Bennington County Resources BROC
Economic Services
Senior Help Line
Vermont Food Bank
For help with heating your home, call: BROC
State Fuel Office
Senior Help Line
The following two items have come from Charlie Gingo’s latest Agency of Human Services Field Director’s Report . SETTING UP A WARMING SHELTER: Some towns in Bennington County are considering the idea of setting up a Warming Shelter during the coldest times of the winter months. A Warming Shelter is any place that is open for a designated period of time to those whose homes may be insufficiently heated to allow for safe, healthy, and/or comfortable living. In essence, it is a place where people can go to get warm. I hope to have more information about which towns are moving forward with this idea by mid-December and will share the information with you. Deb Peterson, the executive director of the Green Mountain Chapter of the American Red Cross in Bennington, put together a very helpful Power Point presentation that offers things to consider and guidance for operating a Warming Shelter. While Warming Shelters won’t be operated by the Red Cross, the information contained in the Power Point may prove useful for any organization considering setting one up. If you, your organization, or your town is thinking about setting up a Warming Shelter this year, you can contact either Deb Peterson or me for a copy of the Power Point presentation. Deb’s email address is dpeterson@gmcarc.org. My email address is charles.gingo@ahs.state.vt.us. APPLICATION FOR THE COMMODITY SUPPLEMENTAL FOOD PROGRAM: The Commodity Supplemental Food Program offers free monthly nutritious food to income-eligible senior citizens and women who are pregnant or post-partum and children up to age 6 who are not receiving WIC. Each month a participant (or a proxy) can pick up a 40 pound box of food that includes canned meat, canned fruits and vegetables, juices, cereals, cheese, pasta or rice, beans or peanut butter and more. The application process is quick and easy. Call the Vermont Foodbank’s toll free number 1-800-214-4648 for a simple pre-screening. Or visit www.vtfoodbank.org for more information and to download an application.
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