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Vermont 2-1-1 Monthly Contact Statistics
A message from the Director, MaryEllen Mendl
June’s contact volume of 1,972 reflects the more financially manageable period that the summer months provide for many here in Vermont. The annual increase in contact volume that the fall and winter months always bring, with requests for home heating assistance and emergency shelter, always tapers off as summer settles in and monthly financial stressors are reduced. For many Vermonters the summer season means time for catching up on overdo utility bills, making much needed vehicle repairs, and setting aside whatever they can in anticipation of another long cold winter.
Each year, the onset of summer brings with it the types of requests for information and referral that reflect a return to the typical day-to-day struggles that some Vermont families continue to face. This year’s June data reveals spikes for information and referrals to food resources, legal services, money management and public health. Most alarming is a notable rise in referrals to Domestic Violence Hotlines (64% of the referrals under the Mental Health Assessment and Treatment Subcategory). The increase in referrals to housing/shelter resources from May to June can be attributed to this increase in calls for referrals to Domestic Violence Hotlines.
The subcategory Legal Services also reveals an increase in May and June with more referrals being made to lawyer referral services and tenant rights information. Rutland and Orleans Counties saw referrals for Legal Services double from the previous month.
More Vermonters contacted Vermont 2-1-1 for Food Programs this year. Once again, in partnership with Hunger Free Vermont’s initiatives to reduce hunger and food insecurity, Vermont 2-1-1 is designated as the number to call for information about the free Summer Meal Programs and other summer food resources. Working to assure that Vermont children have daily access to adequate food during the summer school recess is a top priority for Hunger Free Vermont and year after year 2-1-1 call statistics verify the need. The top referred service in the Food sub-category is Food Pantries (46% of sub-category). Even Vermonters receiving 3SquaresVT are still struggling to keep the cupboards full.
Read Vermont 2-1-1’s monthly contact volume report here.
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HMG VT Update
June brings the end of school and the start of summer!
It also means that local farmers markets have started their summer season. Farmers markets are a great way for families to enjoy locally grown fruits and vegetables and build a sense of community.
According to the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, there are 73 summer farmers markets in Vermont, each are of different sizes offering a variety of vendors, products and often entertainment! To ensure all families are able to take advantage of fresh, healthy foods during the summer months, many markets accept EBT cards and low-income families can access Farm to Family coupons to use at farmer’s markets from their area Community Action Agency.
Some markets participate in the Crop Cash program. Families who use their 3Squares EBT card at farmers markets that participate in Crop Cash can double their benefits. So for every $1.00 in 3Squares benefits they spend, they can get $1.00 matched in Crop Cash, up to $10/day! If you are a prenatal parent or parent with children through age 8, call Help Me Grow VT by dialing 2-1-1 ext. 6 for more information about how your family can access local farmer’s market programs. We can also provide information on other food and nutrition programs such as 3Squares, WIC, and summer meal sites.
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Vermont 2-1-1 Web Statistics
In addition to the contact statistics, the following data is from the 2-1-1 website and shows how the public used the database search engine during the month of June:
Top Services: Household Goods Donation Programs (179 searches); Clothing Donation Programs (146 searches); Community Meals (136 searches); Assistive Technology Equipment Loan (114 searches); Case/Care Management (70 searches)
Top Agencies: Salvation Army (Rutland); Vermont Department for Children and Families – Economic Services; Vermont Center for Independent Living; The Bus; CVOEO
Top Search by City: Burlington; Hancock; New Haven; Lincoln; Saint Albans
Total Site Visits: 4307
Unique (First-Time) Visitors: 1575
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Summer Safety Tips for Family Fun in the Sun
Summer has finally arrived, and family vacation, outdoor play, and days at water’s edge mean that kids are out there climbing, jumping, swinging, swimming, and well, playing just about as hard as they can! This, of course, means there is a good amount of falling, crashing, tumbling, banging, and bruising – all part of being a kid, and we wouldn’t have it any other way! There are things, however, that parents and caregivers can do to avoid the more serious injuries all of this wonderful outdoor activity might cause.
Vermont’s chapter of Safe Kids, led by UVM Medical Center’s Children’s Hospital, provides public awareness, education, and resource information and supports evidence-based workshops and clinics that help parents and caregivers prevent childhood injuries. Whether looking for safety tips about watching kids while they are in and around water, on the playground, or at the campsite, Safe Kids is the go-to place, dedicated solely to raising public awareness and preventing childhood injuries. For injury-prevention and life-saving tips visit www.safekids.org, or for additional information about Vermont’s Safe Kids coalition, contact Christina Keating at (802) 847-2291 or by e-mail at Christina.Keating@uvmhealth.org.
To find Safe Kids Vermont in the 2-1-1 database, search by agency name or search by any of the following key words:
For additional resources specific to early childhood safety information contact Vermont 2-1-1 Help Me Grow Specialists by dialing 2-1-1, Ext. 6.
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Emergency Housing in Vermont
Through a partnership with the State of Vermont’s Economic Services Division, Vermont 2-1-1 administers the After Hours Emergency Housing Program beginning at 4:30pm weekdays, throughout weekends and on state/federal holidays. Housing in Vermont has reached a critical need.
Vermont 2-1-1 Information and Referral (I&R) Specialists responded to 109 calls regarding housing needs. I&R specialists provide needs assessment, problem-solving support, and information and referrals to a wide range of services to each caller. Review Vermont 2-1-1’s Emergency Housing Report for June here.
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Vermont’s Annual Count of Homelessness Shows Mixed Results
MONTPELIER, VT – 1,225 Vermonters were found to be literally homeless on a single night in January. The 2017 Point-in-Time Count Report, released today by the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness and the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, showed an overall increase in homelessness by 11% compared to the 2016 Point-in-Time Count. While there was an overall statewide increase, there were striking regional differences, including decreases in Chittenden (-12%) and Franklin (-17%) counties. Included in the total were 306 children, representing 25% of the entire homeless population counted.
“The work of local communities, with the help of local, state and federal investments, is needed now more than ever,” said MaryEllen Mendl, Co-Chair of the Vermont Coalition to End Homelessness. “The Trump budget would cut off affordable housing assistance to more than 700 Vermont families, putting them at risk of eviction and homelessness.”
The report comes from data collected for the Annual Point-in-Time Count, an unduplicated count of persons experiencing literal homelessness on the night of January 24, 2017. The Count was organized by Vermont’s two federally-recognized Continua of Care (CoC), the Chittenden County CoC and the 11 local coalitions that make up the Balance of State CoC. These networks are comprised of homeless and human service organizations, housing agencies, government agencies, health care providers, private funders, and other partners that strive to eliminate homelessness in Vermont.
Margaret Bozik, Co-Chair of the Chittenden County Homeless Alliance, stated, “We are pleased to see a continuing decrease in homelessness in Chittenden County. We are now seeing family homelessness decline as well as reductions in the number of people who have experienced homelessness for long periods of time in Chittenden County. It’s very encouraging to see the state looking to make new investments in affordable housing, though the proposed federal cuts are troubling.”
Additional Point-in-Time Count Findings:
- The number of unsheltered persons counted was 134, a 14% decrease from last year.
- Just under half of persons (47%) were homeless for the first time.
- 267 persons (22%) reported as survivors of domestic violence, a 40-person increase from 2016.
- Due to coordinated statewide efforts, the population of homeless veterans has steadily declined since the 2013 Count. 2017 saw a continuation of this downward trend with 94 veterans counted, a 15% decrease compared to last year.
- 340 persons reported a severe mental illness, or 28% of total persons. 228 persons reported having a substance abuse disorder, or 19% of total persons.
Read full press release here.
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