Coins for Community 2021
January
Lyndon – Lyndon Youth Baseball and Softball – $6373.77
Lyndon Youth Baseball and Softball (LYBS) serves over 500 kids in Lyndon and surrounding towns (Burek, Newark, East Haven, Sutton, Kirby, Sheffield, Wheelock and Victory). Children range in ages from 4- 15 years old. Our program has been successful due to the volunteers who have helped coach, work in the cookshack and organize the league, and many local businesses that donate and purchase signs from us. Each year LYBS is well represented in the postseason (Allstars) by many different age groups, both boys and girls teams.
Expenses to run LYBS continue to increase and the number of volunteers to operate the program seem to slowly decrease yearly. We have had to hire some services out in the past (Mowing and field maintenance are a few of those expenses). Player’s equipment is always needing to be replaced in order to keep our players safe and meet safety guidelines. LYBS accommodates such a large number of children that it can become extremely costly. We try to keep our sign-up costs low to allow every child to have access and because of this we rely heavily on fundraising to keep the program running. Covid has caused every single one of our fundraisers to either be eliminated completely or reduced to a small fraction of what they normally provide for the program. Thank you.
https://www.facebook.com/Lyndon-Youth-Baseball-Softball-159332537455337/
St.J – St. Johnsbury Baseball and Softball – $2738.88
St. Johnsbury Baseball & Softball serves over 300 youth that are looking for a fun, safe experience. We maintain 5 fields at two sites and are in the middle of a campaign to upgrade all facilities, most of which hadn’t been touched in over 35 years. Our upgrade expenses in 2021 will approach $30,000. Funds raised will help purchase a new backstop, dugouts, and batting cage for the Babe Ruth Field and new infield surfaces on both the Little League and Babe Ruth Field.
February
Lyndon – Sheffield Food Pantry – $6499.16
We serve all towns within a 20 miles radius from Sheffield, excluding towns that already have food pantries available. Funds will be utilized to help serve locals who struggle with food security. Thank you!
St.J – Nek Habitat for Humanity – $2377.17
NEK Habitat for Humanity’s office is located at 459 Portland Street, Suite 2, St Johnsbury. We became a branch office of Upper Valley Habitat for Humanity in late 2007 and have since served over 150 families in the Northeast Kingdom. We build and repair homes in partnership with low-income homeowners. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit and operate on donated funds only. The COVID-19 effect on our capacity to help our neighbors have decent homes in which to live has been very detrimental to our mission, not to mention our budget. We use our money to buy building and repair materials. We are now focused on raising money so that we can be ready to go when the pandemic protocols for construction volunteers are lifted.
March
All Locations – Lyndon Area Food Shelf – $9713.67
Any monetary donation that is provided will be used to purchase food staples for the eight (8) towns that the Lyndon Area Food Shelf serves. Food is distributed every Wednesday and on an emergency basis. The Lyndon Area Food Shelf is located at St. Peter’s Church on Elm Street in Lyndonville.
The need in the community is great and our funds are always at risk as we must purchase products from the Vermont Food Bank and that requires we pay for the food as well as shipping to the Food Shelf on Elm Street in Lyndonville. We appreciate your help!
April
Lyndon – Powers Park – $6,749.66
Village Improvement Society/Powers Park is right in the heart of Lyndonville and has served area communities for over 105 years. Our mission is to provide fun, affordable, and healthy recreation opportunities for local children and families and to promote physical activity and the arts in a safe and convenient outdoor setting. We ensure that all enrolled children are provided with high-quality swim and tennis instruction and are placed in the appropriate level for their specific needs. We do this in several ways, but our flagship program is an 8-week long swim program that provides high-quality swim instruction at low cost to children in the Northeast Kingdom. Annually, we serve approximately 400 children from Lyndon and the surrounding towns, and employ approximately 15 local youth as lifeguards, recreational instructors, and aides. We also have groups and businesses use the pool and picnic area for events like company picnics, weddings, graduations, and family reunions. The park is also open to the public year-round from dusk until dawn and includes tennis courts, a pump track, a pavilion, a basketball court, a playground, and grass fields. Powers Park, at no charge, also provides space for the state’s summer food program to serve free food to children on our property during the summer. Thank you for your help!
St.J – Meals on Wheels – $2,879.80
We serve nutritionally balance hot delivered meals to the most vulnerable and disabled in our community. Our average donation per meal is less than $1.00. The cost of the meals is around $6.50. In the first 6 months of 2020 we delivered 20,307 meals. We coordinate, cook, and deliver meals out of the St. Johnsbury House.
May
All Locations – Kingdom Animal Shelter – $11513.85
A limited-access, all-volunteer, non-profit certified 501(c) (3) animal rescue organization. They respect the inherent value of every animal in their care and strive to prevent overpopulation and cruelty to animals. Your donation at the register this month will help:
Facilitate the placement of rescued, abandoned, abused or neglected animals in safe, life-long homes
June
All Locations – Vermont Children’s Theater – $9666.94
The Vermont Children’s Theater is a volunteer-run nonprofit organization that provides free summer theater programs for students aged seven to just-graduated seniors. Through our policy of all-inclusiveness, we use theater as a vehicle to equip area youth with valuable skills that will benefit them both now and in the future: communication, creativity, teamwork, literacy, empathy, and leadership. In addition, we help support drama programs in local schools by lending them costumes, props, and set pieces. We purposely keep our ticket prices low so that the community can enjoy an affordable arts experience; thus, ticket revenues do not cover our operating expenses.
In 2020, we were unable to provide our usual in-person programs due to the COVID pandemic. Instead, we offered our first-ever Virtual VCT, which included several Zoom-friendly productions, as well as online programming that explored storytelling, songwriting, song interpretation, playwriting, and more. Since we had no income from ticket or lobby sales, the Coins for Community program was a lifeline that allowed us to offer a creative outlet to our youth during a stressful time. With COVID restrictions still in place, we are unsure what form our 2021 season will take. Donations through the Coins for Community program will ensure that we can continue to offer creative programming that builds skills and meets the need for fine arts in our community, which is needed now more than ever.
July
All Locations – H.O.P.E Helping other people every day – $11077.51
H.O.P.E. (Helping Other People Everyday Inc.) has been in Lyndonville since 2009, and has been offering services to those in our community that require life’s basic necessities. Our mission has always been to help in a loving and compassionate way, and in doing so, we hope to instill a desire to help others. We operate a thrift store in downtown Lyndonville, stocked almost entirely with donations from community members, where our charitable organization is based out of.
Over ten years ago, we started the first Backpack Program in our region, which provides bags of food to children from 9 area schools facing food insecurity over the weekends. This program has grown to be the most significant service we offer, and has the largest impact to our community. We also provide homeless services to those who find themselves suddenly homeless, emergency services for those facing a flood or fire, free clothing vouchers, and teacher packages throughout the school year to our area schools, filled with school supplies, just to name a few. We do all of this with no federal, state, or local government funding; all of our work is funded through donation. All funding raised will go to the many services we provide.
August
All Locations – Darling Inn Meal Site – $9191.97
Darling Inn Meal Site delivers meals for those unable to leave their homes, something that is incredibly crucial at this uncertain time. The staff at the meal site prepares 65+ meals each day and frozen options for weekend meals. These meals are delivered daily by their volunteers. Also, meals are offered in their dining room at the Darling Inn Monday – Friday.
https://www.facebook.com/DarlingInnSeniorMealSiteFundraiserChallenge/
September
All Locations – Burke Meal Site
We serve approximately fifty senior citizens lunch out of our meal site kitchen three times a week. We serve seniors in the towns of Burke, Sutton, and Newark. Any money raised will help us purchase needed items for these seniors. Our Seniors are our most precious members of society!
October
All Locations – Friends of Dog Mountain – $7589.50
Friends of Dog Mountain (FODM) was established in 2015 with the mission to steward, operate and sustain the 150 acre Dog Mountain property in St. Johnsbury as a community asset for dogs and people and to curate the artistic works of Dog Mountain’s iconic and world-renowned creator, Stephen Huneck. Until FODM’s establishment, Dog Mountain’s future hung in the balance following the tragic deaths of Stephen (2010) and his wife Gwen (2013). The transition out of the Hunecks’ private estate and probate courts to a non-profit dedicated to becoming a vital public resource for both the creative and tourism sectors of the region was long and costly. But with the assets now in the hands of this fledgling non-profit, FODM is dedicated to serving more of the community and deepening connections to land, art, and dogs to enhance community and economic vitality.
In 2020, due to Covid-19, tourist visits to the gallery, Dog Chapel, and trails decreased drastically, and Dog Parties, Levitt AMP St. Johnsbury Concert Series, and other events that brought thousands of visitors in past years were all cancelled. However, locals have discovered that a visit to Dog Mountain is an excellent way to get out and enjoy Vermont with a dog while staying safe. Contributions will help Friends of Dog Mountain maintain this special place and be ready for increased visitation and a 2021 concert series!
November
Lyndon – Lyndon Outing Club – $8603.93
Lyndon Outing Club has served Lyndonville and the surrounding area for over 80 years. We provide trails to hike on and a skate park in the summer. (We are in the midst of planning a bike park.) In the winter we are able to offer affordable skiing & riding, and last year began a program for graded school students offering lessons and free skiing on Wednesday nights. We are one of the few night time ski areas in the region.
Your donations to the volunteer-run LOC supports:
– Repairs to ski lift & equipment maintenance
– Lodge & operational expenses
– Special events & more
St.J – Nek Council on Aging
The mission of the NEKCOA is to provide communities the tools to age well, their way. For over 40 years, the NEKCOA has served residents in Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties. We are committed to providing person-centered care and lifestyle options that inform, encourage, inspire, and support older adults. We rely on the dedication of our 25-member staff and over 370 volunteers who lead wellness classes, prepare and deliver meals, help with caregiving, health insurance, and offer companionship, laughter, and love. During the COVID-19 outbreak, the number of home-delivered meals provided during each month doubled. We appreciate the support of community partners who are providing additional freezer space for meals. We continue to support our elder clients as they stay home and stay safe. One call to our helpline 800-642-5119 or a visit to our website nekcouncil.org connects elder NEK residents to services that support their independence. We have two offices in St. Johnsbury and Newport and by appointment in Hardwick and Island Pond.
The funds will be directed to our Annual Fund that provides resources for Elders for fuel, insurance, transportation, and utility bills. Last year, these hardship costs totaled over $35,000. Thank you for your consideration to include the NEKCOA in the Coins for Community Program.
December
Lyndon – Cobleigh Library – $6638.68
We were thankful for the donations made in 2020, especially as other fundraising efforts were limited and we incurred additional costs to make spaces COVID safe for our staff and community members.
Donated funds support Bookmobile upkeep and programming as well as services and materials offered at the library.
Thank you!
St.J – NVRH Unmet Needs Fund – $1940.62
The NVRH Community Unmet Needs Fund helps people in small ways that promote health and wellness in big ways, because small things can make a big different for those in need: A gas card to get to a medical appointment; a pair of winter boots; a grocery card for diapers; a pair of eyeglasses repaired; help with installing a handicapped ramp. 100% of all gifts to support this Fund will go directly to helping people in need in our community.
Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital (NVRH) is a community, not for profit, acute care, critical access hospital (which is a federal designation for hospitals in support of ensuring access to care in rural regions). Located in St. Johnsbury, our service area includes Caledonia County and a portion of Essex County with a total population of approximately 30,000. Our robust rural health system includes a 25-bed critical access hospital, multiple primary care clinics, express care walk-in clinics, specialty and surgical services, birth center, community health programs, and a 24-hour physician-staffed emergency department. NVRH’s commitment to a lifetime of health and well-being extends beyond our hospital walls through community health initiatives aimed at keeping our community healthy throughout life.
