The Vermont Community Foundation Announces $555,000 in Fifth Round of VT COVID-19 Response Fund Grants Focused on Basic Needs

Today, the Vermont Community Foundation announced $555,000 in grants in the fifth round of grantmaking from the VT COVID-19 Response Fund since it was created in March. Foundation staff focused this round on supporting past COVID-19 grantees still experiencing high demand for services, including food and housing assistance, mental health support, domestic violence prevention, and youth engagement. Even as Vermont sees positive momentum in controlling the pandemic and restarting the economy, unemployment remains on average 7% higher—with localized rates as high as 25%—than this time last year and vulnerable Vermonters continue to experience challenges securing basic needs. In addition, grants went towards nonprofits providing support to people impacted by the coronavirus outbreak in Winooski in June.

To date, the Community Foundation, its fundholders, and charitable partners have distributed over $6.16 million in grants that have been used to address sudden and urgent needs stemming from the pandemic.

“Over the past few months, the Community Foundation has been honored to both provide direct support to our nonprofit partners and work alongside state agencies to guide how pandemic relief funds will be allocated,” says Vice President of Grants and Community Investments Sarah Waring. “This process has enabled us to identify how to use our flexible, broadly purposed philanthropic dollars to complement government assistance and keep Vermont families safe, healthy, and secure.”

The VT COVID-19 Response Fund is comprised of gifts from individuals, families, foundations, businesses, and the Community Foundation’s discretionary resources, as well as gifts from its donor advised fundholders. 

The full list of grant recipients from the fifth round is below:

• Addison County Community Action Group (HOPE)
• Age Well
• Association of Africans Living in Vermont
• Barre Housing Services
• Behavioral Health Network of Vermont dba Vermont Care Network
• Bellows Falls Area Senior Center, Inc
• Bennington County Meals Program
• Black River Valley Senior Center
• Brattleboro Senior Meals
• BROC - Community Action in Southwestern Vermont
• Burke Senior Meal Site Inc.
• Capstone Community Action
• Central Vermont Council on Aging
• Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources (C.I.D.E.R.)
• Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)
• Chelsea Area Senior Center
• Community College of Vermont - Winooski
• Danville Senior Action Center
• Darling Inn Senior Meal Site, inc
• Greater Northfield Senior Citizens, Inc.
• Greater Randolph Senior Citizens Center
• Greensboro Hospital Association (d.b.a. Greensboro Nursing Home)
• Groton Lunches with Friends
• JAG Productions
• Janet S. Munt Family Room
• Mad River Valley Senior Citizens, Inc
• Meals & Wheels of Greater Springfield, Inc.
• Meals on Wheels of Lamoille County, Inc.
• Montpelier Senior Activity Center
• Northeast Kingdom Community Action, Inc.
• Northeast Kingdom Council on Aging
• Orange East Senior Center
• Oxbow Senior Independence Program, Inc.
• Prevent Child Abuse Vermont
• Quintown Senior Center
• Senior Solutions
• South Royalton Senior Center
• Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA)
• Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging
• Specialized Community Care
• St. Johnsbury Nutritional Center
• The Mentor Connector
• Twin Valley Seniors, Inc.
• Umbrella of St. Johnsbury, Inc.
• Vermont Foodbank
• Vermont Network Against Domestic & Sexual Violence
• Vermont New American Advisory Council
• Vermont Principals' Association, Inc.
• Vermont Refugee Resettlement Program
• Waterbury Area Senior Citizens Association
• White River Council on Aging
• Winooski School District
• Woodstock Area Council on Aging (d.b.a The Thompson Senior Center)
• Young at Heart Senior Center, Inc.