Release: Capstone Meets Goal for Fuel Your Neighbors Campaign, Providing Emergency Food and Heating Support Across Central Vermont
For Immediate Release
Yvonne Lory, Capstone Community Action
Phone: (802) 479-1053
Email: ylory@capstonevt.org
Capstone Meets Goal for Fuel Your Neighbors Campaign, Providing Emergency Food and Heating Support Across Central Vermont
A 100-day campaign to keep our neighbors fed and warm.
(Barre, VT) Capstone Community Action is proud to announce that it has met its fundraising goal for the Fuel Your Neighbors campaign, presented by EastRise Credit Union. The campaign raised over $350,000 to support emergency food and heating assistance for Central Vermonters during the most challenging months of winter.
This frigid winter placed added strain on many Vermont households already struggling to meet basic needs amid rising food and heating costs. Through the Fuel Your Neighbors campaign, Capstone provided heating assistance to 1,400 families. In addition, 2,600 families visited Capstone’s Food Shelf between October 1, 2024, and March 2025. With no public funding for the Food Shelf, Fuel Your Neighbors remains essential to keeping shelves stocked and ensuring no neighbor goes without food.
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of our community, we’re proud to say we met our goal for the Fuel Your Neighbors campaign,” said Capstone Community Action’s Executive Director Alison Calderara. “This support means our neighbors can stay warm, fed, and secure when it matters most, and we are deeply grateful to everyone who made this possible.”
Fuel Your Neighbors is a 100-day campaign, in partnership with EastRise Credit Union, that ran from Giving Tuesday on December 2 through March 11. Now in its nineth year, the collaboration between Capstone and EastRise has raised a total of $2.1 million since 2016 to support Central Vermonters facing food and heating insecurity.
“We’re incredibly grateful for the commitment our community has shown, coming together to ensure every neighbor has access to warmth and nourishing food when they need it most,” said Sarah Ricker, Community Relationship Manager at EastRise Credit Union. “Meeting the campaign goal reflects the compassion Vermonters bring to supporting one another, and EastRise is proud to stand with Capstone in strengthening the well?being of families across Central Vermont”.
This year’s success was made possible by the generosity of individual donors and business sponsors, including: EastRise Credit Union, Vermont Blue Advantage, The Alchemist, Hunger Mountain Coop, Mascoma Bank, M & T Bank, National Life Group, Vermont Federal Credit Union, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Acrisure, Community National Bank, Ivy Computer, and Union Mutual.
Founded in 1965, Capstone Community Action works to overcome poverty by serving people in crisis and creating economic opportunities for individuals and communities. Programs include emergency food assistance, fuel and heating support, housing counseling and homelessness intervention, financial coaching, business and workforce development, home weatherization, and Early Head Start/Head Start. Capstone serves more than 10,000 individuals and families each year. Learn more at
About EastRise Credit Union
With Vermont roots going back 75 years, EastRise Credit Union is a true local partner for more than 160,000 members in Vermont, select counties in New Hampshire, and beyond. EastRise provides relationship-first financial services, trusted digital banking, affordable home ownership, and green lending options to help build stronger, more sustainable communities.
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