CVOEO has worked with the community to bridge gaps and build futures for our neighbors in need since 1965. Over time, CVOEO's programs have evolved to address emerging needs, meeting people where they are and working with them to create change. Today, CVOEO's distinct yet interconnected programs provide basic needs like food, fuel, and housing support, while also helping people acquire the necessary education, financial skills, and assets to build stable futures.

This month, we highlight aspects of CVOEO's work focused on bridging gaps for people in the Champlain Valley. Below you will find information about the Holidays without Hunger campaign that aims to feed 15,000 families during this season of thanks. We also feature the work of Toni Auriemma, Food Shelf Coordinator at CVOEO's NorthWest Family Foods in St. Albans. In addition, we offer a reminder about Green Saving Smart and the Warmth Support Program, two initiatives dedicated to keeping people warm in their homes.

In November, and all year long, we invite you to join us to build bridges for those in need. These bridges will lead us to a future where everyone can flourish and nobody is left behind.

Holidays without Hunger

Help CVOEO feed 15,000 families

Thanksgiving is a time when we give thanks, share good food, and connect with loved ones. However, this Thanksgiving, families throughout Vermont's Champlain Valley will struggle to put a meal on the table. Holidays with Hunger, CVOEO's community-funded campaign to help feed 15,000 families in need, will ensure that everyone shares a holiday meal with their loved ones.

CVOEO feeds Vermont's Champlain Valley through its three food access programs: Addison Food Shelf, Feeding Chittenden, and NorthWest Family Foods. These food programs are just one aspect of our work to make Holidays without Hunger a reality for families across the region. Each of our food shelves' doors are open five days a week to provide fresh produce, meat and protein items, prepared meals, fresh and local dairy products, healthy kitchen staples, and non-food essentials such as diapers, toiletries, and hygiene products. 

In addition, CVOEO's food access programs meet people where they are in life by delivering food to homes and access sites like health care centers and motels, while also sharing hot meals and responding to the needs of seniors, families and children, the unhoused, New Americans, and all of our neighbors who are vulnerable to food insecurity. 

During this time of giving thanks, we hope you feel how grateful we are for you. This critical work is funded almost entirely by community members, and we cannot do it without you.

We have a lot of work ahead of us and we need your help to reach our goal to feed 15,000 families. Please give what you can to ensure our community has a Holiday without Hunger. 

Warm at Home

Green Saving Smart

&

Warmth Support Program

The recent weather has many of us thinking about how to stay warm in our homes through the long winter months. Two CVOEO programs are here to help our neighbors in need.

Green Saving Smart

Do you or someone you know have questions about financing for energy efficient home repairs or upgrades, including the purchase of heat pumps, heat pump water heaters, wood or pellet stoves, or using solar or battery storage? Reach out to CVOEO’s Green Saving Smart Financial and Energy Coach, Jen Myers, at 802-860-1417 X113 or jmyers@cvoeo.org.

Green Saving Smart is a service of CVOEO’s Financial Futures Programs and a collaborative effort with Vermont’s Community Action Agencies. Through 1:1 coaching and community workshops, Green Saving Smart provides income-eligible Vermonters with financial and energy coaching, empowering them to take charge of their finances, access energy savings, and create a cleaner, greener Vermont.

Warmth Support Program

Every year, Vermonters face dangerously low home temperatures because they cannot afford to pay their fuel or utility bills. For many, keeping a home warm is impossible when bills for basic needs, such as food, medications, and transportation, continue to rise.

CVOEO's Warmth Support Program provides emergency disbursements to help families and individuals navigate financial hardship to avert life-threatening heating crises. Our staff also offers wraparound services to households and provides essential information and counseling to help individuals and families avoid crises in the future.

NorthWest Family Foods

Featured in the St. Albans Messenger

“You just try to make people comfortable and help them understand that we’re all human beings, and anything can happen. One thing can change your life, or the progression of it, in different magnitudes. I’m happy we’re here for people like that.”

Toni Auriemma, Food Shelf Coordinator, CVOEO's NorthWest Family Foods

Toni Auriemma, Food Shelf Coordinator at CVOEO's NorthWest Family Foods in St. Albans was recently featured in the St. Albans Messenger. Toni and her colleagues have witnessed an increase in the number of people using the food shelf this year. Unfortunately, Toni doesn't expect the trend to abate anytime soon as November is typically the busiest month at the food shelf.

NorthWest Family Foods, one of CVOEO's three food access programs, is managed by Franklin/Grand Isle Community Action. Located in St. Albans with satellites in Isle La Motte and Richford, NorthWest Family Foods provides services to residents of Franklin and Grand Isle Counties.

Karibu Cultural Celebration

Event recap and photos

Don't miss the photos from the 2023 Karibu Cultural Celebration that were recently added to CVOEO's website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Once again, we send our gratitude to the event sponsors, guests, makers, models, and performers for making the event such a success. Together, we raised over $27,000 to support asylum seekers in our community.

Karibu is CVOEO’s annual, community-centered celebration of culture and growing diversity in our region. Karibu, which means “welcome” in Swahili, offers an opportunity for attendees to enjoy fashion, art, performance, and light refreshments. The event is an important fundraiser for CVOEO’s Asylum Seekers Assistance Program, which provides asylees with emergency funds to purchase essential items, including personal hygiene supplies, diapers, food, and medicine.

Careers at CVOEO

Join our team

Looking for a meaningful career supporting your community? CVOEO is hiring! Join a passionate team that is committed to addressing issues of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice. Help support your neighbors in need and make a difference in our community. Apply now!

Some of our recent opportunities include: Housing Advocate with the Champlain Inn, Preschool Teacher Associate at the Winooski Early Learning Center with Head Start, Annual Fund and Stewardship Specialist with Administration, Family Services Coordinator with Voices Against Violence/Laurie's House, Energy Efficient Coach with Weatherization, and more.