VSECU Makes Donation to Champlain Valley Agency on Aging for Fuel Assistance

802/800 371-5162

VSECU Makes Donation to Champlain Valley Agency on Aging for Fuel Assistance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 4, 2007

For further information, contact:
Yvonne M. Garand, Business Development Officer
ygarand@vsecu.com or 802/800 371-5162, ext. 5197

As any Vermonter will tell you, sub-zero winter temperatures and rising fuel costs have made heating our homes increasingly expensive, and many of our elderly on fixed incomes are not always prepared to meet the expense.

VSECU recently donated $5,000 to the five Vermont area agencies on aging, including the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging, to help senior Vermonters purchase home heating fuel. State programs for fuel assistance to low-income households distribute funds November through March, but Vermont may experience freezing temperatures as early as September and as late as April. VSECU’s donation will help to fill in that gap.

“We want all Vermonters to be able to stay warm during our long Vermont winters. The Vermont Agencies on Aging rely on other resources like VSECU to help fund programs that give seniors the availability of fuel,” said Terry Field, VSECU’s finance officer. “VSECU has programs to help our members find affordable fuel and low-cost loans to help them pay for it, but we also want to help those who are still finding it difficult to meet their heating costs. We hope our donation will give assistance to our neighbors and friends who need it the most.”

"We certainly appreciate the consistent support we have received from VSECU,” said John Barbour, executive director for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging. “As the weather gets colder, this grant helps us help seniors who need one-time help to deal with a home heating crisis. We can then work with other programs to come up with longer term solutions."

To find our more about the efforts of the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging to help senior Vermonters, call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 642-5119 or visit their website at www.cvaa.org.

VSECU is a not-for-profit financial cooperative, which offers a full range of affordable financial products and services to its member-owners. People eligible to join the credit union live in Addison, Caledonia, Chittenden, Lamoille, Orange, Rutland and Washington counties. For more information about VSECU, call 802/800 371-5162 or visit www.vsecu.com.

Terry Field (left), VSECU’s finance officer, presents a check for $1,000 to John Barbour, executive director of the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging, for senior Vermonters in need of fuel assistance. VSECU donated a total of $5,000 to the five Vermont area agencies on aging to help their clients meet their home heating needs.