By Keith Whitcomb Jr.
RUTLAND HERALD
The Vermont Foodbank’s VeggieVanGo has seen its usage increase significantly over the course of the pandemic, and while it has helped many people access fresh fruits and vegetables, the hours of operation aren’t always ideal.
That’s what prompted Otter Valley Union Middle and High School Nurse Tina Spotts to put a little more “go” into the local VeggieVanGo effort.
“I started in the summer when I became a volunteer, just helping to hand out the food, but at that time, the time frame, 10 to 11 in the morning, didn’t work for a lot of community people and working people,” said Spotts.
She reached out to the other school nurses in the district as well as Nancy Bird, SOAR program director at Neshobe Elementary School, for help. Together they worked to make the VeggieVanGo program work outside its usual hours, and incorporated cooking classes into it.
“At that point in the fall we left (the shares) outside until it became too cold to do that so we moved inside, but then went beyond that,” said Spotts. “The Foodbank was able to get a grant to cover transportation, so we now work with the bus coordinator to actually deliver shares to the four other schools that are within the district.”
Neshobe, Leicester Elementary School, Barstow Elementary, and Lothrop Elementary, are the schools involved.
Spotts said she and the others make sure there’s a place the food can be dropped off. Other volunteers then sort it, figure out who wants it, then see about getting it to the people.
“It’s not part of our job description, we’re just helping to get the food out to the community and to those people who can’t come between 10 and 11 in the morning,” she said.
According to Spotts, locals are quite appreciative of the program, and the need is there.
“We are hoping to continue it,” she said. “We’re hoping that we’ll get legislative support to be able to continue the program.”
And it’s looking as though it will.
John Sayles, chief executive officer of the Vermont Foodbank said Tuesday that the Legislature appears to be in agreement on including a $6 million line item for the Vermont Foodbank in the state’s budget.
At the height of the pandemic, it was estimated that 30% of Vermonters needed help with buying food, said Sayles. This was according to a University of Vermont study. The need has decreased slightly, to about 25%, but given that pre-pandemic it was just under 10%, it’s still quite high.
He said the Foodbank, pre-pandemic, would only ask the state for about $86,000 a year.
Legislators, and occasionally Foodbank donors, will ask why the need is so high given all of the federal stimulus payments that went out since 2020. Sayles said most of those programs have ended, and while many employers are finding it hard to find help, the issue is that not everyone who would work is able to do so.
Many are dealing with erratic school schedules, others have immunocompromised people they need to care for, or are immunocompromised themselves.
“So as long as these conditions last we’re going to continue to see people needing to replace that income and food is one of the ways we do it,” said Sayles.
He praised the efforts of Spotts and others helping the VeggieVanGo program. The number of people using VeggieVanGo has gone up significantly during the pandemic.
keith.whitcomb @rutlandherald.com
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