Foundation commits nearly $12M

EAGLE TIMES STAFF
MIDDLEBURY, VT — The Vermont Community Foundation recently announced that it has granted or committed $11.8 million of the nearly $12.4 million in flood relief funds it has raised so far to help the state recover from one of the worst weather events in Vermont history.

The VT Flood Response and Recovery Fund 2023, created by the immediately after torrential flooding walloped the state on July 10, has now awarded $6.2 million in grants and committed another $5.6 million to assist Vermont through the next phases of recovery, with more to come.

“It’s been almost five months since catastrophic flooding ripped through our state. Since then, people from every corner of Vermont and beyond have pulled together to help,” said Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “It’s thanks to that effort and many generous contributions that we have been able to direct funds where they are most needed and support communities as they rebuild. As the year’s end approaches, we know the recovery is not done but we also want to acknowledge the progress that could never have happened without so much support from people caring about their neighbors and this state.”

The flood fund has helped through all stages of the recovery, from supporting emergency shelter and initial mucking-out to long range strategies to build flood resilience in Vermont’s housing sector, downtown commercial districts and watersheds. The fund has also consistently supported access to nourishing food.

The most recent grant tally includes nearly $1.5 million in direct aid to farms and farmers. These funds were allocated through the Farm Disaster Relief Grant Program, which was created in August from the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund. In total, the program made 157 grants of up to $10,000 to farms across Vermont.

All of that made a tough summer a little better at Lower Notch Farm in Bristol, where the flooding forced farmers Matt Bryan and Olivia Glascoe to deal with the loss of about half of their blueberry crop and cover unexpected costs for excavation and repairs to the property. The $10,000 farm grant, and the encouragement it represents, helped them get through a challenging summer and renew their commitment to farming.

“We couldn’t have done it without the support,” Bryan said.

Visit vtfloodresponse.org/strategy for a deeper look at how the Vermont Community Foundation plans to distribute current and future donations to the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund 2023.