Vermont Everyone Eats (VEE), the unique COVID-19 recovery program that provides Vermonters impacted by COVID with prepared meals made by Vermont restaurants using locally grown and produced ingredients, will continue through July 1, 2022. The program had previously been set to end on March 31st but will now continue due to FEMA’s 100% cost share being extended for existing COVID-19 relief programs.

While the health impact of the latest surge has recently receded, the long tail of the economic crisis continues to challenge restaurants, farmers, food producers, and individuals. The Vermont Everyone Eats program both feeds people and strengthens the state economy at the same time. Regional hubs purchase and distribute meals from local restaurants, and a statewide mobile app provides meal access to eaters directly from restaurants. 

Since August 2020, Vermont Everyone Eats has provided over 2.25 million meals statewide, entirely paid for with nearly $30 million of Federal CARES Act and FEMA funding. More than 260 Vermont restaurants have participated. Over 37% of VEE meal ingredients from nearly 300 Vermont farms and food producers have been used by restaurants as part of a local purchasing requirement that spreads the economic benefit as widely as possible. Local purchasing has far exceeded requirements and is considered a major success in this program.

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA), as Vermont Everyone Eats administrator, convenes a regional hub community of practice and a statewide task force of multi-sector leadership in order to guide the program. Locally governed hubs determine needs and resources in their region and connect directly with restaurants and eaters. Task force participants bring extensive experience with food insecurity programs, government agencies, economic development entities, and restaurant engagement. The effectiveness of the program’s cross-sector, whole systems approach may lead to long-term changes in federally-funded food access programs. 

For more information on the program or how to receive a meal, visit the Vermont Everyone Eats website at https://vteveryoneeats.org/.

The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is offering free tax preparation services to anyone who makes less than $57,000 per year starting on January 31, 2022. This program helps clients obtain the credits, deductions, and refunds to which they are entitled.

It's time to start getting your documents ready! This year, documentation may be dropped off at the following locked drop-box locations:

• Windsor Resource Center, 1 Railroad Avenue, Windsor, VT 05089.
• SEVCA Main Office, 91 Buck Drive, Westminster, VT 05158.
• SEVCA Family Services Outreach Office, 15 Grove Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301.

You may also mail documents to: SEVCA, Attn: VITA Program, 91 Buck Drive, Westminster, Vermont 05158.

For more information, forms to print, and a checklist of needed documents, please visit here. Contact Leslie Wood, VITA Tax Site Coordinator with any questions: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 802-722-4575, extension 1603.

SEVCA (Southeastern Vermont Community Action) in collaboration with VAL (Vermont Adult Learning) is providing a series of six free basic Computer and Workplace Skills workshops. This workshop series will provide participants with training, support and resources to gain foundational knowledge using a computer and improve workplace skills. Classes start March 15th, 2022 with additional dates on: 3/22, 3/29, 4/5, 4/12, and 4/19. Enrollment is limited to 10.

SEVCA will provide a gift card incentive to Vermont residents who attend all six sessions. Springfield Area Working Communities Challenge (WCC) will provide a refurbished laptop to *eligible* participants attending all six sessions. The workshops will be held in person at Vermont Adult Learning, 100 River Street in Springfield and will be taught by SEVCA instructor Diane Heileman.

*For more information on laptop eligibility or to enroll in the workshop series, contact: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Computer Skills Workshops, Descriptions and Schedule:

1. The Laptop: Tuesday, March 15 from 10am – 11:30am

Basic knowledge of laptop care can extend the life of a laptop by years and supports efficient laptop performance. Students will learn about basic computer care plus become familiar with the physical components of the laptop, including ports and connections, keypad, specialty keys, TouchPad, battery, power charger, webcam, speakers, indicator lights and more.

2. The Desktop: Tuesday, March 22 from 10am – 11:30am

Students will learn the parts of the desktop and how to personalize it, how to find and open applications, use the TouchPad and optional mouse, understand the parts of a window, open and manage multiple windows, find, save and search for files, create folders and organize files. We’ll review maintaining Windows via system updates, managing disk space, troubleshooting techniques, and backups.   

3. The Internet - Connecting, Searching and Safety: Tuesday, March 29 from 10am – 11:30am

This class will address the steps involved to connect a laptop to a network and navigate through the internet. Students will search the internet for information and save and organize websites for easy access (e.g. “bookmarks” and “favorites”). We will also cover what to look for in a safe website, signs of a possible fraudulent site, and how to review web browser options. This class also addresses workplace policies for internet usage.

4. Email Skills using Gmail: Tuesday, April 5 from 10am – 11:30am

Students will learn the parts of an email and how to create, search, send and reply to an email. Topics include text formatting options (e.g. fonts, sizes, colors), attaching documents and photos, website links, email customization options, recognizing and dealing with unwanted email (spam), plus email usage in the workplace.

5. Introduction to Microsoft Word: Tuesday, April 12 from 10am – 11:30am

This class will focus on basic Microsoft Office Word skills. Students will create, edit, save and print Word documents, set up fonts and text formatting options (e.g. bold, underline, bullets, indents, margins etc.), insert graphic objects and photos from the desktop and internet, and use spelling and grammar tools.

6. Introduction to Spreadsheets Using Microsoft Excel: Tuesday, April 19 from 10am-12:00pm

Excel is a spreadsheet program that is easy to use and allows you to store, manipulate, analyze, and visualize data. In this beginner's Excel class, students will learn how to create and update a basic spreadsheet, enter and format data, calculate totals through formulas, and create simple reports and charts.

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) is providing a series of four Financial Fitness workshops to provide training, support, and resources to help participants gain control and manage their money. Workshop topics include: creating a personal, workable budget; reducing debt; setting personal goals; modifying spending; basics of banking; plus credit.

Workshops are free to Vermont residents. SEVCA will provide a gift card cash incentive to those Vermont residents affected by COVID-19 who attend workshops 1, 2, and 3. Courses will be offered on Zoom, an online platform. Additional counseling is available to attendees. For more information email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Zoom Workshop dates and times for April 2022:

Workshop 1: Wednesday, April 6: 6pm-7pm

Workshop 2: Wednesday, April 13: 6pm-7pm

Workshop 3: Wednesday, April 20: 6pm-7pm

Workshop 4: Wednesday, April 27: 6pm-7pm

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Workshop 1: Take Control of Your Money – Create a Budget

Date: April 6: 6pm - 7pm

Understanding and tracking the details of your financial situation is the start to making better money decisions and building a more secure future. When life situations change, and they often do (job loss, illness, birth of a child, new job, divorce, etc.) it’s time to review how to manage your money. This workshop will help you take control of your money by taking the first step by...creating a budget. We’ll learn what a budget is, why to use one, and how to create and review one step by step.

Workshop 2: Manage Your Expenses - Set Your Goals

Date: April 13: 6pm - 7pm

After creating a budget, the next step is to review the expenses then identify goals. Goal examples are: paying off debts, saving for a car, or building an emergency fund. Creating a plan and taking control of income and expenses helps achieve goals. We’ll look at ways to lower expenses and increase income, discuss what to do with bills you can’t pay, and learn strategies to achieve goals.

Workshop 3: Credit – Tame the Credit Beast

Date: April 20: 6pm - 7pm

Let’s face it, using credit to make purchases makes life more convenient. But when credit (loans and credit cards) are overused, they become a trap and one of the biggest barriers in reaching financial goals. This workshop reviews credit: the do’s and don’ts of credit, how to avoid credit traps, and ways to get out of credit card debt. We will learn about “Your FICO Credit Score”, how it affects your lifetime of interest rates, how interest impacts monthly payments, and how to improve a credit score.

Workshop 4: Banks and Credit Unions – Protect and Grow Your Money

Date: April 27: 6pm - 7pm

Where money is kept, whether it’s in a bank, credit union or under the mattress, does affect finances. This workshop explains the differences between banks and credit unions, plus describes the accounts, benefits, and services (and fees) they offer. We will look at checking accounts, debit cards, savings accounts, loans and interest rates, plus learn strategies to grow and protect money. We’ll look at “Instant Cash” payday loans, how to protect your information and prevent identity theft.