Tis the season of giving and nowhere else in Vermont is that more apparent than at the Vermont Foodbank. From November 20th-23rd, we’ll be giving out 1,500 roasting chickens with all the “fixin’s” between our three distribution locations. Donations are coming in almost hourly, from families who want to help their neighbors to small businesses who want to give back to the community. Over the next two months, you’ll likely see donation boxes at your local church and grocery store. Thanks to the warm autumn, we had a productive gleaning season and have been fortunate to provide fresh produce longer than usual this season. Just now, while writing this, a group of ROTC cadets from Norwich came in, asking where they could drop off a few pickup trucks of food!

The donations that we receive during the holidays account some years for as much as 70% of our annual donations. While we are both grateful and fortunate for the support and generosity of Vermont’s residents and communities, donations in January will plummet. Food shelves and soup kitchens will remain open, serving Vermont’s most disadvantaged all year long because unfortunately, hunger in Vermont is not limited to a season.

3SquaresVT (Food Stamps) is one of the most important tools we have to combat year-round hunger. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the program, we encourage you to visit our website here. Our Outreach Team would love to answer your questions and assist you through the application process.

So when the egg nog runs dry, once you exchange Aunt Faye’s ugly sweater for what you really wanted, and after you’ve returned the twinkling Reindeer to its spot in the attic, please consider an out-of-season donation to the Vermont Foodbank. Every tax-deductible dollar you donate will provide three meals to people in need. And speaking of which, don’t forget that tax-returns are just a few months away.

“We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give.”
~ Winston Churchill