Community Hunger Project Sponsored by Northfield Savings Bank

In July 2006, the Vermont Campaign to End Childhood Hunger and Northfield Savings Bank launched the Community Hunger Assessment, Intervention, & Resources (CHAIR) Project, which coordinates community efforts to build strong nutrition safety nets—one Vermont community at a time. In May 2009, the Northfield Savings Bank Foundation announced a $450,000 grant to continue the project for another three years. (Video coverage of the press conference can be viewed on the CCTV website.)

Bob Canavan, USDA’s Acting Administrator of Food and Nutrition Services’ Northeast Region,
Tom Pelletier, Northfield Savings Bank President & CEO, and Marissa Parisi, Vermont Campaign to
End Childhood Hunger Executive Director at the grant announcement on May 13, 2009.

The Community Hunger Project is a comprehensive approach to addressing hunger that educates community members about the local causes and effects of hunger and provides tools to improve nutrition and reduce hunger in their communities. This project is currently being piloted in two of Vermont’s most densely-populated areas, Washington and Chittenden Counties.

After just three years, the project has produced many tangible results including improved access to 3SquaresVT (formerly the Food Stamp Program), new school meals programs, and more child care centers serving federally-funded nutritious meals.

In addition, the councils identified Vermont Works for Women (VWW), a non-profit that trains women and girls, to pilot a meals-catering project. In partnership with the Campaign, VWW’s “Chef Works!” program will prepare and serve meals to children in kindergarten through 8th grade in Winooski’s THRIVE summer enrichment program.

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To learn more about this innovative community hunger project, please contact Dorigen Keeney, Director of Public Policy & Research, at .