Grantees

Expand capacity to serve fresh produce in snacks and meals and engage children and families in gardening and healthy eating practices.

A teen center in Cabot called "The Hop"

To provide educational, parenting, life skills, and employment readiness skills and curricula to the growing population of pregnant and parenting teens within Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. The high school diploma or equivalent, employment or higher education preparation, and parenting/life skills knowledge gained by participants thorugh programming will continue to improve the independence of young families and reduce the risk of abuse and neglect as well as the family's dependence on State assistance.

The MINT is a makerspace for anyone who likes to make things. Our makerspace is open to kids of all ages, but kids and families have special tool and space needs that our adult-sized space is not set up to serve. The new MINT Kids and Family Makerspace will provide access to a special set of tools and equipment designed to be easy to learn and use by families. Programming will allow multi-generational family groups to spend time together making things. Kids will learn how to solve problems and gain the satisfaction that comes from making something useful with their own hands.

We are requesting grant funding to support the grand reopening of our newly renovated pantry, which serves children and families in our community. Thanks to the generosity of a local donor and the hard work of volunteers, we were able to complete major upgrades—including new flooring, freshly painted walls, and a custom-built desk donated by a local craftsman. To complete this transformation, we are seeking funding for essential equipment: new shelving units and 2 utility carts. The shelving will allow us to better organize and store food, making items more accessible for families, while the carts will help us safely and efficiently transport goods to and from the pantry space. Additionally, we have expanded our available storage by reconfiguring the layout, allowing us to introduce a new dietary specialty section. This area is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of families with specific dietary restrictions—such as gluten-free items—as well as cultural preferences. This equipment will help us provide a more inclusive, dignified, and efficient service to families who rely on us for support.

The Pond Brook Project is requesting grant funds in order to build our science station for students to get hands-on experience with science. Pond Brook is an outdoor experiential program and travels throughout Addison County to explore the ecology of our immediate environment. Students are aged 12-15, and spend each day outside in nature as a core part of the curriculum. Though we are mobile, tools and equipment will help students to document and explore what they find. This grant would benefit students directly by allowing them to have access to science equipment, and therefore a space to conduct experiments, inspect specimens, inspire their curiosity, and encourage them to engage more deeply with the world around them. Willowell will purchase a rolling lab table, 2 binocular compound microscopes, 15 hand held magnifiers and a set of propylene beakers.

Support the expansion of farm to (pre)school initiatives that will enable children ages 2-12 to choose healthy dietary choices and increase access and exposure to a broad array of fresh, healthy food on-site.

The Talking Room is a walk-in/drop-in counseling clinic for parents who participate in the programs at The Janet S. Munt Family Room. This is the collaboration of NFI VT Family Center and The Family Room. The NFI VT Family Center clinician has expertise in parenting support and healing trauma through counseling. The Family Room is known to be the place where refugees and immigrant parents go. The goal is to increase accessible mental health services for parents and caregivers.