Irene Fund Reports
In the wake of Tropical Storm Irene, the Community Foundation established three funds to support farmers, nonprofits, and mobile home residents with their recovery. Since the storm, Vermonters and those who love Vermont have donated over $4 million to these and other Irene-related funds at the Foundation. In the spring of 2012, the Foundation published a report on each fund to provide grantmaking data and share our observations on successes, emerging challenges, and remaining needs.
The Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund Update
More than six months after Tropical Storm Irene surged through Vermont, there's no question that it had a tremendous impact on Vermont's farmers. Many lost everything from crops and infrastructure to land and livestock. The Vermont Farm Disaster Relief Fund was established by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture working with the Community Foundation to help these farmers get back on their feet. The grants committee has received 237 applications and has awarded grants to 198 farmers totaling $1,879,193, with an average grant size of just over $7,900.
Read the full update.
The Special and Urgent Needs (SUN) - Irene Recovery Fund Report
From the moment Tropical Storm Irene struck Vermont, local nonprofits have been at the forefront of the state's recovery process, helping residents who were affected by the storm and serving as key partners in the rebuilding of their towns; many of these organizations worked around the clock to meet a surge in demand for their services even as they recovered from damage to their own facilities. By May 2012, the Foundation had collected $417,555 in donations and awarded grants to 84 nonprofit organizations, schools, and municipal entities totaling $417,020.
Read the full report.
The Mobile Home Program Fund Report
Within the first two weeks of Tropical Storm Irene striking Vermont, it became clear that mobile home park residents would be one of the priorities of the recovery effort. Four hundred thirty-eight mobile homes were eligible for FEMA assistance and 129 required complete demolition and removal. Thanks to the generosity of donors and the leadership of Lt. Governor Phil Scott, Vermont Secretary of Commerce Lawrence Miller, the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, the Association of General Contractors, and the Vermont Long Term Disaster Recovery Group, over 70 mobile homes were removed by the project team at no cost to residents.
Above photo courtesy of Lt. Gov. Scott's Office.
Read the full report.A Summary of Activities, Outcomes, Challenges, and Lessons Learned. This report was prepared by the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity, Mobile Home Program.