THE FUND
TO FEED
A new campaign publicly launched in spring 2024, The Fund to Feed Champlain Valley has ambitious goals:
We’ll renovate and expand Burlington’s Community Resource & Food Access Center.
We’ll strategically invest food in distribution centers and networks in Addison and Franklin Counties, and add a new hub in Grand Isle County.
We’ll secure funding to ensure the viability of hunger relief programming throughout the Champlain Valley.
Learn more about our Fund to Feed the Champlain Valley here.
For over 50 years, Feeding Chittenden at CVOEO has worked to address hunger through innovative programs rooted in compassion, dignity, and inclusivity. With your support, we have worked to end hunger, promote health, and build strong resilient communities.
We are expanding our critical anti-hunger work further into Addison, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties, and we are proud to share our new name that better reflects what we do – Feeding Champlain Valley.
Our Challenge
Meeting the growing & persistent need for food security in the Champlain Valley. To end hunger, we must address it’s root causes.
Lack of Availability
There is not enough access to food shelves and food delivery to meet the current needs of rural and remote Vermonters.
Shortage of Fresh, Nourishing Food
We need more fresh fruits, vegetables, proteins, and pantry staples to meet the nutritional and medical needs of individuals and families.
Lack of Food Our Neighbors Want
The charitable food system has historically lacked the choice of culturally relevant and medically specific food options.
Language Barriers
Over 30 different languages are spoken in the Champlain Valley, which can create a barrier to accessing food.
Stigma Associated with Visiting Food Shelves
Shame associated with visiting traditional food shelves prevents some of our neighbors from getting the help they need.
Food Waste
Grocery stores, restaurants, farms and food production facilities throw away millions of pounds of usable food.
Our Solution
Investing in infrastructure, food access, and capacity in the Champlain Valley.
Total Expected Expenses:
$7,500,000
You can help reinvent our charitable food system! Your support will be an investment in the infrastructure, food access, and capacity needed to get nourishing, fresh, diverse, and accessible food to all who need it – today AND in the years to come. We need to raise $7.5 million through donations from businesses, foundations, and individuals before September 2025 to meet our goal.
Infrastructure:
$3,077,000
- Renovate Burlington’s Food Shelf and Community Resource Center to create a welcoming, functional, and safe environment for all
- Build new Food Hubs in Middlebury, Sheldon, and Grand Isle county that will allow staff to store more inventory and distribute to households throughout the Champlain Valley
- Invest in coolers for the Colchester Food Hub that will make more fresh food available
- Expand our vehicle fleet to deliver more of our neighbors
Food Access:
$4,313,000
- Innovate and expand our online market, which offers multilingual support for food ordering, pickup, and delivery of groceries and prepared meals
- Increase locally sourced and diverse fruits, vegetables, grains, spices, dairy products, and proteins that are medically specific and culturally relevant
- Partner with other CVOEO programs, such as Head Start and the Office of Racial Equity and Inclusion, to serve clients experiencing hunger from diverse cultural backgrounds and language groups
Capacity:
$110,000
- Hire and train bi- and multi-lingual employees
- Build and deepen relationships with community partners to broaden our network of support
- Rescue more usable food that would go to waste, reducing environmental impact and strengthening our hunger relief work
- Feed our community today and into the future with a fund that will help ensure the long-term sustainability of this necessary work
Hunger in Vermont
Latest Hunger Free Vermont data from 2022 shows:
2 in 5
Vermonters Experience Hunger
BIPOC:
10.4x
As likely to face hunger
Families with Children:
10.4x
As likely to face hunger
Households Experiencing Job Distruption:
4.3x
As likely to face hunger
Rendering of Burlington’s Food Shelf and Community Resource Center Renovation
Ways You Can Give
Dedicated volunteers work in tandem with staff to help meet community needs. You can volunteer as an individual, business, or family.
We welcome your gift of appreciated stock!
You can make an impact for years to come when you include Feeding Champlain Valley in your estate planning or by making Feeding Champlain Valley a beneficiary of your retirement account, life insurance, & other assets.
Many of Feeding Champlain Valley’s programs rely on in-kind support from our community. We often seek new or like new clothing items, unopened food, baby clothes, toiletries, and more.