Central Vermont Council on Aging provides comprehensive services designed to enhance daily life for aging Vermonters. Hannaford has supported this nonprofit organization through the Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger Bag, Community Bag, and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs.
Tell us about Central Vermont Council on Aging.
The mission of Central Vermont Council on Aging is to support older Vermonters in aging with dignity and choice. The organization was founded in 1980 to serve older adults in the Washington, Orange, and Lamoille counties. We started with a much smaller budget. As time went on, we were able to add nutrition and continue building from there.
What services do you provide to the community?
Vermont is divided geographically, so there are five agencies that divide to provide services to the state. We are the designated community-based provider delivering care coordination, case management, information, assistance, and innovative caregiver support directly to older Vermonters. We offer these services in their homes, at our office, or by phone. We also provide contracted transportation, legal, and mental health services. The organization also provides funding and technical assistance for 12 Meals on Wheels sites.
What sets Central Vermont Council on Aging apart from other nonprofits in your community?
The vastness of our programs and services sets us apart from other nonprofits in the community. Instead of focusing on one task, we support an entire demographic with everything they might need.
Instead of focusing on one task, we support an entire demographic with everything they might need.
We foster connections with other partner organizations, including nutrition programs, transportation providers, and legal services providers. At the same time, we provide direct services through case management, wellness programs, and our State Health Insurance Program. The State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) is very unique. The SHIP coordinator meets with individuals who are nearing retirement, turning 65, or preparing to enroll in Medicare for the first time. The coordinator provides neutral advice and counseling about Medicare. This program has become the state-designated place to get neutral advice.
We also do monthly workshops for anyone interested. Our staff works together to guide hundreds of community members with a neutral lens. These workshops are all completely free of charge.
Tell us a story about the good work of your organization.
We have a client who has Lewy body dementia and other medical issues. He is married to his primary caregiver, and the couple has been receiving case management services for about a year now. The caregiver was referred to us by the social worker at her spouse’s primary care provider. Both of their situations fit into the model of things we could provide services for. Central Vermont Council on Aging has connected this couple with a plethora of life-changing services.
This story really shows how many different touchpoints our organization has. One of the programs they benefited from is Choices for Care. Any individuals who need additional support in their lives are eligible for this program. Capstone Community Action provided weatherization services for their home. The couple was also connected to a free mail-order pharmacy service. Their case manager even helped them erase medical bills.
The couple also received a new furnace and water heater. The caregiver had known their furnace was bad but didn’t know if they could afford another without financial assistance. She’d also been trying to bathe her spouse in their small shower stall. So, they’re getting home modification assistance from Vermont Center for Independent Living to renovate their bathroom. Now, they’re in the process of retrofitting the bathroom to ensure it is handicap accessible.
Additionally, they no longer have copays for their medication and the caregiver is now being paid to be that support person through Choices for Care, enabling them to increase their budget. All this happened because a case manager came, listened, evaluated the situation, and made connections for the couple.
All this happened because a case manager came, listened, evaluated the situation, and made connections for the couple.
I love this story because it captures a lot of what happens every day at Central Vermont Council on Aging. Someone calls our helpline, and we start with the first piece of advice. When a case manager gets involved, the journey continues.
In this particular situation, the couple was able to benefit from many things immediately. When a person is connected with a case manager, it might be that they need one thing right now. Maybe they just need a simple phone call to receive information on enrolling for Three Squares Vermont or Meals on Wheels. Once we’ve built that initial connection with them, we can connect them to more programs and services.
What is your most outstanding achievement or contribution to the community?
Something I appreciate about our organization is the person-centered approach our staff takes. Our case management team truly listens to individuals, looking to find out what they are asking for help with and what programs or resources they could be interested in accessing.
Across all of our departments, our staff really believes in the dignity and choice of each individual who we connect with. We’re not prescriptive in nature. We don’t offer opinions on how someone decides to live their life or where they decide to age. We listen to what’s desired and do everything we can to get the necessary support in place to make meeting that need possible.
We’re not prescriptive in nature. We don’t offer opinions on how someone decides to live their life or where they decide to age.
What do you want people to know about Central Vermont Council on Aging?
We do a lot more than people think we do. A lot of people are familiar with the organization’s name, but they likely don’t understand all of the programs and services available to them. Additionally, they might think these resources are only available to a certain demographic or subset of the population. Everything is available to anyone who is 60 years old or older. Our volunteer programs are open to anybody!
We have everything from exercise classes to creative and technology programs. Even though case management is a huge part of our organization, there are other programs available to anybody in the community that are meant to simply enhance and support daily life.
How will you use the funds you’ve received from the Hannaford Helps Fight Hunger Bag, Community Bag, and Bloomin’ 4 Good Programs?
Funds from this program support our nutrition and wellness programs. We are able to provide more community members with services like nutrition education and counseling through a registered dietitian. Additionally, these funds help us support our 12 partner nutrition programs throughout the region that deliver Meals on Wheels daily, hold congregate community meals, and offer grab-and-go meals. Our full-time wellness coordinator also oversees a program that provides veterinary care and food supplements to the dogs and cats of older adults in our community as well as a gardening program and a creative aging program. These initiatives all combat the social isolation and loneliness that can have profoundly negative effects on an individual’s health. Hannaford’s support means the world to us. We are really grateful to the stores that have supported us time and time again. It means a lot to us.
Interview with Leanne Hoppe, Philanthropy and Communications Director
Published July 17, 2024.