CVOEO

Working towards economic, social, racial, and environmental justice in the Champlain Valley and beyond.

Building a community where every person is valued, has access to opportunity, and can achieve their full potential. The Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) provides individuals and families with the basic needs of food, fuel, and housing support in times of crisis, and helps them acquire the necessary education, financial skills, and assets to build a stable future in which they thrive.

06/23/2026

Last month, community members, volunteers, staff, and partners came together at the Old North End Community Center for CVOEO's 37th Annual Garden Day.

Thanks to the generosity of Intervale Community Farm and Essex Westford School District, we distributed thousands of free seedlings to more than 150 households across our community. Seedlings were also shared with raised bed gardens at CVOEO and COTS shelters, helping expand access to fresh, locally grown food.

This year's offerings included tomatoes, African eggplants, hot and sweet peppers, melons, cucumbers, broccoli, cabbage, herbs, and more—each one carrying the potential for meals, savings, and connection in the months ahead.

Garden Day is a reminder that food security is built through community. A single seedling may seem small, but when combined with knowledge, resources, and support, it can become part of a larger network of care that helps families stretch budgets, grow fresh food, and strengthen neighborhood connections.

Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time, shared their expertise, donated plants, and helped make this annual tradition possible. We are especially grateful for the strong partnerships that allow Garden Day to continue growing year after year.

Together, we're helping cultivate healthier communities—one garden at a time. 🌱

06/22/2026

This week Representative Becca Balint visited CVOEO headquarters at 255 S. Champlain Street in Burlington and met with program staff as part of her effort to highlight Community Action Program agencies. During her visit, Representative Balint received a tour of Feeding Champlain Valley’s new Chittenden Food Hub, which will open this fall and house the food shelf serving the greater Burlington area, as well as the warehouse and inventory space staff use to build orders for delivery.

We would like to thank Representative Balint and her staff for recognizing this important work and taking the time to meet with CVOEO staff who strive to uplift and empower community members experiencing hardships.

06/18/2026

CVOEO will be closed on Friday June 19, in observance of Juneteenth. Normal hours will resume on Monday, June 22.

06/17/2026

This Juneteenth, we pause to honor a pivotal moment in our nation's history and reflect on the ongoing work of advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging in our communities.

Virginie Diambou, Program Director for CVOEO's Office of Racial Equity & Community Inclusion, shares, "Juneteenth is both a celebration and a call to action. It marks the delayed arrival of freedom for enslaved African Americans in 1865, reminding us that justice and equality are not automatic, they require intentional work, courage, and community commitment."

She continues, "As a Racial Equity and Community Inclusion Office, this day holds deep meaning in the work we do every day. Our commitment to language access recognizes that equity begins with being understood and having the ability to fully participate in services that impact our lives. By ensuring non-English speakers can access information, resources, and support with dignity, we help remove barriers that have historically excluded many communities.

Juneteenth also reminds us of the importance of education and awareness. Through our work with providers, we strive to build culturally responsive systems that honor the lived experiences, identities, and needs of diverse communities. At the same time, we empower community members with knowledge and access so they can advocate for themselves and receive fair and equitable services.

Our advocacy work is rooted in the understanding that equity is not simply about offering the same opportunities to everyone, it is about addressing the systemic barriers that prevent communities from thriving. Juneteenth calls on all of us to continue building systems that are inclusive, just, and accountable.

As we honor this historic day, we also reaffirm our commitment to listening, learning, and standing alongside the communities we serve. The spirit of Juneteenth challenges us to move beyond symbolism and continue the work of advancing equity, inclusion, and belonging for all."

06/16/2026

Looking for information about your rights as a renter? Need help finding housing, understanding a security deposit, requesting repairs, or navigating a housing challenge?

Vermont Tenants, a subprogram of CVOEO's Housing Advocacy Programs, offers free information, resources, workshops, referrals, and navigation services to renters throughout Vermont.

Resources include:
• The Vermont Tenants Hotline
• Information on tenant rights and responsibilities
• Workshops on leases, security deposits, repairs, fair housing, evictions, and finding housing
• Multilingual videos, guides, and educational materials
• Referrals and support navigating housing concerns

📞 Call the Vermont Tenants Hotline: 802-864-0099
📧 Email: [email protected]

Vermont Tenants is one of several programs within CVOEO's Housing Advocacy Programs, which also includes the Mobile Home Program, Fair Housing Project, HOME Family Housing Voucher Program, Housing Stabilization and Retention Services, Statewide Asylum Seeker Assistance Program, and the Striving for Equity Project.

To learn more about CVOEO's Housing Advocacy Programs and find the Vermont Tenants resources, visit Cvoeo.org/housing-advocacy-programs/ . Follow Thriving Communities: Building a Vibrant, Inclusive Vermont for more Housing Advocacy Programs education and updates.

06/15/2026

Farm to Family Coupons: Open July 1 - only two weeks away!

Mark your calendars! Beginning July 1, Vermont’s Farm to Family Coupons Program kicks off its application process. Eligible Vermonters can get coupon books to buy fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables at participating area farmers markets, co-ops, and farm stands. Eligibility is determined by income or your participation in the Department of Health’s WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program.

Once approved, individuals under the age of 60 receive $30 in coupons, while those ages 60 and older receive $48 in coupons.

To learn more or to apply, just call your nearest CVOEO Community Action Network office:

-- Addison Community Action: 802-388-2285
-- Chittenden Community Action: 802-863-6248
-- Franklin and Grand Isle Community Action: 802-527-7392

06/11/2026

Looking for ways to stretch your grocery budget this summer?

3SquaresVT provides monthly benefits that can be used at grocery stores, convenience stores, co-ops, and many farmers markets. More than 63,400 Vermonters in over 38,600 households participate in the program, including more than 18,500 children, 17,400 older adults, and 19,200 people with disabilities.

Many households are surprised to learn they may qualify. You may be eligible if your household income is at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level. Households that include someone age 60+ or a person with a disability may qualify under different rules.

Benefits are loaded onto an EBT card each month and can be used at more than 600 food retailers across Vermont and over 40 farmers markets. Through programs like Crop Cash, many farmers markets also provide extra dollars for purchasing local fruits and vegetables.

Need help applying? CVOEO's Community Action teams can help:

• Addison Community Action: 802-388-2285
• Chittenden Community Action: 802-863-6248
• Franklin & Grand Isle Community Action: 802-527-7392

Looking for additional local food resources? Feeding Champlain Valley can help connect you with Food Hubs, community meals, and other food access programs throughout Addison, Chittenden, Franklin, and Grand Isle Counties—find your nearest Food Hub at cvoeo.org/feeding-champlain-valley.

06/10/2026

Last month as we welcomed the spring season, the Healthy Roots Collaborative spent time with 3rd and 4th grade students at Alburgh Community Education Center exploring one of the surest signs of spring: planting a garden.

Students got their hands in the soil, learned about seeds and growing conditions, and discovered the basics of starting a garden. These hands-on lessons help connect young people to the food they eat and the agricultural traditions that help sustain our communities.

Now part of Feeding Champlain Valley for nearly two years, the Healthy Roots Collaborative works throughout Franklin and Grand Isle Counties to strengthen local food systems through education, food access, and support for growers and producers. Programs like these help build connections between students, farms, and the communities that nourish them.

Here's to another season of learning, growing, and celebrating local food!

06/08/2026

Fair Housing Month came to a close a month ago, but we're still reflecting on the conversations, partnerships, and collective action that took place across Vermont. The work of advancing fair housing and thriving communities doesn't end when April does.

One highlight was CVOEO Fair Housing Project's "From Housing Justice to Civic Power: A Vermont Action Summit," held on April 25 in partnership with the National Low Income Housing Coalition's Our Homes, Our Votes Campaign.

The summit brought together advocates, tenant leaders, policymakers, and community members to explore the connection between housing justice and civic engagement. A panel featuring David Foss, Rev. Mark Hughes, Lindsay St. Amour, Rep. Saudia LaMont, and Alex Karambelas, moderated by Tia Turner, examined current threats to voting access, shared lived experiences from Vermont communities, and discussed opportunities to build civic power rooted in housing justice.

Participants then joined interactive action labs focused on Policy Rapid Response, Tenant Power & Storytelling, Building Local Civic Engagement, and Housing Justice & Voter Access. Together, attendees explored practical tools for organizing, advocacy, and community-building while developing action plans to bring back to their own communities.

The day concluded with remarks from Sen. Tanya Vyhovsky and a voter registration drive supported by the Vermont League of Women Voters, Burlington Board of Voter Registration, and the Vermont Secretary of State's Office.

Want to learn more? Read our Fair Housing Month recap, "2026 Fair Housing Month – Cue the Curtain Until Next Year," and access event recordings at cvoeo.org/media/2026-fair-housing-month-cue-the-curtain-until-next-year

Follow CVOEO's Fair Housing Project: Thriving Communities: Building a Vibrant, Inclusive Vermont

06/05/2026

With the legislative session now closed, we're looking back at some of the advocacy highlights from CVOEO's team.

In April, members of Feeding Champlain Valley joined state leaders, advocates, grocers, and community members at the Vermont State House to show support for food choice and food access for all Vermonters.

At the press conference, Emmet, Food Hub Supervisor in Addison County, shared:

“We started off by having the unprecedented delay of SNAP benefits for the first time in the history of the entire program that people did not receive their benefits in time. Then we’ve seen onerous work and paperwork requirements that have been handed down to many Vermonters who rely on SNAP benefits—that’s additional administrative work they need to do every single month just to stay receiving their benefits. I think it’s in that context that you have to see this so-called junk food ban has taken place.”

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this important moment and who continues to advocate for policies that support food access, dignity, and choice for all Vermonters.

If you're interested reading more about the advocacy against SNAP food restrictions, visit the VermontBiz article: https://vermontbiz.com/news/2026/april/22/state-leaders-and-advocates-gather-oppose-snap-food-restrictions-waiver?fbclid=IwY2xjawSNIEBleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETE3bzd2UklSeWxBSUNOSEFSc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHsrhtW_XrwV3_8fC_D7a3jX3Y-dLZOxJu-HFyWAylpOF258dP01d3JfUUhli_aem_ni64MZBGPDgfHedMXK800w

Address

255 South Champlain Street
Burlington, VT
05401

Telephone

+18028622771

Website

http://www.cvoeo.org/

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