VOTED ON IN MARCH 2022 – all passed Town Meeting Minutes 2022

ARC Rutland Area Serving Citizens with Developmental Disabilities
128 Merchants Row, Suite 302, Rutland, VT 05701 www.ARCRutlandArea.org 802-775-1370
ARC requests $1,500 to advocate for the rights of individuals and families with developmental disabilities to be regarded as valued citizens with the same entitlements as a non-disabled individual, including the right to lifelong opportunities for personal growth and full participation in the community. ARC serves 24 Mendon residents.

Marble Valley Regional Transportation District “The Bus”
158 Spruce Street, Rutland, VT 05701 www.thebus.com 802-773-3244
Marble Valley Regional Transportation District requests $1,200 to provide safe, reliable, accessible and coordinated public transit service to enhance economic, social and environmental quality of life throughout Rutland County and surrounding communities. The Bus has been providing transportation for over 45 years. In 2020 the bus provided over 14,000 rides in Mendon.

RSVP & The Volunteer Center
6 Court Street, Rutland, VT 05701 www.volunteersinvt.org 802-775-8220
Retired Senior Volunteer Program requests $700 to help defray the financial impact of COVID-19 on the organization. Their volunteers are continuing to support the communities through the COVID-19 pandemic with new initiatives such as mask making for local agencies and schools and making wellness calls to isolated seniors. In fiscal year 2020 Mendon residents took advantage of RSVP programs such as free income tax return preparation and our free osteoporosis prevention classes. Currently in Mendon RSVP volunteers donated their services to the following non-profit organizations: AARP Tax Program, Bridges & Beyond, One-2-One, the Meadows, Dismas House, Rutland Town School, Vermont Achievement Center, Northeast Primary, RSVP Operation Dolls and More, and RSVP Bone Builders. RSVP stated they are unable to track how many Mendon residents benefit from the service of their volunteers.

Rutland Mental Health Services
78 South Main St., Rutland, VT 05701 www.rmhsccn.org 802-775-2381
Rutland Mental Health Services requests $1,242 to provide individual counseling for children, adults and families, substance abuse treatment services, emergency/crisis services, and developmental disability services. Rutland Mental Health Services and is committed to providing quality services regardless of an individual’s ability to pay. During the fiscal year 2020, Rutland Mental Health Services provided 407 hours of service to 31 Mendon residents.

Rutland Area Visiting Nurses Association & Hospice
7 Albert Cree Drive, Rutland, Vermont 05701 www.vermontvisitingnurses.org 802-775-0568
The Rutland Area Visiting Nurses Association and Hospice requests $2,600 to provide Rutland County residents with exceptional home care, hospice and community health services. RAVNAH’s mission is to provide medically necessary healthcare wherever it is needed, regardless of a client’s ability to pay, location of residence, or complexity of health issues. In 2019 VNAHSR’s dedicated staff provided 1,346 visits to 23 individuals.

Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging
143 Maple St. Rutland, VT 05701 www.svcoa.org 802-786-5990
Rutland, VT 05701
The Southwestern Vermont Council on Aging requests $600, this funding will be used to help support the work we do on behalf of Mendon residents. The services provided are: Nutrition Support, Case Management Assistance, and a variety of other services. The Council helped provide 243 meals that were delivered to the homes of 2 elders in your community(Meals on Wheels).  In addition, 29 Mendon elders came together at a luncheon site in your area to enjoy a nutritious meal and the company of others; 155 meals were provided. Additionally, SVCOA provided .5 hour of one-on-one nutrition support, including nutrition assessments and resource connections and referrals, to 2 residents of Mendon. SVCOA case management and outreach staff helped 5 elders in your community for a total of 41.5 hours.  Other Services and Support include “Senior Helpline” assistance, Medicare and health benefit counseling, Legal service assistance, information about elder issues and opportunities, Senior Companion support for frail, homebound elders; Outreach services to elders dealing with mental health issues, Transportation assistance, Caregiver support, and Money Management programs.

Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum
11 Center Street, Rutland, Vermont 05701 www.wonderfeetkidsmuseum.org 802-282-2678
The Wonderfeet Kids’ Museum requests $2,500 to work towards their mission to foster curiosity and exploration, inspire creativity and ignite the imagination of every child through power of play. Despite limited operations, we still welcomed over 4,000 guests to the museum last year, about 48 of those were Mendon residents. In a regular year, Wonderfeet welcomes over 15,000 guests from 21 states and over 13 countries. We call Wonderfeet a “Kids’ Museum” because it’s not the traditional “Children’s Museum” you might think of. Rather than relying on exhibits and plaques on the wall that have parents explaining things to their children, Wonderfeet creates engaging playscapes that have kids leading the learning. Children’s minds and imaginations are captured by play – and through that they explore new concepts and engage their parents in important back-and-forth interactions that help families form deeper bonds and children build the brain architecture for future learning. Wonderfeet also supports local schools with field trips and fun STEM classroom programs. And we work with local partners to expand our impact – reaching families of all socio-economic levels in every corner of Rutland County.