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Vermont 2-1-1 is
Always There!
Vermont 2-1-1 took 9,000 calls for assistance in February! Take a look at the Vermont 2-1-1 Monthly Report.
February 2013 Sees Highest Number of Emergency Housing Requests Since Vermont 2-1-1 Started Providing Assistance:
* In February 2013, 1,065 requests for emergency housing assistance were received at Vermont 2-1-1. This is the highest number of requests received in one month since Vermont 2-1-1 began assisting with the program in June 2010.
* Of the 1,065 requests received, 608 were authorized for emergency housing assistance of which 418 were cold weather related.
* Of requests received, 156 came from households with children compared to 851 requests from single individuals.
Emergency Housing by the Numbers: Soaring Need, Rising Costs by Alicia Freese (courtesy of Vermont Digger) Vermont 2-1-1 is a program of the United Ways of Vermont and your Community Campaign contributions at work.
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Meet Alyson Platzer 
In the last issue, we talked about the new Neighbor Rides program which is based upon volunteer drivers using their personal vehicles to transport seniors and persons with disabilities so they can get where they need to go. And, this exciting new programs needs a coordinator to get it up and running. Meet Alyson!
Alyson Platzer has worked in community development in a variety of capacities both domestically and abroad. She began her career in Colorado, addressing the educational and social service needs of migrant farm workers and people experiencing homelessness. She also served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay, helping to establish a youth-led nonprofit organization focused on civic engagement.
Alyson has worked as an education and food security consultant for Washington, DC based firms, and holds an MA in International Development Studies from The George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. To top it off, she speaks Spanish and Guarani.
Welcome Alyson! | |
Free English Language Classes in the Burlington Area
Vermont Refugee Resettlement, Mercy Connections, Fletcher Free Library and Vermont Adult Learning are all offering free Education for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes at a variety of times and places. Click here for the extensive schedule of offerings and classes, all requiring a call in advance of attendance. Please spread the word.
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Design Thinking In Education
The Partnership for Change invites anyone interested in high school education to attend their Thursday, April 4th event as former designer Jess Munro -- from the education consulting firm IDEO -- talks about how schools are embracing the same process used by some of the world's most innovative companies. We'll see how our students in Burlington and Winooski might use this to help them prepare for careers in the 21st century. Scheduled from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Main Street Landing Film House in Burlington, registration is $15. Additional information and registration details can be found here.
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 Hunger Free Vermont Receives Anti-Hunger Advocacy Leadership Award
The Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) has awarded the Dr. Raymond Wheeler/Senator Paul Wellstone Anti-Hunger Advocacy Leadership Award to Hunger Free Vermont. FRAC presents the award annually to an advocate who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the fight against hunger. Read more.... Congratulations, Hunger Free Vermont! | |
What Do Our Words Mean to Those Who Hear Them?
"In the best of all worlds we would be able to reflect on the impact of our words before they come out of our mouths...but the reality is that we are largely socialized to consider impact only when it is likely to have repercussions for us." Naomi Tutu and Rose Bator. Interested in exploring this topic? Read Tutu and Bator's "I Don't Think of You as Black."
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Events and Dates Not to Miss
CVAA: Third-Annual Bowl-a-thon; Saturday, March 23rd, 1:30 - 4:00 p.m.; Spare Time, Colchester. Form a four person team and raise a minimum of $400 -- or -- if you raise $500 or more, be entered into a drawing for Red Sox tickets! Download a poster here. To register your team, download the form.
Puppets in Education: Burlington Ensemble 90/10 series, "Baroque But Going;" College Street Congregational Church; Saturday, March 23rd, 2:00 p.m. Featuring the music of Telemann, Neruda, Hovhaness & Vivaldi. Suggested donation at door $10 or $5 online. For more concert info, click here. Women Helping Battered Women: 5th Annual Zumbathon and Dance-Off; Saturday, March 23rd. Zumbathon 6:00 to 8:30 p.m. (check-in 5:00 - 6:00 p.m.) and Dance-Off 9:30 - 11:30 p.m. For information on the WHBW event, click here.
Vermont Department of Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and Governor's Council on Fitness and Sports:
Vermont Worksite Wellness Conference; Wednesday, March 27th, 7:30 - 11:30 a.m.; Sheraton Burlington Hotel and Conference Center, South Burlington. Get a conference poster and registration form.UVM Chief Diversity Office: Sixth-Annual Blackboard Jungle Symposium; Thursday and Friday, March 28th and 29th. The keynote will be presented on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. at UVM's Ira Allen Chapel by Rebecca Walker, feminist author of the bestselling memoirs Black, White and Jewish and Baby Love. She is also the daughter of Alice Walker, well-known poet, essayist and author. The keynote speech is free and open to the public. To register for the conference, click here.
Burlington Dismas House: 28th Annual Dinner & Auction; April 6th, Hilton Hotel Burlington; 4:30 p.m. social hour & silent auction; 5:30 p.m. dinner & live auction. Bess Klassen-Landis scheduled to present the keynote address. Rev. Frederick "Rick" Neu to receive the Jack Hickey Award. Tickets are $50 per person and advance reservations are required. Learn more or reserve your tickets for the BTV Dismas House event, or call 658-0381. Print a flyer to share.
Visiting Nurse Association: Spring Blooms! Fashion Show and Luncheon; Thursday, April 11th; Sheraton Burlington Hotel & Conference Center; 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. This annual fundraiser supports the Janet S. Munt Family Room, VNA's Parent-Child Center serving over 1,000 vulnerable children and parents in our community, and this year celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Family Room. Register here.
KidSafe Collaborative: 24th Annual Awards Luncheon; Tuesday, April 16th; Sunset Ballroom, South Burlington; registration and silent auction begins at 11:00 a.m., with the program to follow from noon until 2:00 p.m. Dr. Lewis First is scheduled to emcee the event. For further information, call 863-9629 or click here.
The Laura Kate Winterbottom Memorial Fund: Silent Auction and Wine Tasting benefit to support Sara Holbrook Community Center's Bob & Maggie Green Youth Adventure Program; Magnolia Bistro; Tuesday, April 16th, 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $35. To RSVP email Jenny Kounta or phone her at 862-6342.
Save the Date:
Champlain College: Basic Mediation Workshop, May 15th through 18th. Read more here.
Other Local Nonprofit eNewsletters:
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Give.
 A message from John Cronin, Director of Resource Development:
I am writing to ask you to continue your support of United Way of Chittenden County. The campaign results we've used to budget our program investments, our volunteer mobilization efforts and our strategic initiatives are based on our optimism that our loyal past supporters will send their gifts or make their pledges. A pledge made between now and when our fiscal year ends on March 31st, will be an important part of this campaign success.
We are not asking for a check; you can pay the pledge any time between now and the end of our fiscal year, March 31st. We don't take any of our friends for granted, and hope that you will reach out to us anytime with questions, concerns or encouragement. Thank you for your continued support of United Way and the people of Chittenden County.
To pledge, click here for a pledge form which you can scan and send via email or regular mail. Or, if you would like to use the online option, click below.Thank you!
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Advocate.
Our brand of advocacy includes convening, educating, innovating and finding workable solutions. We bring people to the table to meet a critical community need to make real lasting change and to improve the lives of our friends and neighbors in Chittenden County. Please join us! Take a look at our website to find out who we are and what we do.
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Volunteer.Education - RSVP Read To Me If you are over 55 and love reading to preschool age children, be- come an RSVP Read To Me volunteer. Share the wonder of books with children in nonprofit childcare centers and preschools and encourage literacy. Get started today! Income - Colchester Food Shelf; Help Colchester residents in need by volunteering at the Colchester Food Shelf. Volunteers accompany clients and help them choose food items based on the number in their family. Check it out! Health - Heineberg Senior & Community Center; a friendly motivated instructor is needed to lead a weekly class targeted at helping seniors avoid canes and walkers! Help seniors stay active and be more confident.
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Volunteers Creating Community Change Through Service!
National Volunteer Week is April 21st through 27th. Celebrate Service presents an opportunity for individuals, families, nonprofit organizations and government entities alike to celebrate the ordinary people who accomplish extraordinary things through service.Community volunteers are your neighbors, school children, seniors, employees or a business, members of a service club, college students and more. Volunteers serve everywhere! Whether mentoring a child, spending time with an elderly neighbor or participating in a spring clean up, volunteers are dedicating their time and talent to improve the lives of others through volunteer service. For tips on how to show appreciation for volunteers, volunteer recognition programs and a certificate of appreciation for your volunteers, click here.
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The Quick and Easy Way to Prepare Your Taxes Online -- for Free!
Would you like to prepare your own federal and state income taxes -- at home -- at no cost to you?
Are you a family (or individual) with combined income of $57,000 or less? United Way Worldwide has partnered with GoodWill Industries International, the National Disability Institute and H&R Block to offer this service through:
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Disaster Preparedness Virtual Exercise
Points of Light has developed an easy way to engage community and volunteer leaders in disaster preparedness through a nationwide virtual exercise series scheduled for the following dates:
- Hurricane Exercise: Thursday, May 23, 2013
- Volunteer Management In Times of Disaster Exercise: Thursday, August 22, 2013
- Pandemic Exercise: Thursday, September 12, 2013
These exercises are free and open to the public. Organize your
friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to lead a simulated virtual exercise to help increase preparedness to respond to the next natural disaster.
Click here and scroll to the bottom of the page to register for the exercise.
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 Special Notice for Vermont Property OwnersAll Vermont residents who own or occupy their home on April 1st must once again file the Homestead Declaration annually by the due date for filing Vermont income tax returns, which is April 15th this year. Some of the forms have also changed, so click here to learn what forms to use and to get answer to other questions you might have. When homeowners file their declaration, the town is then able to apply the correct education property tax to the property. If the homeowner does not file a Homestead Declaration by the deadline or by the extended deadline of October 15th (penalties apply after April 15th), then the property will be taxed at a higher property tax rate. Read more... |
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United Way of Chittenden County
412 Farrell Street, Suite 200
South Burlington, VT 05403
©United Way Worldwide. All Rights Reserved
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Nominate your organization or your keyperson/committee for a 2012 Community Campaign Award -- to be presented at the UWCC Annual Dinner on May 8th.
