News
Donations to HSCVT Now Worth Twice As Much
Thanks to a highly competitive, prestigious grant awarded to the City of Montpelier to administer to Home Share of Central Vermont, all donations to HSCVT right now will be worth twice as much.
That’s because the multi-year grant — $200,000 from the Vermont Community Development Program — is contingent upon HSCVT raising matching funds, including $24,000 from individuals this year.
Williamstown and Morristown joined Montpelier and HSCVT as consortium partners on behalf of Orange and Lamoille counties.
When Governor Jim Douglas announced the grant in July, HSCVT was one of just 10 projects statewide that submitted successful grant proposals. The community development program administers federal money after a rigorous screening process.
“All of today’s recipients are making a positive and important contribution to our economy and our state’s well-being,” Governor Douglas said. HSCVT was chosen as a recipient to meet increased demand for home sharing matches in Washington County, and strengthen expansion in Lamoille and Orange counties.
“This extraordinary opportunity means that whatever any individual gives to HSCVT will go twice as far this year,” observes Director Betsy Reid. “And every gift will be greatly appreciated.”
To make a donation, click onthe Donate icon at the bottom of this page. Then, click on make a donation by credit card. That will take you to JustGive and the option to give to Central Vermont Council on Aging, HSCVT’s 501(c)(3) sponsor. After you enter your donation, please remember to enter Home Share of Central Vermont in the designation box.
Vermont Public Television to Rebroadcast Home Sharing Story
In an exploration of how the poor economy continues to effect Vermonters, Vermont Public Television (VPT) plans to rebroadcast highlights of previous editions of “Public Square” — including a segment about Home Share of Central Vermont that initially aired last December. Each of the highlighted segments will be updated with current information, and re-packaged for a new “Public Square” scheduled to air on November 19th at 8:30 PM.
For the home sharing story, host Kristen Carlson interviewed HSCVT Director Betsy Reid before going on location to the home of Elsie Beard. Elsie at the time was in a very successful home sharing match with Santiago Carey (Carey, a computer professional, later moved out-of-state for a new job). In the VPT interview, both Elsie and Santiago talk about how home sharing improved their lives. The blend of information from the HSCVT office with the voices of participants in matches provides an excellent introduction to home sharing in Central Vermont.
2009 Bob Dylan Wannabe Contest
The wildly popular Great Green Mountain Bob Dylan Wannabe contest is returning to Montpelier for the fifth time — this year, as a benefit for Home Share of Central Vermont and WGDR-FM.
The 2009 event will be held on Saturday, November 28th at 7 PM in the Montpelier City Hall (home to Lost Nation Theater). Approximately 25 musicians — men and women — will compete to earn the much-coveted “first place” in this highly competitive “night of the Bobs.” What makes a winning Bob? That’s up to the nine distinguished judges to determine — and they take their jobs very seriously!
Tickets are $10 per person and will be sold at LACE and Exile in Barre, and Bear Pond Books and Riverwalk Records in Montpelier.
You can sign up to compete, learn the names of the judges, and find out who is generously sponsoring the event. Check out the Fifth Annual Great Green Mountain Bob Dylan Wannabe Contest.
Waldenbooks Partners with Home Share of Central Vermont
Waldenbooks at the Berlin Mall has partnered with Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT) to offer special “10-10″ coupons that will benefit both the public and Central Vermont’s only home sharing progam.
Customers can present the “10-10″ coupon to get 10% off all their book purchases at the Berlin Waldenbooks for two days only, October 21 and 22, 2009. Waldenbooks will then donate 10% of the total book sales from those two days to Home Share of Central Vermont.
“We love this event, because it’s all about community, and community is at the heart of home sharing,” said HSCVT director Betsy Reid. “Just like a good home share match, everybody wins: customers get 10% off their books, HSCVT gets much-needed funding to support our work, and Waldenbooks gets more traffic through their store those two days.”
“Furthermore, just like a good book, home share matches enhance the daily lives of participants,” Reid observed. “We’re happy and grateful to Waldenbooks. This event is a perfect match for us!”
Jessica Barnett, the manager of Waldenbooks at the Berlin Mall, approached HSCVT with the “10-10″ idea after having seen news articles about HSCVT’s need for operating funds. “Borders/Waldenbooks is committed to helping the communities we serve, and this event is our way of giving back to a very deserving program,” Barnett said. “In fact, we’re hoping to host more events like this in the future with Home Share of Central Vermont or other worthy non-profits.”
To request a copy of the “10-10″ coupon, email: info@homesharecvt.org by 3 PM on October 20, 2009.
Reid Thanks Sovernet Communications for In-kind Contribution
Home Share of Central Vermont Director Betsy Reid today thanked Sovernet Communications for their generous monthly in-kind contribution of a reduced rate on internet service.
HSCVT signed up with Sovernet Communications as the program’s internet service provider in mid-June. Because HSCVT is a non-profit program on a very lean budget, Sovernet agreed to a $10 credit on Home Share’s monthly bills for the next year.
“Obviously, internet is a crucial tool in our ongoing efforts to facilitate successful home share matches,” Reid said. “At the same time, the monthly ISP bill was a big expense for our small program, especially in today’s economy. We’re so grateful that Sovernet understood our situation, and generously agreed to help.”
Reid said HSCVT is relieved to have reliable internet service. “Even better,” she said, “is knowing every day when we sign on that Sovernet Communications is now part of the home share team.”
Three Area Businesses Step Up to the Plate to Support Home Sharing in Central Vermont
In response to Home Share of Central Vermont’s (HSCVT) record-breaking number of inquiries combined with a funding shortfall – both brought on by the recession – three area businesses stepped up to the plate and made generous contributions to help HSCVT keep up with the increased demand.
The donations came from the Washington Electric Cooperative Community Fund, the Kinney Drug Foundation, and Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation.
“Because home sharing is all about community, and businesses are the backbone of our communities, we are always pleased and grateful to have local business support,” said HSCVT Director Betsy Reid. “That’s never been more true than today, when many businesses are themselves facing economic struggles. These contributions are truly a testament to community spirit.”
The Washington Electric Cooperative Community Fund supports the activities of “community organizations which enhance the well-being of our members and the communities they live in.” This fund donated $500.00 to Home Share of Central Vermont.
The Kinney Drug Foundation also gave $500.00 to HSCVT. The goal of this foundation is “to help people live healthier lives within the communities served by Kinney Drugs Inc” in Vermont and New York.
The third business donor, Price Chopper’s Golub Foundation, contributes to non-profit organizations within their six state marketing area that are “family-friendly, soundly managed,” and have “a mission to enhance the communities where we live and work.” The Golub Foundation donated $500.00 to HSCVT’s Mileage Program, in recognition of the need for staff and volunteers to regularly drive to the homes of seniors and other program participants throughout Lamoille, Orange and Washington counties.
“We are encouraged by all three donations,” said Reid. “At the same time, we know we’ll need ongoing, community-wide funding help for the foreseeable future. The recession is not expected to abate any time soon, and gas prices are again on the rise. This means more Vermonters will turn to us for help – and we will turn to the community to provide the financial backing we need to help them find good home sharing partners.”
Home Share of Central Vermont facilitates live-in matches between home providers who need some assistance to stay living independently in their own homes as long as possible, and home seekers who are willing to provide that assistance in exchange for affordable housing. The Central Vermont Council on Aging is HSCVT’s fiscal sponsor. HSCVT raises all its own funds.
“Vermont Edition” Highlights Bartering, Including Home Sharing
On June 15, “Vermont Edition,” the daily public affairs program on Vermont Public Radio, invited Vermonters to share how they are using good old fashioned bartering to cope with the current economic upheaval.
In response, Home Share of Central Vermont sent the following email, which host Jane Lindholm read on the air:
“It’s great that you’re doing a show on bartering, which we believe is definitely one of the ways we can all change, and actually enjoy changing times.
“Bartering is essentially what the state’s two home sharing programs are all about (Home Share of Central Vermont in Washington, Orange and Lamoille counties; and HomeShare Vermont in Chittenden, Grand Isle and Addison counties). There is a reduced stipend involved in many matches — but many others are straight barters. Typically, they are an exchange of housing (sometimes food as well) for a protective presence, help with cooking, shopping, etc.
“In a good home share match, these barters work out beautifully — in part, because each person helps the other. This gives greater meaning to each person’s life, as well as reducing financial strains and aging worries.”
Thank you Jane and the Vermont Edition crew for helping spread the word about the benefits of home sharing!
Cabot Creamery donates theater tickets to home sharers
Thanks to the generosity of Cabot Creamery, five lucky pairs of home sharing participants will get to see a play free of charge during Lost Nation Theater’s 2009 season. Cabot Creamery has a strong corporate interest in end-of-life issues, and donated vouchers for the tickets because Home Share of Central Vermont provides such positive alternatives to the complications of aging.
“Because home sharing is all about forging relationships and engaging in activities together, these theater vouchers are a wonderfully thoughtful gift,” HSCVT Director Betsy Reid said. “Additionally, many of our participants are low income and would otherwise have difficulty paying for theater tickets. A night at Lost Nation will be a real treat. Many thanks to Cabot Creamery for their creative gift to Central Vermont home sharers!”
Home Share of Central Vermont Celebrates Sixth Anniversary
Elsie Beard of Orange has someone else to cook for, thanks to her successful match facilitated by Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT).
Beard contacted central Vermont’s only home sharing program looking for help with lawn care, bringing in firewood, and light housekeeping. After an extensive screening process and several introductions, Beard decided to try a match with Santiago Carey, a computer professional relocating here from New York State.
Carey, for his part, was looking for affordable housing close to his work. He, too, had several other introductions before choosing to live with Beard. Since he moved in last fall, the two have been enjoying a successful home share match — including many shared meals.
“It’s a classic home sharing success story,” saysHSCVT director Betsy Reid. “Each person helps the other live a richer, happier life. We’ve had such wonderful participants in this program over the last six years. There’s a lot for us to celebrate.”
Carey and Beard are just two of the nearly 200 people Home Share of Central Vermont has helped find matches since the program started six years ago, when the Central Vermont Council on Aging agreed to sponsor the new program. CVCOA hired Reid on March 3, 2003.
With the help of a core group of dedicated volunteers, a thriving program was built around one fundamental goal: arranging live-in matches between older and disabled Vermonters who want to remain in their own homes, outside of institutional care, with other Vermonters of all ages who lend a helping hand in exchange for affordable housing. The youngest participant today is 17 and the oldest is 96.
Home sharing was a novel concept in central Vermont when HSCVT first opened its doors. Now, though, business is booming, as word spreads that home sharing not only makes economic sense but also enriches people’s lives.
Indeed, Reid sees a silver lining in the current economic crisis, because, she says, “scores of Vermonters will experience firsthand how home sharing lessens the isolation of rural living; provides the ability to live well and frugally; allows people to stay in their own homes; and relieves adult children of elder care worries.
“It’s been especially gratifying to see how home sharing has helped younger citizens,” Reid continued. “Our young participants have been able to save money to buy a house, pay off student loans, start new careers in the public service sector, and even find safe and stable housing to finish high school.”
HSCVT is based in Barre, and serves Washington, Lamoille and Orange Counties. The Central Vermont Council on Aging continues to serve as the 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor of the home share program, but HSCVT must raise all its own funds.
Vermont Community Foundation Supports Home Sharing
In recognition of the increased demand for home sharing matches due to rising fuel and housing costs, the Basic Human Needs Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation (VCF) has awarded $10,000 to Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT). Requests for home sharing assistance are skyrocketing — calls to HSCVT in November and December were 160% higher in 2008 compared to 2007 — so the Basic Human Needs grant will definitely be put to good use. HSCVT will use the award money to facilitate home sharing matches throughout Washington, Lamoille and Orange counties.
VCF made the announcement in late December 2008. A spokesman congratulated HSCVT on receiving the competitive award, and wished the program ”much success in your important work.”
“We are so grateful to VCF for this generous and much-needed grant,” said HSCVT director Betsy Reid. “We’re also excited about the opportunity to help more Vermonters enter into home shares and experience firsthand this excellent solution to living more economically, being able to stay at home, or feeling more confident about a parent’s well-being. It is a great privilege to help Vermonters in this way — something we can only do with the support of VCF and other thoughtful foundations, businesses and individual donors.”
The Vermont Community Foundation, based in Middlebury, helps build and manage charitable funds to improve the quality of life in Vermont.
HSCVT Receives “Amazing” Grant from Jane’s Trust
In mid-December, Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT) received a wonderful surprise: a two-year grant of $20,000 from the Jane B. Cook 1992 Charitable Trust. “We are thrilled with the Trust’s thoughtful and generous gift,” says HSCVT Director Betsy Reid.
The Trust’s gift to HSCVT could not be more timely, as calls to the program continue to skyrocket. For example, in November ‘08, we received 160% more calls for assistance compared with November ‘07. “Thanks to the Trust’s amazing donation,” Reid observes, “we have the opportunity to help many more Vermonters enter into home shares and experience first hand this practical solution to living more economically, and staying at home.”
Reid noted that HSCVT especially apppreciates the Trust’s foresight in making this a two-year grant. ”That means we can spend more time directly meeting the needs of our participants rather than fundraising,” she said.
The Jane B. Cook 1992 Charitable Trust supports a broad range of organizations in the fields of education, children and youth, health and welfare, the environment, wildlife protection and the arts, with a particular focus on northern New England and Florida.
“We’re Like Family Now”: A home sharing success story
What is home sharing really like? Each situation is unique, but you can read about one particular success story in the Central Vermont Council on Aging’s annual report (www.cvcoa.org/documents/CVCOA2008AnnualReport.pdf).
CVCOA, which is the fiscal sponsor of Home Share of Central Vermont, wanted to focus on stories behind the numbers in its review of this past year. We were happy to supply some statistics (scroll down to page 6) as well as share the success of Peg and Morgan on p. 7. Morgan “highly recommends home sharing as a way of life.” As she notes, “both of our lives are better for having done this.”
Check out the CVCOA annual report to find out why!
Home Share on the Public Airways
Perhaps it’s a sign that home sharing will be increasingly important as we weather the challenging economic times ahead. Perhaps it’s just coincidence. Either way, we were excited to be contacted by two separate public broadcasting reporters, each of whom is preparing an in-depth look at home sharing in our state.
First up is Nina Keck, of Vermont Public Radio. She is producing a segment that will also be broadcast on National Public Radio. Nina is particularly interested in exploring the diversity of home sharing, with a focus on the wide age range and economic circumstances among home providers. Nina’s piece, which features an interview with a participant in the Home Share of Central Vermont program, will air Thanksgiving week.
Then in December, look for “Vermont Public Square“ on Vermont Public Television. Producer Kristin Carlson has been doing a series of Public Square programs on affordability. December’s show examines affordability for seniors, including the option of home sharing. Kristin will be interviewing HSCVT staff in our Barre office next week before heading out to interview a home sharing match in Orange.
We’re pleased to work with both Nina and Kristin. Their thoughtful reporting will spread the word on the services offered by both Home Share of Central Vermont and our sister program in Burlington, HomeShare Vermont, and let many Vermonters in need of our help know where to turn.
Home Share, Concept 2, and VPR
This fall, Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT) received an unexpected and wondrous gift from Concept 2, the international rowing machine company based in Morrisville: Concept 2 invited us to be the beneficiary of their underwriting credit on Vermont Public Radio in October, November and December.
This means that three times weekly throughout each month, a VPR announcer will note that the broadcast has been underwritten by “Concept 2 rowing, supporting Home Share Central Vermont, trading affordable housing for helping seniors stay home. Homeshare cvt dot org.”
Concept 2, which sells its high-tech rowing machines to athletes worldwide, is a regular underwriter of VPR. Each quarter, they choose a local non-profit to highlight in their underwriting announcements. Their choice of HSCVT came as a complete — and very pleasant — surprise.
Of course, we gratefully accepted their invitation! We’re thrilled to be on the airways of this respected radio network, and equally pleased that Concept 2 chose HSCVT as their fall ‘08 underwriting beneficiary.
Happy listening!
Merchants Bank Funds Home Share to Help Vermonters Cope with High Food and Fuel Prices
The Merchants Bank Foundation has awarded $1,000 to Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT) in recognition of the growing need for home sharing to help Vermonters cope with high food and fuel prices.
“Home sharing is in the eye of a ‘perfect storm’ — dramatically higher fuel and food costs, an affordable housing crisis, and an aging population,” observed HSCVT Director Betsy Reid. “We are especially grateful to the Merchants Bank Foundation for its support of our work now because the number of people turning to us for help has skyrocketed over the last few months.”
Wendy Rea, Branch President of Merchants Bank in Barre, said their foundation “is dedicated to improving lives in the communities where our customers live. Home Share is working hard to meet growing housing demands in the same communities. We chose to support this small program because we believe it can make a very large impact for individuals, their families and whole communities.”
The Merchants Bank Foundation grants requests to 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations in the market areas of the Merchants Bank. The Foundation strives to provide funding to organizations for programs and services that support general education, human services or community enrichment for all Vermonters for purposes of advancing education, househould self-sufficiency, sustainable independence and viable community development.
RSVP Highlights Volunteering for Home Share
The summer 2008 edition of Silver Voice, a newsletter published by the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), includes a profile of HSCVT volunteer Rosemary Wheelock. Here’s an excerpt:
“Rosemary’s work for Home Share has also taught her the importance of listening. ‘I feel like I’m helping just by listening — particularly with the elderly because they’re lonely and often disabled and can’t go out,’ she observes. ‘Sometimes they just need to be listened to.’
The bottom line for Rosemary is that her volunteer position as an interviewer for HSCVT has ‘been the most heartwarming work I’ve ever done as a volunteer. I’ve met so many wonderful people, and I’ve learned a lot.’
And last but not least, ‘it’s a lot of fun!”
To learn more about RSVP and volunteer opportunities at Home Share of Central Vermont and other programs throughout Washington, Lamoille and Caledonia counties, visit www.volunteervt.com.
Kinney Drugs Foundation Supports Home Share
The Kinney Drugs Foundation, whose mission is “to help people live healthier lives within the communities that are served by Kinney Drugs”, has donated $1,000 to Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT). In the HSCVT service area, Kinney Drugs has three stores: on the Barre-Montpelier Road, in Morrisville, and in Randolph.
Home sharing is daily preventative medicine, because people in home shares eat better; stay more engaged in the world around them, which slows the aging process; have improved mental health through decreased loneliness and increased socializing; and have fewer phyiscal disabilities from depression and stress. Home sharing also provides emotional and physical relief for extended families, reducing their stress and accompanying health risks.
In a letter to Foundation Administrator Stacy Spaziani, HSCVT Director Betsy Reid noted that the Kinney foundation’s donation will help HSCVT ”meet greater demands on our program, due in part to rising fuel costs.” Reid thanked the foundation ”for making philanthropy a hallmark of your business.”
Reid also praised local Kinney Drugs representatives Bernie Alden (Morrisville store) and Norm Robinson (Barre-Montpelier Road) . “Each of them took the time to meet with me. I am grateful that you have managers who serve their community so thoughtfully.”
The Kinney Drugs Foundation, Inc., is a not-for-profit 402c organization formed by the Kinney Drugs Company and administered by volunteers. It is committed to help in support of quality health care throught Northern and Central New York and Vermont.
HSCVT Sees Silver Lining
The Times Argus, the daily newspaper for the Barre-Montpelier region of Vermont, recently published the following letter-to the editor from Betsy Reid, director of Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT):
“Strenghtening the bonds of community may well be the silver lining accompanying the storm of economic hardships caused by the skyrocketing costs of food and fuel. Vermonters are uniting to face the crisis by car pooling, buying local, and bartering goods and services. There’s a general sense that we’re all in this together, and we will all find ways to help each other through the rough times ahead.
That’s the essence of home sharing: each person helps the other, either by providing housing or by providing the kind of assistance a senior or disabled person needs to remain at home for as long as possible.
We think more seniors than ever before will turn to Home Share of Central Vermont for help this year. We’re already getting calls from individuals facing foreclosure or worried about heating their homes next winter.
At the same time, home sharing presents an opportunity to find more sensible and affordable housing. This option also appeals to people who just don’t want to live alone anymore.
Home sharing is one of many innovative ways each of us can help the central Vermont community weather challenging economic times.”
Reid’s letter caught the eye of WGDR-FM radio host Carl Etnier. On July 24th, Etnier interviewed HSCVT communications specialist Ginny Sassaman and home share participant Dara Von Laanen for a 30-minute exploration of home sharing here in central Vermont.
KeyBank Foundation Awards $1500 to HSCVT
The Key Foundation, which is funded by KeyBank and its Vermont employees, has contributed $1,500 to support our efforts to facilitate home sharing matches.
Amy White, manager of KeyBank’s Barre Branch, presented the check to HSCVT director Betsy Reid. “We are very proud to partner with Home Share of Central Vermont,” White said. Providing resources that HSCVT needs to continue their valuable service “is a wonderful investment in the community.”
Lesli Blount, director of Community Relations for KeyBank, echoed White’s sentiments. “We are proud to be part of HSCVT’s efforts to enable elderly and disabled community members the chance to stay in their homes while providing affordable housing for someone in need,” Blount said.
Reid thanked KeyBank and its employees for their very tangible support. “KeyBank’s generosity is a classic example of Vermonters taking care of each other, which is exactly what home sharing is all about. In a successful home share match, each person helps the other — either by providing housing, or by providing the kind of assistance seniors and the disabled need to remain in their own homes as long as possible. ”
“Just as every participant in a match can take pride in helping the other, so, too, can KeyBank take pride in supporting central Vermont’s only home sharing program,” Reid observed.
Home Share of Central Vermont is sponsored by the Central Vermont Council on Aging but we must raise all our own funds.
HSCVT Volunteer “Stars” in Radio Interview
On Wednesday April 9th, Rosemary Wheelock, a veteran volunteer of Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT), got up very early, left her house in Calais and headed for WLBV-AM in Morrisville. Together with HSCVT Home Sharing Supervisor MaryAnn Martinez, Rosemary was interviewed by Roland LaJoie, host of “Vermont Country Morning.”
Rosemary made the early morning trek to Morrisville to extol the benefits of volunteering for HSCVT. “It’s the most heartwarming thing I’ve ever done as a volunteer,” Rosemary told LaJoie and his listeners. “It’s been so wonderful, I’ve met so many wonderful people and I’ve learned a lot. It’s very satisfying and rewarding volunteer work.”
MaryAnn explained to LaJoie and listeners how the program works. She also stressed that the program relies on volunteers like Rosemary.
Rosemary had the last word: “It’s a lot of fun.”
Home Share Testifies Before House Appropriations Committee
February was an important month for Vermont’s two home share programs to make our case for funding to state legislators in Montpelier.
This isn’t an easy year to get state funding, but we got a real boost from a very persuasive speaker: Meg Donahue Davis, a home provider in the Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT) program. On February 21st, Meg joined HSCVT Director Betsy Reid to testify before the House Appropriations Committee on behalf of both HSCVT and HomeShare Vermont, the Burlington-based program. According to Betsy, Meg was the real star of the morning and wowed the representatives with her forthright manner and candid assessment of her home sharing experience.
Meg told the Committee, “I cannot emphasize enough the time Home Share of Central Vermont takes to interview, prepare, and match the individuals before we sharers even meet.” This matters, noted Meg, because “each individual need is unique — each is specific — ranging from personal caregiving to just being available.” Meg later compared the home share experience to “having my first child. I was apprehensive. I didn’t know if I could do the right thing. But to my great relief it was easy.” Now, together with her home share partner, “We say thank you Home Share of Central Vermont for rescuing us and for the happiness we have enjoyed knowing each other.”
We say, thank you Meg! You said it better than we could.
Newsletter for caregivers
The Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA), which sponsors Home Share of Central Vermont, provides information and assistance not only to elders, but also to their caregivers. CVCOA’s caregiver services include publishing a newsletter, offering workshops, coordinating support groups. For more information, you can read the February 2008 newsletter, Caring for Caregivers.
TD Banknorth Funds Staff Trainings
From October 2007 through January 2008, the TD Banknorth Charitable Foundation donated a total of $1,495 to Home Share of Central Vermont (HSCVT) to pay for three staff training opportunities.The Foundation recognizes that “job training is essential to the development of employees, and, in turn, the growth of any non-profit organization. But when non-profits are faced with making reductions to their operating budgets, one of the first things to be eliminated is education for employees.” The Foundation donates thousands of dollars to community organizations for employees to attend trainings “that will enhance job performance.” The trainings TD Banknorth funded for HSCVT staff were:
- A four day workshop in Advanced Mediation Training: Elder Mediation in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania for Ginny Sassaman, HSCVT communications specialist;
- A two-hour, full staff training with consultant Lisa Bedinger on strategies to help participants cope with finding affordable housing and/or the ability to stay at home; and
- A four day basic mediation training workshop at Woodbury College in Montpelier for HSCVT director Betsy Reid.
“The mediation tools and techniques I learned were invaluable in helping me guide our program participants as they build successful relationships under challenging circumstances,” Reid told the Foundation. “I applaud you for understanding that learning enriches and enables us to do a better job of serving our communities.”
2007 At a Glance
The Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) 2007 Annual Report includes a snapshot of what last year was like for each of their sponsored programs, including Home Share of Central Vermont. You can read “2007 At a Glance” by scrolling down to page 8 of the report at www.cvcoa.org/documents/CVCOAannualreport2007final.pdf
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