HUNGER FREE VERMONT INC
38 EASTWOOD DRIVE SUITE 100, SOUTH BURLINGTON, VT 05403 www.hungerfreevt.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO END THE INJUSTICE OF HUNGER AND MALNUTRITION FOR ALL VERMONTERS.

FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVES: HUNGER FREE VERMONT IMPROVES ACCESS TO AND PARTICIPATION IN 3SQUARESVT (KNOWN NATIONALLY AS SNAP) WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST RELIABLE, CONSISTENT, AND DIGNIFIED MEANS TO PREVENT HUNGER IN THE US. HUNGER FREE VERMONT WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FEDERAL, STATE, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS TO INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE PROGRAM, REMOVE BARRIERS TO PARTICIPATION, AND TRAIN SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO DO APPLICATION ASSISTANCE TO ENSURE ALL THOSE WHO ARE ELIGIBLE ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE. IN 2019, HUNGER FREE VERMONT STAFF PROVIDED 24 TRAININGS TO OVER 400 SERVICE PROVIDERS ACROSS VERMONT WITH ESSENTIAL INFORMATION ABOUT HOW TO HELP VERMONTERS APPLY FOR 3SQUARESVT. IN 2001 THERE WERE ONLY 38,558 PARTICIPANTS. LAST YEAR, AN AVERAGE OF OVER 70,000 VERMONTERS PARTICIPATED EACH MONTH, AND OUR STATE IS NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR REACHING MANY OF THOSE ELIGIBLE. OUR FOOD SECURITY INITIATIVES TEAM ALSO WORKS TO EXPAND EBT USE AT FARMERS MARKETS, RAISES PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT THE VALUE OF 3SQUARESVT, AND ENGAGES PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR PROTECTING SNAP FROM HARMFUL ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGES AND CUTS.

CHILD NUTRITION INITIATIVES SCHOOL AGE INITIATIVES: HUNGER FREE VERMONT ASSISTS SCHOOLS, TOWNS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS IN ESTABLISHING, AND EXPANDING PARTICIPATION IN ALL OF THE FEDERAL CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS THEY ARE ELIGIBLE TO OPERATE. THESE INCLUDE SCHOOL BREAKFAST, SCHOOL LUNCH, AFTERSCHOOL MEALS AND SNACKS, AND SUMMER MEALS. THESE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAMS PROVIDE A RELIABLE SOURCE OF NUTRITION FOR SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN, AND ALSO REDUCE FAMILY FOOD INSECURITY AND HUNGER BY REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF MONEY LOW-INCOME FAMILIES MUST SPEND TO PROVIDE FOOD FOR THEIR CHILDREN DURING THE WEEK. DURING SCHOOL YEAR 2018-19, HUNGER FREE VERMONT PROVIDED CUSTOMIZED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO 55 UNIQUE VERMONT SUPERVISORY UNIONS, SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, RESULTING IN 1,480 CHILDREN RECEIVING AT LEAST ONE NEW, REGULAR MEAL. SUMMER MEALS EXPANSION: BECAUSE SUMMER IS A PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TIME FOR FOOD INSECURE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, AND BECAUSE SUMMER MEAL PROGRAMS REACH ONLY A FRACTION OF ALL LOW-INCOME CHILDREN WHO NEED THEM, HUNGER FREE VERMONT DEVOTES CONSIDERABLE STAFF TIME AND RESOURCES TO EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN WHO HAVE ACCESS TO A SUMMER MEAL SITE FOR THE FULL TEN WEEKS OF SUMMER VACATION EACH YEAR. WE DO THIS THROUGH DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, COMMUNITY ORGANIZING THROUGH OUR HUNGER COUNCILS, AND A CONCERTED MEDIA AND ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN. AS A RESULT OF THESE EFFORTS, VERMONT RANKED 2 IN THE NATION IN 2019 IN REACHING LOW-INCOME CHILDREN THROUGH THE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM. SCHOOL NUTRITION PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION PROJECT: IN AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND RECOGNITION FOR SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE PROFESSIONALS AS THEY WORK TO IMPROVE SCHOOL MEAL QUALITY AND ACCESS, HUNGER FREE VERMONT PARTNERED WITH THE SCHOOL NUTRITION ASSOCIATION OF VERMONT AND VERMONT FEED (THE STATEWIDE FARM TO SCHOOL NETWORK) TO DEVELOP AND PILOT A CERTIFICATION PROGRAM FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS COMMITTED TO TAKING A LEADERSHIP ROLE IN SCHOOL NUTRITION. UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS CAMPAIGN: HUNGER AND FOOD INSECURITY AFFECT MANY VERMONT FAMILIES WHOSE HOUSEHOLD INCOME MAKES THEM INELIGIBLE FOR FREE SCHOOL MEALS. IN ADDITION, MANY STUDENTS WILL NOT USE THEIR SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM EVEN WHEN THEY ARE ELIGIBLE, DUE TO STIGMA. IN ADDITION, WHEN ALL STUDENTS PARTICIPATE, SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAMS ARE MORE FINANCIALLY SUSTAINABLE, CAN AFFORD TO PURCHASE MORE LOCAL FOOD, AND CAN SERVE HIGHER QUALITY MEALS. HUNGER FREE VERMONT IS THEREFORE COMMITTED TO MAKING SCHOOL MEALS A UNIVERSAL AND FUNDAMENTAL PART OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AT ALL VERMONT SCHOOLS THROUGH DIRECT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, AND ADVOCACY TO BRING ABOUT STATE AND FEDERAL LEGISLATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE CHANGE. BECAUSE OF OUR TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE EFFORTS, 78 SCHOOLS IN VERMONT (24%) OFFERED UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS IN 2019. EARLY CHILDHOOD NUTRITION: BECAUSE GOOD NUTRITION IS ESPECIALLY CRUCIAL WHILE A YOUNG CHILD'S BRAIN IS DEVELOPING, HUNGER FREE VERMONT IS HELPING CHILD CARE PROVIDERS BUILD NUTRITION INTO THE CORE OF THEIR PROGRAMS. IN 2019 HUNGER FREE VERMONT CONDUCTED FREE TRAININGS ON NUTRITION TO DIRECTORS AND WORKERS REPRESENTING CHILDCARE CENTERS AND HOMES FROM AROUND THE STATE, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 251 YOUNG CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES. HUNGER FREE VERMONT ALSO SERVES AS THE VOICE FOR NUTRITIOUS MEALS IN CHILDCARE IN COALITIONS ADVOCATING FOR IMPROVING AND EXPANDING EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND CHILDCARE CAPACITY IN VERMONT.

ADVOCACY AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION COMMUNITY EDUCATION: HUNGER FREE VERMONT RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT HUNGER AND EMPOWERS COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL LEADERS TO ADDRESS HUNGER THROUGH COMMUNITY EDUCATION INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THROUGH THE HUNGER COUNCILS OF VERMONT. THE 10 HUNGER COUNCILS INVOLVE ABOUT 1,000 LOCAL LEADERS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO LEARNING ABOUT HUNGER AND IMPROVING COMMUNITY AND HOUSEHOLD FOOD SECURITY. THE HUNGER COUNCILS COORDINATE EFFORTS AND BUILD STRONG NUTRITION SAFETY NETS AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL AND STATEWIDE. THE HUNGER COUNCILS ALSO RESPOND TO COMMUNITY NEEDS AND ARE A FORUM FOR HIGHLIGHTING AND ADDRESSING EMERGING CHALLENGES IN COMMUNITIES. THIS PROJECT IS A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING HUNGER: BY EDUCATING COMMUNITY MEMBERS ABOUT HUNGER IN THEIR REGIONS AND PROVIDING TOOLS TO IMPROVE NUTRITION AND REDUCE HUNGER IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND BEYOND. NUTRITION EDUCATION: IN 2019 HUNGER FREE VERMONT EXPANDED OUR NUTRITION EDUCATION EFFORTS TO HELP MORE VERMONT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DEVELOP LIFELONG HEALTHY EATING HABITS BY DEVELOPING A NEW ONLINE RESOURCES HUB. THIS HUB MAKES ALL OF OUR VALUABLE NUTRITION EDUCATION RESOURCES FREELY AVAILABLE TO TEACHERS, AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM STAFF, CHILDCARE PROVIDERS, AND COMMUNITY CENTER STAFF TO USE TO POSITIVELY IMPACT THE LIFELONG HEALTH OF ALL THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES THEY SERVE. ADVOCACY INITIATIVES: HUNGER FREE VERMONT IS VERMONT'S PRINCIPAL ANTI- HUNGER AUTHORITY AND LEADING FOOD SECURITY POLICY ADVOCATE. HUNGER FREE VERMONT WAS THE PRIMARY FORCE BEHIND ACT 22, WHICH GREATLY INCREASED ACCESS TO THE SCHOOL MEAL PROGRAM IN 2003. IN 2008, WE SUCCESSFULLY ADVOCATED TO EXPAND 3SQUARESVT, AND IN 2014, THANKS TO LEGISLATION SUPPORTED BY HUNGER FREE VERMONT, VERMONT BECAME THE FIRST STATE IN THE NATION TO PROVIDE FREE SCHOOL BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TO ALL LOW-INCOME STUDENTS. MORE RECENTLY, HUNGER FREE VERMONT'S ADVOCACY HAS LED TO VERMONT BECOMING THE FIRST STATE TO INVEST IN UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS AND A MAJOR EXPANSION OF THE VERMONT FARM TO SCHOOL GRANT PROGRAM -- QUADRUPLING FUNDING AND MAKING THE PROGRAM AVAILABLE TO EARLY CHILDHOOD PROVIDERS. IN 2019, HUNGER FREE VERMONT LAUNCHED THE UNIVERSAL SCHOOL MEALS CAMPAIGN, A MULTI-YEAR LEGISLATIVE EFFORT TO BRING SCHOOL MEALS TO ALL VERMONT STUDENTS AT NO COST TO THEIR HOUSEHOLD. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO LED COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS TO PROTECT THE SNAP PROGRAM FROM HARMFUL RULE CHANGES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. HUNGER FREE VERMONT CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVED ACCESS TO ALL FEDERALLY FUNDED FOOD AND NUTRITION PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT SUPPORT THE ECONOMIC SECURITY OF VERMONTERS. FOOD AS MEDICINE: HUNGER FREE VERMONT IS ALSO COMMITTED TO BETTER CONNECTING HUNGER AS A SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH WITHIN THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM. IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HEALTHCARE COMMUNITY, HUNGER FREE VERMONT IS EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OF PROVIDERS ABOUT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN HUNGER AND HEALTH AND IS IMPLEMENTING FOOD INSECURITY SCREENING AND REFERRAL PROTOCOLS IN MEDICAL SETTINGS.

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