and other efficiency measures,” said Neale Lunderville, President and CEO of VGS. “Homelessness continues to be a major issue in Vermont and this year more than ever, we are extremely grateful to the folks at CVOEO, and other area shelters, who work tirelessly every day to ensure all Vermonters are supported during a time of crisis.”
“Each year, our South Burlington Rotary Club works with a local non-profit to provide gifts to our less fortunate neighbors. When we learned of so many people being housed at the South Burlington Holiday Inn, we immediately knew that providing support to them would be our 2020 priority. The generous donations from Club members were amplified with a grant from the Redducs Foundation, helping our support go further. South Burlington Rotary is grateful to help our neighbors, and the organizations that support them, during the holiday season.”
The value of these donations is more than $12,000 but it cannot be compared to the gratitude of the folks at the Holiday Inn on full display since receiving their new apparel:
"You all do so much, it's amazing. I came here with almost nothing really, and you all have helped me work toward getting a place of my own, and now this stuff, I don't know what I'd do without you guys at CVOEO,” said a current resident at the Shelter.
Source: Burlington, Vt. – www.cvoeo.org