From the Desk of Paul Dragon, 9/17/25
At CVOEO, we believe in collaboration and transparency. That’s why every week Executive Director Paul Dragon shares a roundup of updates and initiatives to keep everyone, from our 300+ team members to the broader community we serve, informed and connected. Here’s what’s new this week!
CVOEO Addison County Open House and Celebration
Please join us tomorrow (Thursday, September 18 at 11 am) to celebrate our new Addison Community Action (ACA), Feeding Champlain Valley Addison Food Hub, and Champlain Valley Weatherization Office. These services are not new, but their next locations are next steps in reaching more neighbors and strengthening our commitment to Addison County and rural communities. They are part of many other CVOEO services including Head Start, Crisis Fuel, volunteer tax assistance, financial education, microbusiness, and more that are available to our Addison County neighbors. This celebration is not about buildings or infrastructure – it is about how we care for and listen to our neighbors, our community, our colleagues, and each other.
CVOEO Spotlight in VT Digger
Please see our strong feature in VT Digger as we try to raise support for widening gaps. “As Vermont faces deepening challenges, the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) remains committed to its mission: ending poverty and building a future where everyone can thrive. In a year marked by uncertainty, community support has never mattered more.”
Read more here: https://vtdigger.org/2025/09/11/in-crisis-community-leads-cvoeo-stands-strong-as-cuts-sever-the-arteries-of-support/
CVOEO Addison Community Action and Maple Broadband
Addison Community Action is collaborating with Maple Broadband to provide high speed internet service to eligible Addison County residents. Households whose income does not exceed 200% of the federal poverty level would be eligible for free installation of the conduit and a $30 reduction in the monthly cost of the service. With our increasing dependence on the internet for our economic, educational, and medical well-being, this partnership enables us to strengthen both individual and community connections.
Federal Action Resulting in more Food Insecurity and Hunger
On October 1, refugees, asylees, parolees, and Special Immigrant Visa holders will lose their SNAP (3SQVT) benefits due to the new federal law. There is no change for citizens, green card holders, Cuban Haitian Entrants, and residents of Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands. At this time, all green card holders will keep their benefits – we are waiting for more federal guidance and will let you know if that changes for some green card holders in the future. CVOEO and other hunger relief organizations are concerned about increasing hunger and demand for resources. CVOEO is the largest direct charitable food organization in the state.
Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA)
A lawsuit filed by several state Head Start associations has resulted in a ruling that the new PRWORA interpretation cannot be enforced anywhere in the country. A reminder that the new federal PRWORA action would reduce access to essential services to immigrants who do not meet the qualified status. This will mean less access to early childhood education (e.g., Head Start), preventative health, mental health, family planning, etc. This will increase the administrative burden for states, widen inequality, promote fear, confusion, and place much more demand on anti-poverty organizations like CVOEO.
Regional Young Professional CoP
CVOEO young professionals and emerging leaders – the New England Community Action Association is hosting a forum to learn and share information on leadership for young professionals. Below is a link to register for our first session! This initial forum will be a place to share successes, ask for advice and feedback, provide and receive training, and brainstorm together what the future of Community Action can be. The first meeting will be an opportunity to lay the groundwork and map out the direction and schedule of this CoP and work together to determine the topics, needs, and interests of the group going forward. All are welcome to join the Young Professionals CoP, though we especially encourage participation from those ages 18–35, as our intention is for the discussions and activities to be by and for young professionals.
Time and Date: Thursday, September 25th, 3pm-4pm Target Audience: CAA Staff ages 18-35.
Link to Register: Region I Young Professional Community of Practice
Northwest Family Foods Updates
Guest visits for the month are up over 20% compared to last year, which demonstrates the continued growth in need in Franklin and Grand Isle Counties. Additionally, the Ben & Jerry’s food drive concluded with over 1,600 lbs. of miscellaneous food, produce, and personal care items, and yesterday our Food Shelf Coordinator at Northwest Family Foods received a $10,000 donation from BC Ceramics in St. Albans.
Chittenden Food Hub
Feeding Champlain Valley’s Chittenden Food Hub distributed some stellar produce, including farm shares purchased from Killeen Farm (Shelburne) and Diggers’ Mirth (Burlington’s Intervale), as well as donations of spinach, green and yellow beans, chard, and kale from the VT Foodbank’s gleaners.
Striped Armenian cucumbers and gorgeous cherry tomatoes from Killeen Farm
Addison Food Hub and the Venison for Vermonters Program
Game Warden Abigail Serra delivered over 100lbs of game (moose, venison, and bear) for our food shelf and FAN recipients. Donations were part of the Venison for Vermonters program.
Read more here: https://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/donate/venison-for-vermonters
Addison Food Hub and Middlebury College Volunteers
The Addison Food Hub hosted an orientation group from Middlebury College on September 6th – students packed home delivery orders, restocked shelves and fridges at the Food Shelf, and helped make space for new walk-in coolers and freezers!
Kiddie CATs (Children and Teachers) On the Move
Kiddie CATs is a collaboration between the University of Vermont’s Departments of Education and Psychology and Head Start classrooms. We have been in partnership for 10 years, and we continue to grow and change to meet the needs of the children and families we serve. Over the next semester, 14 UVM student volunteers and 13 UVM site supervisors will go to one of our program sites three days a week for 2 hours each day, and they will provide structured, high-intensity playtime with the children. The program uses a “Plan, Do, Review” structure for 32 minutes. There is a lot of stellar content online at CATs on the Move Program | Children and Teachers (CATs) on the Move | The University of Vermont , including our social story translated into a number of different languages spoken by students in our partner classrooms.