Vermont Housing & Conservation Board - Vermont Legislature

Vhcb AmeriCorpsNow celebrating it’s 15th year of service to Vermont communities, vhcbAmeriCorps enlists members to serve with housing, environmentaland energy conservation organizations around the state. AmeriCorpsmembers expand the ability of these groups to mobilize volunteers and provideservices including emergency shelter, housing placement, financial literacy,environmental education, weatherization and energy effiiciency. While providingessential services, members attend trainings, develop leadership qualities, andgain employment skills.Upon completion of the program, nearly all members report feeling betterequipped to secure employment, having greater understanding of the challengesfacing Vermont, and believing their participation in vhcb AmeriCorps hasmotivated them to act as volunteers in the future. Each year, several membersare hired on as employees by their sponsoring organization at the end of theirservice term. In 2012, nearly one third of the VHCB AmeriCorps crew reuppedfor another year of service.s Lara Langaweiler, the AmeriCorps memberat left, served with the Windham & WindsorHousing Trust. She was able to coordinatefuel assistance, home repairs and cellphoneservice for a resident affected by TropicalStorm Irene.2012 highlights• In 2012, vhcb AmeriCorps placed 32 members with 25 sponsoring organizationsaround the state for a total of 47,087 service hours. The members“HomeShare Vermont would not bemobilized 1,737 volunteers who logged 5,228 hours.• In the aftermath of Tropical Storm Irene, AmeriCorps members havewhere it is today if it were not for these helped more than 1,000 individuals with home repair, case management,by procuring donations, distributing food, and other activities.amazing AmeriCorps members assistingwith outcomes, working with clients,• Members helped almost 1,500 individuals find housing and repaired 520homes for low-income individuals. They assisted with energy assessmentsand increased energy efficiency in more than 500 homes by installing cfls,developing trainings and much more.” faucet aerators, solar panels, insulation, mobile home skirting, and repairingleaks. Members offered financial literacy workshops to more than 1,000— Kirby Dunn, Executive Director, HomeShare Vermont individuals.• AmeriCorps members served as stewardship agents for trails and parks,maintaining 96 miles of trails, removing tree hazards and invasive species,digging drainage ditches, cleaning up parks, restoring land, planting trees,removing snow, and more.• Thousands of students and youth (many from economically disadvantagedfamilies) attended environmental or energy conservation workshops,natural history programs and presentations, nature camps, school outreachprograms, after school programs, and special community events led byAmeriCorps members.• In October, at a celebration for HomeShare’s 30 th anniversary, HomeShareVermont presented vhcb with a “Decades Award” for sponsoring AmeriCorpsmembers to serve and support HomeShare programs for eleven years.For more information, visit:www.vhcb.org/acorps8 / Celebrating 25 Years