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Printable Version of the Organization Report Community Organization Reports and requests for 2008 Town Appropriation ACORN ACORN’s mission is to support and empower those whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS and/or Hepatitis C to live fully and with dignity through education, information, and understanding. Toward that end, ACORN provides comprehensive case management services to qualifying individuals in Windsor and Orange counties in Vermont and Grafton and Sullivan counties in New Hampshire. Among other things, these services include providing links to federal and state assistance programs; free confidential HIV and HCV testing and counseling; and ongoing support groups for persons living with HIV/AIDS and/or HCV. In the area of education and prevention, ACORN employs two full-time staff members who oversee a safe needle exchange program in Vermont and conduct outreach programs at nearby colleges, prisons, health care facilities, and local high schools. Each of these programs is tailored to meet the needs of a particular group. Most recently, for example, Michael Loomis presented an extra-curricular seminar on the science of HIV/AIDS to a group of Advanced Placement science students at Kearsage Regional High School in New London, NH. More such programs are being planned for 2008. ACORN also is revitalizing and expanding its volunteer program to provide enhanced one-on-one personal care to its clients; support an in-house food bank; increase awareness of ACORN in the Upper Valley; and stimulate more consistent and reliable fund-raising from both private and public sources. ACORN sincerely acknowledges Fairlee’s previous contribution of $500.00 and respectfully requests a contribution of $2,000.00 for 2008. If further information is required, please contact Whitney Struse at 603-448-8887, extension 107. CLARA MARTIN CENTER Clara Martin Center programs serve children, families, and individuals coping with behavioral challenges, emotional stress, mental illness, alcohol and other drug problems. Services are confidential. Clara Martin Center continues to provide community mental health services to the greater Orange County area out of our many locations cited above. Services are provided through five major programs that are CARF accredited. The major programs are Adult Outpatient Services, Child and Family Services, School Services, Emergency and Walk-In services, Community Support Program, and Alcohol and Other Drug Services. We also offer Psychiatric services, which span all program areas. Clara Martin Center has continued to expand our contracts with local area schools. Through this effort, we have been able to expand our access to services for children, adolescents and their families at the following locations: Randolph, Washington, Brookfield, Braintree, Orange, Williamstown, Tunbridge, Sharon, Rochester, Strafford, Chelsea, Thetford, Bethel, and Bradford. We have also developed our Criminal Justice Program and now provide mental health and substance abuse services at both the Windsor and Springfield Correctional facilities. We are also preparing to assist returning veterans and their families with access to services they require. It is through the continued financial support from our local towns that we are able to report these agency successes and in turn continue to meet our mission and strategic plans to provide local community mental health services to all our community members in need. 2008 Town Appropriations Request = $1,545. (Same figure we have used for over 20 years) ANNUAL
REPORT - 2007 This year the Upper Valley Subcommittee completed a new and expanded water resources chapter of the Connecticut River Management Plan, focusing on the many environmental and economic benefits of keeping floodplains free of development and vegetated riparian buffers along riverbanks to keep them stable, block debris, shade the water, and filter pollutants from runoff. The Subcommittee provides information and assistance to the states, towns, and landowners on projects near the river. We encourage towns to consider our Plan and to incorporate its recommendations when updating town plans and revising zoning ordinances. We urge all anglers and boaters to clean their gear carefully to avoid spreading Didymo, the newly discovered invasive alga in the Connecticut River. Citizens who wish to represent the town should contact the selectmen. The Subcommittee is advisory and has no regulatory authority. The public is welcome at our meetings on the third Monday evening of every other month at the Thetford Bicentennial Building. A calendar, more about Didymo, advice on bank erosion and obtaining permits for work near the river, the Connecticut River Management Plan and much more are on the web at www.crjc.org. Steve Stocking
and Mary Daly CONNECTICUT RIVER JOINT COMMISSIONS This year the Connecticut River Joint Commissions (CRJC) issued a new Riverwide Overview for water resources in the watershed. Look for a presentation in your area in 2008. We hosted Governor Jim Douglas for Vermont’s Clean and Clear Water Action Day, and nominated Fairlee’s Steve Stocking who won the Vermont Watershed Volunteer Award. We also helped guide the new conservation plan for the Conte Refuge, supporting the public’s original vision, and cooperated with Vermont and New Hampshire agencies in responding to the discovery of Didymo in the river. In 2007 CRJC considered issues as wide-ranging as the operation of hydro dams on the Connecticut River, silver maple floodplain forest health, mercury emissions, and Important Bird Areas. CRJC supports efforts to safeguard the valley’s natural, agricultural, and historic assets, and is working with businesses and the states to strengthen the local base for tourism through the Connecticut River Byway. In 2007 we worked with Wells River and other towns on a signage plan for the Byway. Visit the Byway at www.ctrivertravel.net. Appointed by the legislatures of New Hampshire and Vermont to guide growth and development in the watershed, the CRJC are advisory and have no regulatory powers, preferring instead to ensure greater public involvement in decisions that affect the river region. We welcome the public to our meetings on the last Monday of every other month. Visit our web site for a calendar of events, useful information and links, and our newsletters, River Valley News and River Byway News.
Central Vermont Community Action
Council (CVCAC) Since 1965, the Central Vermont Community Action Council, Inc. has served low-income residents of Lamoille, Orange, and Washington Counties and nine communities in Windsor, Addison, and Rutland Counties. CVCAC’s programs and services assist families working toward creating better lives and to improve the overall quality of community life. This year, CVCAC served 10,193 individuals in 4,940 central Vermont households through Head Start/Early Head Start, our Child Care Food Program, Community Economic Development programs, Family & Community Support Services, Weatherization assistance, Crisis Fuel resources, and Community Action Motors.
CVCAC thanks the residents of Fairlee for their generous support this year! CVCAC Allocation Request The Central Vermont Community Action Council respectfully requests a budget allocation of $300 from the citizens of Fairlee to be determined at the next Town Meeting. Our request remains the same as last year; we are not seeking an increase. The Central Vermont Community Action Council helps Central Vermont residents achieve economic sufficiency and supports individual/family development by alleviating the effects of poverty; assisting people out of poverty, and advocating for economic justice. Each year CVCAC serves more than 10,000 individuals living in 56 Central Vermont communities. Thank you for your continued support. Central Vermont Council on Aging
Report of Services to the Town of Fairlee The Central Vermont Council on Aging (CVCOA) is a private, nonprofit organization that assists elders to remain independent as long as possible in their homes and communities. The Council uses federal, state, and local funds to provide a variety of programs and services for elders, either directly or under contract with local groups and organizations. CVCOA requests funding from the communities it serves in order to support its case management department. Case managers are trained to work with elders in their own homes to assess needs and develop individualized care plans. By connecting them with public benefits programs and other community and state resources, case managers aid elders in making life choices. The case managers for Fairlee are Meg Burmeister (802/476-2644) and Chuck Rynard ((802/476-2662). Nineteen residents of your town benefited directly from CVCOA case management services in the past fiscal year. Other services provided directly or under contract include community and home delivered meals; food stamp outreach; transportation to doctors, grocery stores, and a variety of essential destinations; legal services; health insurance counseling; home sharing; companionship; assistance with household tasks; nutrition education; caregiver support services and grants; successful aging initiatives; support for senior center activities; and mental health services. CVCOA involves a number of community volunteers by sponsoring programs such as Neighbor to Neighbor Ameri-Corps, Senior Companion, Home Share, and the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP). More information on all CVCOA initiatives can be obtained by calling the toll-free Senior Help Line at 1-800-642-5119. Please do not hesitate to call for more information or assistance. The Central Vermont Council on Aging recognizes and appreciates the valuable support for central Vermont elders provided by Fairlee. ORANGE COUNTY COURT DIVERSION PROGRAM The Orange County Court Diversion Program (OCCDP) is an alternative to the criminal court system for selected, first time offenders, both juvenile and adult, who commit a crime in Orange County. Cases are referred to the program by the State’s Attorney. OCCDP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the principles of restorative justice. The program strives to provide an opportunity for juvenile and adult offenders to fully understand the impact that their offenses have had on victims and the community, and to develop empathy for ones who have been affected by their actions. The State’s Attorney dismisses the charges of participants who successfully complete Diversion. The OCCDP is a run by a Board of Trustees and staffed by a three-quarter time director, a one-fifth time caseworker and 30 community volunteers from Orange County who serve as Review Board members. Members of the Review Board interview each offender and decide who will be accepted into the program. The main criteria for acceptance into the program are an admission of wrongdoing, and a willingness to take responsibility for the offense. Each client accepted into diversion is required to discuss all issues and questions concerning their offense with the Review Board. Throughout the discussion, the client is made aware of the concerns and needs of both the victim and the community. The Review Board designs an individualized contract that specifies the conditions of the person’s participation. Contracts include, but are not limited to conditions that 1. hold the offender accountable for his/her behavior, 2. place responsibility on the offender to repair/restore the harm/loss caused by their actions, and 3. help the offender to develop skills to avoid future delinquent and criminal behavior. Approx. 85% of the clients who participate in the Orange County Court Diversion program successfully complete the program. Those who fail have their cases returned to court for prosecution. The Orange County Court Diversion program also administers Orange County’s Teen Alcohol Safety Program for civil cases of underage drinking. All clients who are referred on a civil offense of underage drinking meet with our Review Board and are required, in addition to other contract conditions, to complete an alcohol assessment and any recommended follow-up counseling or treatment services. A total of 238 clients were referred for services during the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2007. Of this amount, 79 clients were referred from juvenile and adult court for criminal offenses, and 159 clients were referred for a civil offense of underage drinking. With the exception of a few cases that were transferred from other counties throughout the state, nearly all of the client caseload represented crimes and offenses that occurred in Orange County. In cases involving criminal offenses, clients who successfully completed their Diversion contract during FY07 paid a total of $8,799.00 in restitution to victims and victim related causes, and performed 365 hours of community service. 100% of every restitution dollar collected goes directly to the victim. Orange County Court Diversion budgeted $89,923.00 for its FY07 operating budget. Approx. 80% of the operating budget was funded by a State grant and client fees. The remaining 20% of the program’s funds came from miscellaneous and local funding sources. These local sources were Green Mountain United Way, town appropriations, and individual donations. For a number of years we have been proud to be supported by appropriations from every town in Orange County. Thank you for your continued support. Questions and additional information concerning the program should be directed to David Savidge, Executive Director, Orange County Court Diversion, P.O. Box 58, Chelsea, VT 05038. (802-685-3172) GREEN MOUNTAIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION GMEDC has completed another very busy year. Our thanks go out to all of those who have served and made a contribution over the months and years. Each year communities call on us for help with serious needs such as when major employers move, or shut down, or are bought by strangers. Sometimes, besides the obvious loss of jobs, buildings become idle and towns loose aesthetic as well as economic vitality. This puts the economic security of everyone in doubt. Utilizing all of the resources that the State of Vermont has to offer, GMEDC seeks to address these and other problems. Financing programs through organizations such as USDA, HUD, VEDA and the SBA help to ameliorate some of the economic loss felt by hard hit areas. Training and mentoring programs through the Small Business Development Center, Vermont Manufacturer’s Extension Center and Workforce Investment Board help to bridge the gap between businesses, the trained workforce and knowledge they need to succeed. Furthermore, we at GMEDC are constantly seeking to improve the welfare of our communities through efforts to bring new businesses to our area while assisting local start-ups and existing businesses in any way we can. Governor Douglas, Secretary of Commerce Kevin Dorn and Commissioner Mike Quinn have made regular visits in our area promoting economic development and job growth opportunities. We are pleased to have received their attention and assistance in our efforts. The State of Vermont has provided significant assistance in all that we have accomplished. Our in-house relationship with the SBDC has been helpful along with our professional office location in Hartford. A deliberate effort to meet with leaders of each of our communities has helped us improve awareness of all that GMEDC and the State of Vermont has to offer to improve economic development. In addition, the East Central Vermont CEDS project has allowed us to target and prioritize specific improvements needed within the towns of our region. By including these projects in the CEDS study we are able to put them in the running for grants by the EDA. More opportunities are emerging every day as we encourage businesses and municipalities to seek out our services.
Green Up Day, May 5, 2007
Thirty-seven years strong, “Green Up Day” is a special day when Vermonters clean and spruce up their communities. We were the first state in our nation to designate a day for such cleaning of the entire state. Working together, we can keep our unique Green Up spirit growing for Vermont. Green Up Vermont is the not-for-profit 501© (3) organization that works to enhance our state’s natural landscape and waterways and the livability of our communities by involving people in Green Up Day and educating about the benefits of a litter free environment. Well over 15,000 Vermonters participated in Green Up Day 2007, using over 42,000 Green Up bags, collecting hundreds of tons of trash, piles of mixed metals and tires. Green Up Vermont continued providing widespread promotional support in excess of $30,000. The success of Green Up for Vermont depends upon two essential ingredients. One is the combined efforts of individuals and civic groups who volunteer to make it all possible; and two, the financial support given by the public and private sectors throughout Vermont With your town’s help, we can continue our unique annual Vermont tradition of, taking care of our beautiful landscape and promoting civic pride so our children grow up with Green Up. Careful use of resources minimizes Green Up’s costs. The State appropriates funds that cover about 10 percent of our budget. The rest comes from gifts from towns, individuals and businesses. These funds pay for supplies including thousands of Green Up trash bags, promotion and services of two part-time employees. We ask your community to contribute, according to population, to keep Green Up growing for Vermont. Please consider Green Up Vermont’s request for your community’s financial support. Your contribution will help keep Green Up operating for our entire Vermont community. We respectfully ask you to include the appropriate amount from the guide below in your budget for next year. The guide remains the same as in previous years. For towns under 1,000 population . . . . . . $ 50 For towns over 1,000 and under 2000 . . . $100 For towns over 2,000 and under 3000 . . . $150 For towns over 3,000 and under 4000 . . . $200 For towns over 4,000 population . . . . . . . $300 I thank you in advance for your favorable consideration. Sincerely, Melinda Vieux, President Mark your calendars May 3, 2008 is the next scheduled “Green-Up Day”! Get your boots, grab your gloves, invite a few friends and come join us in your community to make Vermont even more GREEN!
Kids Place is a non-profit organization in Randolph that offers supervised visitation, exchanges, and parenting support for families in Orange County. Kids Place has established sites for their services in Bradford at the Grace Methodist Church, in Chelsea at the Chelsea Playschool, as well as our current location at Ayers Brook Center in Randolph. Thanks to your 2007 appropriation of $250, we were able to serve a mother, father and two children from your community over the past year. We provided supervised visits for these children so they could maintain ties with their non-residential parent. We are asking for an appropriation of $250 in 2008 in order that we may continue to offer this valuable service to other Fairlee families. The Kids Place program provides the avenue for children to see a parent who otherwise might be absent from their lives if supervised visitation wasn’t available. Kids Place wants to help families preserve the bonds between parents and children that could be lost during the break-up within a family. Kids Place works closely with our Court System, Judges, DCF, Attorneys, Safeline, and Local Law Enforcement, to ensure healthy and safe relationships continue between parents and children. This is all done with the benefit and welfare of the children placed first and foremost by Kids Place staff. Kids Place Director, Connie Button, a life-long Orange County resident, acts as a liaison in the Orange County Family Court on a weekly basis, and also meets with community organizations and citizen groups to spread awareness about supervised visitation options and services in Orange County. She is committed to helping children and families. Kids Place has provided trainings for their Monitors on such subjects as the court system, domestic violence, and divorce issues. Kids Place can attribute much of its success to the dedication and understanding of our Monitors, who give many hours of their time to provide their services to help families in need. If you would like additional information about services we provide, or volunteer opportunities in your area, please call us at 802-728-9506 x123 or via email at buttoncm@comcast.net or write to us at Kids Place, 35 Ayers Brook Center, Randolph, VT 05060 Orange
East Senior Center Thanks once again to Fairlee residents for their annual appropriation to Orange East Senior Center. A huge thank you to our volunteers who donated 3,258 hours assisting us on-site, and our volunteer drivers who drove 14,014 miles, ensuring those in need received hot meals. This year we served 434 meals to Fairlee residents. We serve congregate meals here five days a week. Unfortunately, Federal and State funds have not kept up with the increasing need for senior services, forcing us to dramatically increase our fundraising efforts. Town funds accounted for one third of our income, while meal recipients and fundraising receipts followed close behind. OESC made available hearing aid, flu, blood pressure and foot clinics, added an exercise class, cribbage, as well as income tax preparation, Medicare Part D and Medicaid Assistance, and workshops of interest to senior citizens. We raised funds by sponsoring trips, dances, dinners, raffles and renting our space for functions. Sales of our Gray Mountain Men of Orange East Calendar helped us meet our budget. Our strengths lie in our ability to offer various events and activities to the public, however a major area of improvement lies in sparking support from the public for these events and activities. Donated and appropriated funds, as well as our activities and events helps ensure our goal and ability to honor our commitment to see that no senior in our service towns goes hungry or is placed on a waiting list for Meals on Wheels. Respectfully submitted, Victoria R. Chaffee, Executive Director Orange County Parent Child Center It is the end of another year and a natural time to reflect upon the accomplishments of the Orange County Parent Child Center. We look to the future with great enthusiasm, knowing that we are poised to help more families thrive in the Fairlee community. We’d like to make a request for an allocation from Fairlee voters in 2008 in the amount of $500. We are a non-profit organization providing support and education to families with young children through toddler and preschool early education and care programs and family support programs such as home visits, community playgroups, parent education events, referral services, teen parent education initiatives, childcare provider networking, and a resource library. We are based in Chelsea and maintain offices in Randolph and Bradford as well. We serve 500-600 families each year throughout Orange and northern Windsor counties. We have become a more recognizable resource in the community since our merger with the Chelsea Playschool in 2004. Our preschool and infant/toddler programs served 52 children in 2007. The two programs are now housed together in the former Playschool building on Main Street, allowing for easy collaborations and transitions between the curriculums. Our home visitors are also a seamless part of our team, offering support and resources to families within our childcare family in addition to dozens of families throughout the region We are particularly proud of some of the highlights of our last year:
Our families represent a diverse socio-economic range within Orange and northern Windsor counties. They are first-time parents, adoptive parents, single parents, teen parents, two-parent families, all with varying levels and kinds of parenting support needs. We employ eight teachers; each dedicated, compassionate, and reliable. We take great pride in fostering early education and care programs that emphasize personal attention, stimulation, and relationship-based care. We believe children’s play is their work. The philosophy of our early care and education programs is to encourage and foster this play for every child. Our family support programs include Healthy Babies, Welcome Baby, Reach-Up, Children’s Upstream Prevention Services (CUPS), Child/Family home visits. Our programs offer something for all families with children under age six regardless of socio-economic status. We also design specific programs to meet the needs of populations in need within our community, such as families in poverty, children with special needs, families with newborns, single parents, and young parents on public assistance. We believe that making high quality resources available to families equips them with parenting and life skills to make informed decisions about their family’s health, welfare, education, childcare and overall success. We believe children and families come first in fostering strong communities. Please let us know if you require additional information from us to formalize this allocation request. We recognize that support comes in many forms and your knowledge of what we do in your community brings strength to our programs. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Mary Ellen Otis, Executive Director
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