Burlington Nonprofits and Charities

With over 160 adventure scholars awarded, it is amazing to see the impact of the Foundation through Ryan's legacy. The core values "challenge" has reached and impacted thousands of people, making the world a better a place.

Lake Champlain Committee (LCC) great team work supports our environment with actions and ongoing education for community and volunteers. I am one of those volunteers. Really appreciate Lori Fisher’s top notice training and the continuing updates. The LCC advocacy helps folks to better understand the interrelationship of our actions and ecosystems. Just to mention a few of the leadership endeavors - land use management, recreation, scientific monitoring/survey, legislative - all of which leading to healthy watershed. Those efforts make a difference! THANK YOU Lake Champlain Committee for all the engagement!

Who am I? A professional with experience in the field. <br> <br>I have been an admirer of Population Media Center for 17 years. PMC is one of the most successful nonprofits focused on a human-rights approach to family planning, reproductive health and justice. <br> <br>The staff thoroughly research each country where the soap operas are produced. They carefully craft the soap operas to achieve social change with stories that are compelling. The result is that knowledge is acquired and actions are taken that save lives and prevent unwanted pregnancies. The measured changes in behavior are cost-efficient and can be replicated. <br> <br>The organization I work for, Population Communication, focuses activities in many of the same countries as PMC. My experience in each of these countries is that PMC provides a more effective approach is getting results than any other competing NGOs. <br> <br>One of the PMC activities I most admire are the population/family planning stories Joe Bish culls from the news and reposts daily. <br> <br>Recently, the very impressive PMC book, "Overdevelopment, Overpopulation, Overshoot," has provided a focal point for creating visual awareness of the links between population, resources and the environment. Bill Ryerson's introduction articulates an overview of the opportunities to address the exponential population growth, the current unsustainable development, the depletion of resources. As Bill states in the book, "This is a wake-up call. The photographs are emotionally jarring and the reality of this moment calls for us to think, to care and to act." <br> <br>I have the great pleasure to acknowledge the outstanding service the Population Media Center provides for all of the countries where they focus their activities. <br>

Biking is Life! I've been on bike trails since I was an infant in a trailer behind my dad's bike. Life changed a year ago due to a spinal cord injury sustained in a mountain biking accident. I'm now a quadriplegic. While in rehab, I participated in an adaptive cycling program and realized that I can cycle again! Adaptive equipment is quite expensive, so I was so glad to find out about Kelly Brush Foundation grant opportunities. <br> <br>The Kelly Brush Foundation was very generous and will help me reach my goal to get back on the trail (tri)cycling this year. <br> <br>I’m proud to be part of #TeamKBF <br>

I'm a Trans EMT. Love what your doing here. Keep it up.

I have been aware of Healing Winds Vermont for a few years and am in awe of their efforts. I have family and friends who have lived with cancer, and recently, I had the opportunity to go out with one of these brave and courageous souls for a sail and it was life affirming!<br><br>Healing Winds Vermont is an amazing organization that offers a free sail for those with cancer, in remission, health care heroes and soon a kids camp for those with cancer and kids who have parents who have cancer. <br><br>Nominate a loved one for a sail, and you will be glad you did!<br><br>Linda Murphy

Having worked closely with the staff at Sara Holbrook, their passion, vision and thoughtfulness for the families of the center is topnotch and I couldn't be prouder to serve on this Board.

Home Base has been a major provider of services for my brother, a resident of So. Burlington. The Team, headed by Stan and Sharon, have been "above and beyond" in their handling of things since long before the pandemic started and even more so since. They make sure my brother follows the rules about mask wearing, washes his hands and avoids all public places that could put him at risk.They help with food shopping, his evening meal, getting to and from certain appointments, supervising any meds taken and personal hygiene. The Team set up an iPad so he could take an online art class 3 times a week. I was extremely impressed when he made the connection by himself on a day his Team member was unable to be present. Home Base is an integral part of his life and, because they function so efficiently, it is a great comfort to all the family. My brother has grown way beyond all our expectations. Thank you Home base Team!!

I was so excited when I saw Seeds of Light's mindfulness program in the list of afterschool offerings at my son's school, and it honestly exceeded my expectations. <br> <br>I have struggled with my mental health my entire life and didn’t have access to these types of programs or skills until my late teens. It changed my life so I thrilled my son has access to learn these skills much earlier. <br> <br>Tonight, he was having a hard time so I asked him if we could check in using the emotional identification tools he got from the program. We did and he was able to open up to me about some struggles at school today. He identified feelings extremely well and he felt better after we talked through things. <br> <br>He also showed me empathy and support when I explained how I had a hard day also. Something he found it very difficult to do before the program. <br> <br>We've found the emotional identification & communication guide so helpful that we bring it to our son's appointments with his therapist <br>

We have been a supporter of this wonderful organization the past 7 years sponsoring students in Kenya to earn a high school education and qualify them to then go on to university. We communicate directly with our students via mail and are updated on their progress in school. It has been extremely gratifying to be part of an organization that grows responsible young adults that give back to their communities.<br>In addition to sponsoring students through high school KSHP also helps these students communities starting at the grade school level. Boys and girls clubs that raise awareness concerning health and safety issues have been established at many primary schools. In addition, KSHP has worked in conjunction with local widows in making "dignity kits" for menstruating girls. This has greatly decreased missed days from school.

I was homeless and living in the forest in a primitive camp dealing with a misdiagnosis and the wrong psychiatric medications when I was referred to Pathways. Pathways found me housing, paid my deposit, and provided me with a private psychiatrist who correctly diagnosed my condition for the first time in my life. Since then, I have finished college with honors, fixed my credit, and started getting my life on track for the first time in my 40's. I wish I'd had them 20 years earlier, it would have saved me from so much trauma and suffering! Pathways provided the support and services that allowed me to thrive in an area where there were no others. They do essential work in Vermont that no other organizations offer.

After recently finishing many years serving on the Lund board, it seems to me that the essence of Lund Family Center is family. Over more than a century, the continuing good of bringing together children with their adoptive parents; of supporting, nurturing and educating young mothers and their babies to help them to find the path to a better future; of providing mothers who are incarcerated, and their children, with the opportunities to maintain their family connections during that time and afford them the best chance to change the trajectory of their futures for the better; of these and so many other endeavors; all of these have touched on and improved the lives of countless families, and made the community at large better and stronger. The people who work at Lund are amazing -- effective, compassionate, thoughtful and strong -- and complete professionals; it was a great and humbling privilege to have been associated with them. The Lund Family Center is a treasure.

Lake Champlain Land Trust is an accredited land trust. Accreditation means Lake Champlain Land Trust meets national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Lake Champlain Land Trust has demonstrated to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission its commitment to excellence. Accredited land trusts meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. These land trusts demonstrate their commitment to excellence by adopting Land Trust Standards and Practices, the ethical and technical guidelines for the responsible operation of a land trust, and meeting the accreditation requirements drawn from them. Learn More: http://www.landtrustaccreditation.org/about.

First Night is a great opportunity to volunteer. There are plenty of locations in need of volunteers, and plenty of volunteer options, plus volunteering gets you a free First Night button, which is always a plus.

This medical center has a long history of unethical behavior and greed. It has grown like a virus in taking over other hospitals, all under auspices of providing better care. The truth is, they are after capturing as much of the market as they can, discouraging patient choice. They have no respect for other businesses and will tell their providers they must keep patients referred only to themselves. The providers have to fill out a form to explain any referral anywhere else. FAHC is narcissistic at its core.

A wonderful organization that provides so many vital services to the community, a fine example of excellent management, volunteer engagement, and the dissemination of desperately needed resources.

This is a wonderful organization although I question the capacity of certain board members to effectively help to manage it.

Call and Response Foundation is proof that visions can become reality! I'm honored to be part of this work and witness to the incredible changes that have taken place because of the dedicated staff and board!

I originally got involved with Puppets in Education when my now 27 year old daughter was in Kindergarten! I was amazed by the questions her classmates (and their parents!) asked. I remember sitting on a bus during a field trip when another mother asked me if my daughter, who used a walker, ever liked to go to birthday parties. (I was inwardly surprised by the query. I mean, what child doesn't?) My daughter was my original inspiration but as I worked for and with Puppets in Education, I heard many such stories. <br> <br>The most powerful one I heard was from one of our high school volunteer puppeteers. When asked about her motivation for getting involved with the group, her response was, "I was in grade school when I first heard the puppet, Joanne, talking about an incident of sexual abuse that happened to her. I, as well as my best friend, had had the same kinds of experiences the puppet was talking about and we just thought that's what happened to kids. It wasn't until the puppet presentation at my school that I realized my experience wasn't what was SUPPOSED to happen to children." After many years of therapy, here was a young woman courageous enough to share her story with others and help other children learn what she had from the puppets. <br> <br>These puppets are powerful and change children's lives!

A group of hard working people doing what they can to make the lives of people with Cystic Fibrosis better. Very impressive.

I love the VT Mozart Fest! No matter who you are, but especially if you are visiting VT, you should attend a VT Mozart Fest concert during the summer. VT at its best! I have attended about 5 Mozart concerts. My favorite venue is Shelburne Farms; down by the lake on the gorgeous property of the Vanderbilt's farm. Bring your picnic basket full of yummy foods; wine, beer, cheese, bread, fruit, salad, etc even put in a pair of candlesticks for your picnic blanket. What could be more romantic and enjoyable? And I haven't even mentioned the beautiful music. Somehow the music is even more wonderful (if that's possible) under the evening sky. I go to the Mozart Festival for the whole experience; the music, the amazing surroundings, the food, and the drink. You must go...you don't know what you are missing!

Volunteering with the COTS Literacy program has been a truly wonderful experience. I volunteered with COTS almost 10 years ago and then moved away from the area. I am now back in Burlington and found my way at COTS for a second time. COTS is an organization that is absolutely mission driven which is evident in the staff, the programs offered, and the clients. Working with primary school children to develop literacy and a love for books is amazing. The children are so excited when I get there each week and often run to their rooms to get their reading name tags. They love listening to me read AND really enjoy me listening to them read. They are exicted to hear feedback from me and even welcome me correcting pronunciation of words. When I read, the children often climb up on the couch and snuggle into my arm or lay on my lap to listen. It is clear they enjoy the time and that they take so much from the hour we spend together. Each Monday I look forward to heading to Main Street to see the children and to bring them the books I've chosen from the Library that week. We each choose 2 books we want to read and off we go. The children laugh at funny parts, ask questions about pictures, count items they see on the page, and try to mimick their school teachers when they read to me. I, on the other hand, smile when I see them, laugh with them at funny parts, ask them questions about the pictures, and give out high fives when they finish their reading! It's only an hour each Monday and it is great, but it never feels like enough time.

In 1994 I saw an article about a man that built a plain pine casket for his dad. In the article a funeral director was quoted as saying, &ldquo;A lot of people say they want to be buried in a plain pine box, but when it comes time they end up with the standard commercial casket.&rdquo; So I went online to read more about why people don't get what they want and how to I can and bam! I found FCA [then called FAMSA] and joined. At first I only read the literature they sent, and didn&rsquo;t move on to implementing what I'd learned into a funeral plan of my own, however the seed was planted. Over the next several years I saw article after article in my local newspaper about families who needed to raise funds because they couldn&rsquo;t afford the funeral they bought. Why were people buying funerals they couldn&rsquo;t afford when there are other options, I asked myself? The answer was that they didn&rsquo;t know any other way. There was no FCA affiliate in my state. So I decided in 2000 to start an affiliate. Then executive Director, Lisa Carlson, came out from Vermont and helped us organize. I love her. Now we are led by another Executive Director, just as fun, intelligent, talented and caring as Lisa. His name is Joshua Slocum. I can't imagine volunteering for a better organization or cause than FCA. It is as transparant, meaningful and frugal as the funerals it promotes.