Dear United Way supporters, friends, partners, and colleagues,
The tragic deaths of Black Americans George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others have shocked and outraged people around Vermont, around the country, and around the world. Their deaths have been a representation of the insurmountable loss created through the undeniable systematic racism within our nation. As an agency whose mission is to fight for the well-being of all people, we have a responsibility to stand up and speak, because silence is not an option in the face of this tragedy. With that understanding, we want to be explicit in saying we honor and value the voices and experiences of those in our community who are Black, Indigenous, and persons of color. We stand with you and your fight for equality in our communities, our state, and our country. This tragedy has opened a space for conversations about inclusivity and opportunities for accountability. We heard the call when Governor Phil Scott, in creating Vermont’s Racial & Equity Task Force, said that each of us must take action to make change.
We also consider this a call to hold ourselves accountable, not just in words, but in action in order to create pathways to ensure that opportunity is accessible to all Vermonters. We understand that this work will require courage, discomfort, and an honest look at the ways we as a community are perpetuating or benefitting from these systems and the power we have to change them.
We pledge to do better. We urge you to join us. Together with our volunteers, our partner nonprofit agencies, all members of our communities, we are dedicated to making our Vermont UNITED. We invite you to join us in this work to create the equitable and inclusive communities that we have been called to create. The power one person holds is strong, the unified power of a diverse and responsive community is invincible.
Out of an abundance of caution and in consideration of keeping employees and our Working Bridges clients in the healthcare sector safe, we are moving to a remote tele-coordination system effective immediately, Monday, March 16, 2020.
We understand the challenge of working remotely in a rural area and have identified a variety of methods that should work for the vast majority of those of you who need to contact your Resource Coordinator.
Employees and HR professionals at our Working Bridges sites in Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom can access Resource Coordinators through the following contact methods:
Email: Both Laurie and Michelle can be confidentially emailed using one email address: wbrc@gmunitedway.org. Please indicate which employer you work for and the nature of your issue.
Text: The phone number above are cell phones and can receive texts
Video conferencing: If face-to-face contact is preferred by you, our client, Laurie is an Apple iPhone user and can Facetime with clients, or can use Google Hangouts, Michelle has access to Google Hangouts.
Volunteer Income Tax Preparation (VITA) has moved to a drop-off system. Please ask your HR department for a VITA packet for your upcoming appointment. You will need to include all paperwork, including a photocopy of your ID and Social Security card(s) in order for us to complete your taxes. Paperwork will be mailed to you for signatures prior to submission to the IRS.
HR Partners, print our new Working Bridges Flyer here. Email Carrie at cstahler (at) gmunitedway.org if you need this as a PDF. This poster looks like this:
Green Mountain United Way was
recently the recipient of two competitive grants to support their work in
Central Vermont and the Northeast Kingdom. The Vermont Mutual Charitable
Foundation, the charitable arm of Vermont Mutual Insurance, granted $2500 to
support the innovative K.E.E.P. Financial Coaching Program, a program while the
Vermont Community Foundation’s Northeast Kingdom Fund has granted $5000 to fund
a pilot program expanding the supports available to workers through the Working
Bridges to families at the ABC & LOL Childcare Center in St. Johnsbury.
Executive Director Tawnya Kristen, Director of Community Engagement Carrie Stahler, and NEK Resource Coordinator Michelle Clark at the NEK Fund Grant Award Ceremony
“The NEK Fund Grant allows us to expand access to our Working Bridges program to the families served by ABC & LOL Childcare Center. One of the goals of Working Bridges is to create financial security. We have worked with the staff at this site and saw an opportunity to expand the circle of support to the children and their families. As many of us know, affording childcare in Vermont is a challenge for many families. It is our hope that we can relieve some of the pressure for these families by connecting them with resources they can use. This pilot also gives us the opportunity to continue to develop the Working Bridges program in our rural communities, where access to resources continues to be a challenge for many. We are grateful to our partners at the Vermont Community Foundation for working with us to close address this gap,” offered Carrie Stahler, Director of Community Engagement at Green Mountain United Way.
For additional information on the
Working Bridges Program from Green Mountain United Way go to
www.gmunitedway.org/working-bridges.
A $2500 grant from the Vermont Mutual Community Foundation will support the continued impact of the K.E.E.P. Financial Coaching Program. This unique and innovative program gives nonprofit, client-facing staff training in the emerging practice of Financial Coaching. In turn, these professionals work with their existing clients to set and achieve their financial goals that impact their lives. Through the program, both coaches and their nonprofit organizations receive ongoing support from United Way, peer-to-peer support from the 80 current financial coaches in Vermont, and ongoing education opportunities provided by experienced community partners, in addition to the initial financial literacy and coaching training they took to become certified. Financial coaching has broad-reaching impacts for clients served by a wide variety of nonprofits, including Capstone Community Action, county restorative justice centers, and a broad variety of organizations addressing food insecurity, housing, addiction services, mental health, adult education, and many more. Funding will support the implementation and support of the 80 current financial coaches throughout the state, and any new coaches to be trained in the next Introduction to Financial Coaching training to be held in 2020.
“The response to this program has
been extremely positive from our nonprofit partners. The beauty of a program
like this is that once coaches are trained and serving clients, they become the
best resources for one another. These professionals are assisting clients each
day and so many of our nonprofits serve people whose financial lives are
unstable. This program addresses that underlying cause and offers the
opportunity for professionals across nonprofits to become resources for one
another. With the support of community-minded funders like the Vermont Mutual
Community Foundation we are able to continue to increase access to this
important knowledge and skillset,” said Tawnya Kristen, Executive Director at
Green Mountain United Way.
For more information about
K.E.E.P. Financial Coaches, go to gmunitedway.org/ keep or call Green Mountain
United Way at 802-613-3989.
Green Mountain United Way is pleased to announce that Michelle Clark has joined the Working Bridges Program Staff. She will serve Working Bridges worksite locations as the full-time Northeast Kingdom Resource Coordinator.
Michelle Clark, NEK Resource Coordinator
A graduate of Lyndon State College (now NVU),
Michelle began her career as a dental hygienist outside of Vermont but upon her
return discovered a passion for social work and went back to LSC to get her
degree. Michelle has held a variety of roles assisting Vermonters in the Northeast
Kingdom and Central Vermont prior to this role. Before joining Green Mountain
United Way, she worked for Umbrella helping survivors of domestic and sexual
violence find safe and stable housing.
“Michelle brings a great depth of experience to our
team and in her short time here has demonstrated a gift for connecting the
employees Working Bridges serves with resources in the community. She has an
unmatched depth of knowledge that is needed to help our clients address their
needs so they can stay employed, focused at work, and continue to create stable
lives for themselves and their family,” said United Way’s Executive Director
Tawnya Kristen.
“I see myself as a travel agent for community resources.
I’m excited to bring my skills and knowledge to connect working families in the
Northeast Kingdom to the resources they need to address a life challenge, or to
have the opportunity to make their life or their family’s life better. Asking
for help is hard, I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to care for my
community’s caretakers through our work,” offered Clark, who lives on her
family’s farm in Lyndonville with her son. She is a member of the Lyndon Outing
Club board.
Working Bridges is an employee-service and workforce
development program offered to business partners in the Green Mountain United
Way service area covering the Northeast Kingdom and Central Vermont. Since
launching the program in their service region in 2016, Green Mountain United
Way’s Working Bridges program has expanded to serve five large employers and
one small employer with a combined workforce of over 3000 individuals
throughout United Way’s service region. Participating employers in the
Northeast Kingdom include Northern Counties Health Care, Northeast Kingdom
Human Services, ABC-LOL Daycare, and Weidmann Electrical Technology.
About Green Mountain United Way: Green Mountain United Way is a Vermont not-for-profit
organization in operation since 1976. They work to
improve the health, education and financial stability of every person in every
community in Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans and Washington Counties by mobilizing the caring power of
communities around our region to advance the common good. No other single organization has the scope and influence
to bring together human service agencies, government, businesses, private
foundations and dedicated volunteers around a common vision of creating maximum
impact and achieving long-lasting results.
Contact Green Mountain United
Way, 73 Main Street, Montpelier, Vermont, 802-613-3989 or info@gmunitedway.org
About Working Bridges™: Working
Bridges™ is a United Way led Employer Collaborative founded 10 years ago in
Chittenden County by The United Way of Northwest Vermont. Since 2016, Green Mountain
United Way’s Working Bridges program, led by Pam Bailey, has expanded to
businesses in the Green Mountain United Way service area of Caledonia Essex,
Orange, Orleans, and Washington Counties. More information at
www.gmunitedway.org/workingbridges
Green Mountain United Way is pleased to announce the recent hire of Heather Labounty to its Working Bridges Program Staff. Heather Labounty has been hired to serve Working Bridges worksite locations as the full-time Northeast Kingdom Resource Coordinator.
Before joining Green Mountain United Way, Heather Labounty worked as a community health coordinator at Northern Counties Health Care. “I’m excited for the opportunity to be part of a growing organization that helps those in my own communities. I think this will be a great way to use my experience to help others, that’s what really motivates me,” said Ms. Labounty.
“After an extensive interview process, we were so pleased to hire Heather to this role. She brings with her invaluable on-the-ground experience serving the community in the Northeast Kingdom, and we are so fortunate to be able to bring this experience to the Northeast Kingdom employers and employees we serve through the Working Bridges program.” said Tawnya Kristen, Executive Director of Green Mountain United Way.
Working Bridges is an employee-service and workforce development program offered to business partners in the Green Mountain United Way service area covering the Northeast Kingdom and Central Vermont. Since launching the program in their service region in 2016, Green Mountain United Way’s Working Bridges program has expanded to serve four large employers and one small employer with a combined workforce of over 2000 individuals.
“This program has expanded so much in just two short years and we are so happy to have Heather join us to support this growth. Her experience and her open, friendly personality are an asset to the program and the community. We believe that the employees served by Working Bridges will be in excellent hands and that this will be a smooth and easy transition for Heather and for the workforce we support,” offered Pam Bailey
, Director of Programs and Operations at Green Mountain United Way and program manager for Working Bridges.
Ms. Labounty lives with her husband and two sons in St. Johnsbury and ran her own daycare center before changing her career to join the human services sector. She serves on the board of Sid’s Pantry, a food shelf in Concord, Vermont and is actively involved in her sons’ baseball league.
Green Mountain United Way celebrated the individuals and organizations in their five-county service region with an award ceremony at their Annual Breakfast at Norwich University’s Milano Ballroom on Tuesday, September 25th.
“The recipients of these awards embody the heart and soul of the work we are doing at Green Mountain United Way,” said Tawnya Kristen, Executive Director of Green Mountain United Way. “Through hands-on efforts at the community level, these organizations and individuals are bringing together individuals, ideas, efforts and resources to build lasting change across our communities.”
Green Mountain United Way was proud to honor six outstanding organizations and individuals at this year’s award ceremony with business, government, nonprofit and community partners in attendance. These awards are given to organizations who have shown exceptional leadership, effort, and impact in communities throughout Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans and Washington Counties during the past year.
These awards focus on Green Mountain United Way’s partners who are making a significant difference within the community they live, work or serve and the many ways that our work integrates with the broader goals of those who we work with to serve the community and also recognize success in fundraising through United Way Workplace Campaigns and highlight partners who went the extra mile to facilitate a successful giving campaign for their community. This year’s awardees are:
Community Impact Award – University of Vermont Health Network – Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC)
This award is given to an organization who has made an exceptional contribution to the community through their dedication and commitment to community impact.
This year Green Mountain United Way is proud to recognize Central Vermont Medical Center for their leadership in several aspects of the work they are doing for our communities right now. As the Integrator Organization for THRIVE, Central Vermont’s Accountable Community for Health, CVMC is leading the mission to optimize the health and well-being of our community through informed collaborative and innovative solutions. We would also like to recognize their leadership in the Working Bridges Program. As the first Central Vermont Working Bridges site, they are leading the way to care for those within their organization in unique and innovative ways that result in better care for all within our Central Vermont community.
Accepting the award was Anna T. Noonan, CVMC president and chief operating officer; Robert Patterson, vice president of Human Resources and Clinical Operations; and Monica Urquhart, manager of Employee Relations and Wellness.
“We deeply value our longtime partnership with Green Mountain United Way, which continues growing through the addition of the Working Bridges program,” Noonan said. “In Working Bridges’ first three months at CVMC, resource coordinators have offered members of our team guidance on transportation, housing, childcare, finances and income advance loans for emergency needs. Having an expert on site, every week, is an invaluable and convenient service for our team. Our thanks to the United Way and Vermont Community Foundation for making this important partnership possible.”
“Working Bridges dovetails with THRIVE, which is working to improve access to health care, nutritious food, affordable housing, education and financial wellness,” Noonan continued. “We’re proud to team with Green Mountain United Way and all of THRIVE’s leadership partners in connecting communities across central Vermont.”
Accepting the award from GMUW ED Tawnya Kristen (right), left to right, Anna T. Noonan, Monica Urquhart, Robert Patterson
Employer Leadership Award – Northern Counties Health Care
This award is given to an organization who shows exemplary leadership in supporting their employees to make a difference in their own lives and in their broader community.
This award is given to our partners at Northern Counties Health Care for taking the initiative to the spirit of “Caring for the Caregivers” as a starting point to make their organization stretch beyond the traditional boundaries of a “health care providers” to consider the health and well-being of all within their walls, and to see the connections between their employee’s wellness and the results they see for their patients. They are doing this through internal policies, their Working Bridges Program, employee participation in the K.E.E.P. Financial Coaching Program and their support of their employees to expand the boundaries in the many ways they are able to serve their communities, while supporting employee growth and success. Accepting the award was CEO Shawn Tester, Kari White and Laurie Somers.
“At Northern Counties Health Care we are incredibly grateful, both for our partners at the Green Mountain United Way, but also for the Working Bridges program which has helped so many of our staff through financial coaching, advance loans for emergencies, and income tax preparation. Working Bridges helps us care for our employees, so they can care for our patients and community. The program also directly aligns with the work we are doing in NEK Proper!, our regional Accountable Health Community.” Tester offered.
Accepting the award GMUW ED Tawnya Kristen (left), left to right, Laurie Somers, Shawn Tester, Kari White
Community Spirit Award – VSECU
This award is given to a business that has put the “FUN” in fundraising and has gone the extra mile to make their workplace campaign a success for both employees and the community.
This past year the Campaign Team at VSECU used their already community-minded workplace as a platform to challenge employees to show their support for the community – they had t-shirts, challenges, and chocolate, and this enthusiasm spilled over into immense support for the foster children in our communities through their participation in the 2017 Tatum’s Totes Holiday Drive. Accepting the award was Vice President of Human Resources Eileen Belanger, Tammy Manning and Ann Hodgdon.
Accepting the award from GMUW ED Tawnya Kristen are (left to right) Vice President of Human Resources Eileen Belanger, Tammy Manning and Ann Hodgdon
Campaign Champion Award – BlueCross and BlueShield of Vermont
This award is given to a worksite that has the greatest percentage increase, over their past year’s campaign.
As one of Green Mountain United Way’s most long-term supporters, the generosity of BCBSVT’s employees can already be seen throughout Green Mountain United Way and the community, but with a little creativity, ingenuity and incredible support they were able to grow their support by 52% last year. Accepting the award was Vice President of Customer Service and Planning, Catherine Hamilton.
Community Commitment Award – Timothy Barre, Northfield Savings Bank
This is a new award added this year as part of our new Volunteer Program to recognize the commitment of volunteers throughout our community and the impact that the gift of time can make.
This year’s recipient, Timothy Barre, has been a volunteer with Green Mountain United Way for over a decade, and as a volunteer on the Development and Marketing Committee and participating in each of our Annual Days of Caring, Tim is one of the biggest champions of the new Volunteer Program and online Volunteer Connection. His passion and enthusiasm for volunteerism is contagious.
Tawnya Kristen, Executive Director, and Timothy Barre
Rising Star Award – Nicholas Petterssen, Green Mountain CrossFit
This award is given to an individual who demonstrates new or renewed leadership and passion for supporting the work of Green Mountain United Way.
This award recognizes Nick for his leadership using the common framework of physical fitness and building a transformational space at Green Mountain CrossFit where all, regardless of income, ability, or struggles, are empowered to become a healthier version of themselves. His understanding that what his gym provides is a true human service, disguised as a business, is the keystone upon which we’ve built our partnership to bring The Phoenix to individuals in recovery in Central Vermont. With this award we recognize Nick’s unwavering current and future support of both our organization’s work and the mission we share, to help all within our community achieve physical health and well-being.
Nicholas Petterssen speaks after receiving his award
Working Bridges Resource Coordinator Job Description
Green Mountain United Way is seeking a Working Bridges Resource Coordinator to join our team and help us as we expand our Working Bridges program to serve employers and employees in all of our region. We are looking for a self-starter who loves helping people help themselves! If you know someone who fits that description, please share this job with them!
Email cover letter and resume, only, to Pam Bailey, Working Bridges Program Director, at pbailey@gmunitedway.org, by September 22nd. Please do not send any additional documentation. Resumes will be reviewed and applicants will be contacted for interviews on a rolling basis as resumes are received. Eligible applicants will be contacted for interviews.
POSITION: Working Bridges Resource Coordinator FLSA: Exempt
DEPARTMENT: Community Impact STATUS: Full-time
INTRODUCTION:
Our Mission at Green Mountain United Way is to mobilize communities to create lasting changes in local conditions that will improve lives. All employees at Green Mountain United Way are integral to our ability to achieve that mission. Performance of job duties outlined below, in a manner that enables us to follow through on our promises to the five counties we serve, is more than an expectation, it is a standard here at Green Mountain United Way.
Working Bridges is a Green Mountain United Way program that improves business and job stability by bringing innovative practices to employers and employees using the workplace as a platform for human services. A trained resource coordinator is placed on-site at a business for at least four hours per week per business to help employees navigate non-work related issues. Other elements of the program include: on-site trainings for employees, mobile tax prep, coordination of income advance loans for employees, and an Employer Collaborative.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Resource Coordinator (RC) assist employees in resolving non-work related issues that impact the employee’s work life. The Resource Coordinator connects employees to existing community resources to help resolve problems that interfere with an employee’s ability to maintain good attendance and/or be fully productive at work.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
Provide one-on-one guidance and assistance to employees. This may include: connecting employees with key service providers and following up to ensure that problems are resolved; providing forms/applications for services, and assisting employees with paperwork; making inquiries on behalf of employees when appropriate.
Travel weekly to up to eight different companies in our five-county region (Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans and Washington Counties) on a consistent schedule. Reliable transportation is required.
Promote resources and information widely inside each company. For example: on staff bulletin boards, or in company newsletters, etc.
Maintain current knowledge of community and regional resources in Vermont and New Hampshire through on-site visits to agencies, reading their newsletters, and building relationships.
Obtain, manage and report confidential data in compliance with HIPAA regulations and AIRS guidelines.
Assist other Resource Coordinators with their companies on an as needed basis.
Maintain service data and generate reports using key performance metrics.
Exercise discretion and independent judgment regarding the needs of employees.
Other duties as assigned, including administrative support.
EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, AND SKILLS REQUIRED:
Bachelor’s degree in social work, psychology, or political science, or related field and 3 to 5 years’ experience in consumer advocacy, community coordination, or public health coordinator. Applicants with equivalent experience will be considered.
Strong computer skills, ability to use Word, Excel, data base programs, ability to source information through various web search engines.
Working knowledge of public assistance programs, as well as public/private resources such as child and elder care, transportation, financial counseling, etc.
Excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to listen and gain rapport and trust with employers, employees, and community partners.
Strong written and verbal communications skills.
Self-directed and flexible work style with strong organizational skills.
Ability to follow through on complex issues for multiple clients.
Capacity to be innovative in seeking solutions; a problem solver; an inclination for outreach.
Positive, non-judgmental attitude and passionate desire to help others find their own solutions.
Recent attendance at one or more Bridges Out of Poverty Workshops (or willingness to attend). Be well-versed in, in agreement with, and able to convey, the principles of Bridges Out of Poverty.
Be familiar with the mission of United Way.
ENVIRONMENT:
This position is centered at the Green Mountain United Way office. The office is a general office environment which is clean, well-lighted, and comfortable. The majority of the Resource Coordinator’s time will be at Working Bridges employer locations and could be located at (but not limited to) one of the following: a manufacturing facility, a warehouse, a lab, a retail establishment, or a secure state/government agency, therefore a background check will be required.
This position requires the ability to:
Ability to travel throughout GMUW region (frequent).
Ability to work a flexible schedule, which may include night and weekends.
Ability to tolerate prolonged sitting and/or standing and to lift up to approximately 30 pounds to waist high level whenever necessary.
Mobility includes regular sitting, some standing, and walking.
Minimal requirement to reach at or above shoulder level; occasional reaching below shoulder level required.
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, national origin, age, or protected veteran or disabled status.
