Healing the Past
for a Healthy Future
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Transportation as a Barrier to Food Shelf Access
• John Gorton – Sheldon Methodist Church Food Shelf
• Toni Auriemma – Community Action, Northwest Family Foods
• Robin Way – CIDER (Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources, Inc.)
• Michelle Trayah – Parent Child Center at Northwestern Counseling & Support Services
• We all serve together on Franklin/Grand Isle Hunger Council
• We all serve in a variety of other service provider collaboration groups
• Franklin County Community Partnership
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Sheldon Methodist Church Food Shelf
• In operation for about 20 years
• Network Partner with VT Foodbank
• Funded by the church
• Strong community support• Individual financial donations• Several organizations do food collections
• Became a United Way Funded Program in 2018
• Operate out of the church basement
• Have a new building under construction
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Sheldon Methodist Church Food Shelf
• Started in the 1990’s with 1000 lbs of food• 24 boxes with 45 lbs each• Took 3 months to give away those 24 boxes
• Today for year 2018• 1404 families served• 3919 people served• 128,000 lbs of food distributed
• Food selection• 30% fresh produce• 40% USDA (TEFAP)• 12% frozen food• 5% refrigerated food
• Total volunteer, no paid staff, 2018 budget $6000
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Why is Transportation an Issue
• Serve clients from all over Franklin County• Less than 5% clients from Sheldon• Largest area is Richford (over 30%)
which is 20+ miles away• Second largest area is St Albans which is
10+ miles• Third largest is Swanton, also 10+ miles
• Many clients struggle to keep a reliable car on the road
• Many clients struggle keeping gas in their car
• Many clients don’t drive
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Access to transportation is a problem in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties
On Average 20.6% of households in
Vermont are single individuals
without cars or households with two
or more individuals but either no car
or only one.
With limited public
transportation in the
counties, dependence on
personal vehicles has
increased importance, yet
outside of county population
centers, where dependence
on transportation is the
greatest, we find vehicle
ownership is lowest – below
state averages.
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
How Do We Tackle Transportation
• Encourage car pooling
• Allow people to pick up food for other families• Signed note with contact info
• Verify if we hear of abuse
• Operate on an “on-call” basis• Our big day is 3rd Tuesday when Foodbank delivers
• Meet families anytime mutually convenient
• Working with other community partners to do more
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Community Action – Northwest Family Foods
Opened 5 days a week,
we serve over 2,000
households in the bi-
county area.
In the course of a single
year, one in ten
individuals will have
had meal prepared
from food provided by
us.
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Reaching out to the counties
NorthWest Family Foods operates
three remote sites, one in
Richford, one in Alburgh and one in
Isle La Motte.
In Addition, we work cooperatively
with a number of area agencies to
move food throughout the
counties. Our goal is to leverage
these relationships to increase our
reach and make food more
accessible.
About half of the households
we serve are from outside
the St. Albans area.
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Sharing Resources
In partnership with the St. Albans
Rotary, Healthy Roots, and Martha’s
Kitchen, St. Albans community kitchen
program, we recently were recently
able to purchase a shared vehicle.
This allows Martha’s to deliver meals
off site, Healthy Roots to glean and
distribute fresh produce during the
growing seasons, and NorthWest Family
Foods to procure and distribute more
food throughout the counties.
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
Community involvement
• Utilization of community partners:
Where are the families?
How do we identify the families we know exist but are not utilizing food resources and really need to?
What resources already exist in the community that can be key partners?
With limited resources, how do we maximize the outcome of food security?
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
One idea: Childcare Programs
• Existing programs that can help identify families
• Know families well
• Families confide in their providers
• Providers can share resources with families
• They can also help inform community as to barriers to why families cannot access resources.
Champlain Island Parent Child Center
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
The Discussion on This Idea
• It comes down to the how and the who. How do we make this happen?
Who can get the food from point A (the food shelf) to point B ( the program location)?
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
One Success Story
In South Hero, Champlain
Island Parent Child Center
(CIPCC) Director, Katie
Brown, has partnered with
the Grand Isle Food Shelf’s
Judy Ayers to make this
happen!
CIPCC calls on Tuesdays every
week to let Judy know how
many families need
assistance and bring the food
shelf reusable cloth bags to
fill.
One of 4 staff members from CIPCC
picks up and brings them to the
center on Wednesdays for families
to pick up. The center is picking up
food for 10 to 15 families each
week! The bags weigh around 25
pounds each.
Grand Isle Methodist Church
Grand Isle Food Shelf
Champlain Island Parent Child Center
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
A Second Idea
• If we cannot get the people to the food, can we…
•Get the food to the people?
•Getting PEOPLE to FOOD and FOOD to PEOPLE on three islands and the Alburgh Tongue
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
How do we Utilize Existing Transportation
• This concept looks at how can the food shelves partner with existing transportation services to put food on the vehicles to be delivered to a set point on already existing routes.
• The Council is talking about the transportation people getting the fare for the food versus the rider. The question is: Is this doable and what needs to happen to make this a reality?
• This creative idea is looking at how do we look at using existing resources instead of creating new systems in a time of limited resources.
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
C.I.D.E.R. Solving the challenges of the Islands
C.I.D.E.R.
volunteers pick up
bagged groceries
from NorthWest
Family Foods St.
Albans site and
deliver directly to
Island Households
Congregate senior meals at the South Hero Congregational Church
(Mondays & Thursdays @ 12:30) At least one special/holiday lunch and/or 5pm evening supper each month. Transportation provided – Suggested donation $3 per meal – Est. 2,750 meals & 175 non-dup guests fy19
Home-delivered meals for seniors unable to easily access food or prepare meals (Mondays and Thursdays) –Suggested donation $3 per meal – Est. 1,815 meals & 40 non-dup recipients fy19
• HUNGER FREE GRAND ISLE COUNTY PROJECTS
Food Shelf on Wheels
Farmers Market Shuttle
• GROCERY SHOPPING (SENIORS & PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES)
Weekly group shopping trips to Saint Albans & Chittenden County (Funded through E&D Program)
Individual grocery shopping using volunteers (E&D mileage reimbursement for volunteers)
Healing the Past for a Healthy Future
CHAMPLAIN ISLANDERS DEVELOPINGESSENTIAL RESOURCES
Community-based non-profit organization serving Grand Isle County since 1993
Mission is to develop and foster resources that enable the people of Grand Isle County to live in their community with dignity. C.I.D.E.R. feels a special responsibility to older adults and persons with disabilities.
All programs are designed to provide access to services and resources as well as promote and provide opportunities for socialization.
Programs and services include:
Transportation (staff operated wheelchair-accessible vans and volunteer drivers using private autos)
Congregate and home delivered Neighbor Meals for seniors and persons with disabilities
Home accessibility and safety (e.g. wheelchair ramps)
Durable medical equipment lending (e.g. wheelchairs, walkers, bedside commodes)
Wellness activities (e.g. Living Strong strength and balance training, tai chi, nature ambles)
Information and Referral (e.g.. THE C.I.D.E.R. PRESS, Flashlight End of Life Program)