Mad River Valley Community Fund

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Posted on 11/30/2016 by Erik H. Reisner

This time of year we reflect on what we are thankful for, and there are indeed many things on that list. We are grateful that we live in such an amazing community where neighbors, friends, businesses, and other organizations support each other in good times and bad.

One of those organizations is the Mad River Valley Community Fund; a non-profit organization established in 1989 to specifically respond to the needs of Mad River Valley residents.

Not long ago an unspeakable tragedy occurred that forever changed the lives of five Mad River Valley families.  The community response was powerful and overwhelming, and an outlet was needed to help funnel financial contributions to those families. That’s where the MRVCF stepped in to help by creating the Five Families Fund.

I sat down with Jon Jamieson, President of the MRVCF to learn more about their organization:

I hear that the “Five Families Fund” has been quite successful and will close on December 31st 2016.

Yes, there was an incredible outpouring of support for these families.  All proceeds raised will be split evenly between the families, and each family will then decide the appropriate use of the funds.

What are some of the services the MRVCF provides to the community?

We strive to offer a hand-up rather than a hand-out to people with needs that cannot be met by other assistance programs.  Whether it’s related to housing, transportation, nutrition or health expenses; we try to help people get back on their feet so that they can be self sustainable again by discrete and local means.

The MRVCF disburses +/- $60,000 a year in general aid, which does not include the ongoing support of the Mad River Valley Food Shelf or the social worker we provide to the valley community 2.5 days a week. Overall, our annual budget generally falls just under $100,000/year.

Wow, that’s a lot of money to raise every year!  With that in mind, how can folks contribute to the Community Fund?

Our annual solicitation for donations should be arriving in mailboxes throughout the Valley in the next couple weeks.  There is also a Benefit Bake at American Flatbread on December 16th.  We can also accept on-line donations anytime using PayPal.