REGION – Thanks to the generous donations from realtors, affiliates, office admins, and the South-Central Vermont Board of Realtors’ (SCVBR) incredible fundraising team, SCVBR raised over $14,000 this year. The money was evenly distributed to the Winhall & Stratton Community Food Shelf, Manchester Community Food Cupboard, Neighbors Pantry in Londonderry, Jamaica/Wardsboro Community Food Pantry, Pawlet Community Church, Arlington Food Shelf, and GBICS Kitchen Cupboard (Greater Bennington Interfaith Community Services).
“Too many families continue to struggle to provide for their basic needs,” said Laura Gianotti from the Winhall & Stratton Community Food Shelf. “Nobody should have to go hungry this holiday season. We will be using this generous donation to fill our shelves with much-needed healthy pantry items as well as fresh dairy and produce.”
In past years, the SCVBR collected donations at each of their meetings to distribute to local food pantries, but for the past three years have found the Fall Food Fundraiser more effective to help meet the increased needs of the community due to food insecurity, supply shortages, and inflation.
The board members stepped up in a huge way this year by donating cash for the pantries to use to fill their shelves for the season. “We’re proud to help support the local food pantries and food banks that touch the communities we serve,” said SCVBR President Andie Fusco “It’s an opportunity for our members to give back, be active volunteers in our community, and help bring awareness to the important hunger issues that people in our area face.”
The community affairs committee also established a successful non-food items drive by collecting toiletry, household, cleaning, and paper goods at each of their meetings as well as having donation boxes set up in local realtor offices across south central Vermont.