Farming and farm-based products are embedded in the cultural fabric of Vermont. Agriculture may not look like it did fifty years ago but it is still critical to Vermont’s economy, health, and working landscape. This has proven to be fundamental to our resilience during the pandemic. Vermont’s food system—growers, processors, distributors, restaurants, grocery stores, farmers’ markets, etc.—continue to meet the demand from local consumers uncertain of national supply chains and they are stretching in new ways to ensure no Vermonters go hungry.
Read more about "The VT COVID-19 Response Fund Recovery Initiatives: A Q+A on Food System Resilience"Share Our Post:
The Mentor Connector, UVM 4-H, & The Vermont Youth Project "Bring Camp to the Youth"
Social distancing rules have kept most summer camps to half capacity or closed altogether. Without access to camps, our area's youth were at risk of social isolation and depression. Vermont Youth Project, under the leadership of The Mentor Connector and UVM 4-H, jumped into action. “We will bring camp to the youth.”
Over 30 youth-serving organizations joined together to create innovative Out of the Box-es activity boxes for youth. These boxes are distributed every other week throughout the summer and filled with fun educational and life-skill activities for youth to do on their own, with their family, or through Zoom activity classes each week. Each box contains 4-6 hands-on activities, so the kids will find plenty to do and with hopes, the activities will be a springboard to even more creative play. Over 9500 boxes will be distributed to Rutland, Addison, and Bennington counties. Our community’s future depends on how our youth grow, develop, and learn. These boxes are a bright spot for Vermont kids to continue to grow and learn through this time of uncertainty.
