MENTOR Vermont announces recipients of the 2020-2021 grants

Mentor Vermont announced the recipients of the 2020-2021 Vermont mentoring grants on Dec. 30, which provide funding for youth mentoring programs throughout the state.

This year, Mentor  Vermont awarded 24 grants, totaling $347,850, which will support over 100 new and existing program sites, and nearly 1,500 adult-to-youth mentor pairs in communities across Vermont.

These grants include three that were made to agencies that support youth mentoring programs in Rutland County. These include:

A grant of $60,000 to Everybody Wins! Vermont, a statewide mentoring agency that coordinates a literacy-based mentoring program at the Neshobe School (as well as programs at Bridport Central School and the White River School);

A grant of $30,750 to support the Mentor Connector’s community-based mentoring program that serves youth throughout Rutland County;

A grant of $4,000 to the Safer Society Foundation to support the New Circle mentoring program, which supports youth in Rutland and Addison counties who are affected by having an incarcerated family member.

“Mentoring through Covid has been an essential need throughout Rutland County,” said Chris Hultquist, executive director of the Mentor Connector. “Thanks to the support of MENTOR Vermont, we have been able to develop an array of online platforms for youth and families to remain connected to their mentors. Additionally, the partnership has enabled us to build capacity and enhance our training to youth and mentors across the region.”

Mentor  Vermont also made six grants to other agencies and schools that support youth in the surrounding counties: a grant of $25,100 to The Dream Program, a statewide mentoring agency that pairs college students from Bennington College and Middlebury College with youth living in affordable housing communities; a $30,000 grant to the Mt. Abraham Unified School District, to support mentoring programs throughout the district; a $10,000 grant to United Counseling Service to support the Mentoring at UCS program; a grant of $2,500 to support The Collaborative’s mentoring program at the Flood Brook School; a grant of $4,000 to Windsor Central Supervisory Union to support the Empower Up! Program; a grant of $12,250 to Windsor County Mentors to support the Let’s Do Lunch and Partners Always Lend Support (PALS) programs throughout Windsor county; and a grant of $9,500 to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Vermont, which supports youth in Windham County, and throughout the state.

With social distancing orders affecting the lives of young people and limiting their connections with caring adults, now is a critical time to maintain relationships between mentors and mentees. For more info visit: mentorvt.org/vermont-mentoring-grants.