Tom is a volunteer EMT who is helping with front line response during the coronavirus outbreak. Because his taxi business had to shut down, he has no income and his bills are piling up. Thanks to you, at least there’s food on the table.
“This is really impacting me big time. I had to apply for food stamps so that I could have some way to eat while being on the front lines of the coronavirus.”
Tom is a small business owner and volunteer Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) living in Vergennes, VT. He’s normally able to make ends meet and pay his bills on time, but due to the coronavirus outbreak, his taxi business had to shut down. He now has no income.
For the first time ever, Tom doesn’t know how he’s going to pay his bills and keep food on the table for himself and his kids.
He’s trying to persuade his phone company and auto loan holder to allow him to defer payment on those bills so that he doesn’t lose access to his van, phone, and internet, all of which are especially important for Tom as an EMT at the forefront of the coronavirus response.
“I need to have my van so I can get to the rescue. I need to have my phone to get critical updates from the CDC and from [the hospital],” he shares.
Fortunately, thanks to Vermont Foodbank supporters like you, help is there to keep food on Tom’s table while he navigates these challenges. He reached out to the Foodbank and we were able to help him apply for 3SquaresVT, a program that can help him purchase groceries during this hard time. He’ll also visit his local food shelf so his family doesn’t have to go without the food they need during the outbreak. And because of you, the shelves will be stocked.
“It’s really hard right now,” says Tom. “Until this passes, there’s not much else we can do other than surf the wave and not go under.”
Support neighbors during this difficult time, if you can. Give help.
Are you in need of help? We’re here. Get help.
Help get food to neighbors who need it. Volunteer.
* Photo substituted to protect privacy.
When life took an unexpected turn for a mom in northern Vermont, she got in touch with the Foodbank to help provide her family with nourishing food. With the one-on-one assistance available to help connect her with the food resources that work best for her whole family, she can keep feeding her kids quality food while investing in her community.
Marian and Paul Joseph (Marian’s oldest child) live in Addison County. They like to fish and go to Port Henry to watch the trains. They also participate in community conversations hosted by Vermont Foodbank, where people who have experience with food insecurity help co-create food access strategies in their communities.
Francis and Jerome both know what it’s like to be unhoused in Vermont without access to nourishing food. They advocate for food security and are sharing their experiences with state legislators and the public to support policy changes that address the root causes of hunger.
