healing the past for a healthy future - vermont …...healing the past for a healthy future sheldon...

Healing the Past

for a Healthy Future

Healing the Past for a Healthy Future

Transportation as a Barrier to Food Shelf Access

• John Gorton – Sheldon Methodist Church Food Shelf

• Toni Auriemma – Community Action, Northwest Family Foods

• Robin Way – CIDER (Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources, Inc.)

• Michelle Trayah – Parent Child Center at Northwestern Counseling & Support Services

• We all serve together on Franklin/Grand Isle Hunger Council

• We all serve in a variety of other service provider collaboration groups

• Franklin County Community Partnership


Sheldon Methodist Church Food Shelf

• In operation for about 20 years

• Network Partner with VT Foodbank

• Funded by the church

• Strong community support• Individual financial donations• Several organizations do food collections

• Became a United Way Funded Program in 2018

• Operate out of the church basement

• Have a new building under construction


Sheldon Methodist Church Food Shelf

• Started in the 1990’s with 1000 lbs of food• 24 boxes with 45 lbs each• Took 3 months to give away those 24 boxes

• Today for year 2018• 1404 families served• 3919 people served• 128,000 lbs of food distributed

• Food selection• 30% fresh produce• 40% USDA (TEFAP)• 12% frozen food• 5% refrigerated food

• Total volunteer, no paid staff, 2018 budget $6000


Why is Transportation an Issue

• Serve clients from all over Franklin County• Less than 5% clients from Sheldon• Largest area is Richford (over 30%)

which is 20+ miles away• Second largest area is St Albans which is

10+ miles• Third largest is Swanton, also 10+ miles

• Many clients struggle to keep a reliable car on the road

• Many clients struggle keeping gas in their car

• Many clients don’t drive


Access to transportation is a problem in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties

On Average 20.6% of households in

Vermont are single individuals

without cars or households with two

or more individuals but either no car

or only one.

With limited public

transportation in the

counties, dependence on

personal vehicles has

increased importance, yet

outside of county population

centers, where dependence

on transportation is the

greatest, we find vehicle

ownership is lowest – below

state averages.


How Do We Tackle Transportation

• Encourage car pooling

• Allow people to pick up food for other families• Signed note with contact info

• Verify if we hear of abuse

• Operate on an “on-call” basis• Our big day is 3rd Tuesday when Foodbank delivers

• Meet families anytime mutually convenient

• Working with other community partners to do more


Community Action – Northwest Family Foods

Opened 5 days a week,

we serve over 2,000

households in the bi-

county area.

In the course of a single

year, one in ten

individuals will have

had meal prepared

from food provided by

us.


Reaching out to the counties

NorthWest Family Foods operates

three remote sites, one in

Richford, one in Alburgh and one in

Isle La Motte.

In Addition, we work cooperatively

with a number of area agencies to

move food throughout the

counties. Our goal is to leverage

these relationships to increase our

reach and make food more

accessible.

About half of the households

we serve are from outside

the St. Albans area.


Sharing Resources

In partnership with the St. Albans

Rotary, Healthy Roots, and Martha’s

Kitchen, St. Albans community kitchen

program, we recently were recently

able to purchase a shared vehicle.

This allows Martha’s to deliver meals

off site, Healthy Roots to glean and

distribute fresh produce during the

growing seasons, and NorthWest Family

Foods to procure and distribute more

food throughout the counties.


Community involvement

• Utilization of community partners:

Where are the families?

How do we identify the families we know exist but are not utilizing food resources and really need to?

What resources already exist in the community that can be key partners?

With limited resources, how do we maximize the outcome of food security?


One idea: Childcare Programs

• Existing programs that can help identify families

• Know families well

• Families confide in their providers

• Providers can share resources with families

• They can also help inform community as to barriers to why families cannot access resources.

Champlain Island Parent Child Center


The Discussion on This Idea

• It comes down to the how and the who. How do we make this happen?

Who can get the food from point A (the food shelf) to point B ( the program location)?


One Success Story

In South Hero, Champlain

Island Parent Child Center

(CIPCC) Director, Katie

Brown, has partnered with

the Grand Isle Food Shelf’s

Judy Ayers to make this

happen!

CIPCC calls on Tuesdays every

week to let Judy know how

many families need

assistance and bring the food

shelf reusable cloth bags to

fill.

One of 4 staff members from CIPCC

picks up and brings them to the

center on Wednesdays for families

to pick up. The center is picking up

food for 10 to 15 families each

week! The bags weigh around 25

pounds each.

Grand Isle Methodist Church

Grand Isle Food Shelf

Champlain Island Parent Child Center


A Second Idea

• If we cannot get the people to the food, can we…

•Get the food to the people?

•Getting PEOPLE to FOOD and FOOD to PEOPLE on three islands and the Alburgh Tongue


How do we Utilize Existing Transportation

• This concept looks at how can the food shelves partner with existing transportation services to put food on the vehicles to be delivered to a set point on already existing routes.

• The Council is talking about the transportation people getting the fare for the food versus the rider. The question is: Is this doable and what needs to happen to make this a reality?

• This creative idea is looking at how do we look at using existing resources instead of creating new systems in a time of limited resources.


C.I.D.E.R. Solving the challenges of the Islands

C.I.D.E.R.

volunteers pick up

bagged groceries

from NorthWest

Family Foods St.

Albans site and

deliver directly to

Island Households

Congregate senior meals at the South Hero Congregational Church

(Mondays & Thursdays @ 12:30) At least one special/holiday lunch and/or 5pm evening supper each month. Transportation provided – Suggested donation $3 per meal – Est. 2,750 meals & 175 non-dup guests fy19

Home-delivered meals for seniors unable to easily access food or prepare meals (Mondays and Thursdays) –Suggested donation $3 per meal – Est. 1,815 meals & 40 non-dup recipients fy19

• HUNGER FREE GRAND ISLE COUNTY PROJECTS

Food Shelf on Wheels

Farmers Market Shuttle

• GROCERY SHOPPING (SENIORS & PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES)

Weekly group shopping trips to Saint Albans & Chittenden County (Funded through E&D Program)

Individual grocery shopping using volunteers (E&D mileage reimbursement for volunteers)


CHAMPLAIN ISLANDERS DEVELOPINGESSENTIAL RESOURCES

Community-based non-profit organization serving Grand Isle County since 1993

Mission is to develop and foster resources that enable the people of Grand Isle County to live in their community with dignity. C.I.D.E.R. feels a special responsibility to older adults and persons with disabilities.

All programs are designed to provide access to services and resources as well as promote and provide opportunities for socialization.

Programs and services include:

Transportation (staff operated wheelchair-accessible vans and volunteer drivers using private autos)

Congregate and home delivered Neighbor Meals for seniors and persons with disabilities

Home accessibility and safety (e.g. wheelchair ramps)

Durable medical equipment lending (e.g. wheelchairs, walkers, bedside commodes)

Wellness activities (e.g. Living Strong strength and balance training, tai chi, nature ambles)

Information and Referral (e.g.. THE C.I.D.E.R. PRESS, Flashlight End of Life Program)

healing the past for a healthy future - vermont …...healing the past for a healthy future sheldon...

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