Page 39 - Town of Brighton Annual Report 2023

Northeast Kingdom Community Action
Brighton Office
2023 Data
The NEKCA office in Brighton, Vermont served 68 households {approx. 136 individuals) from Brighton, Charleston, W.
Charleston, Derby, Morgan, Norton, Bloomfield, and Maidstone, Vermont. Ages ranged from 2 to 94 years. We helped put
food on tables and helped to keep the power and heat on. With our help, people were able to stay in their homes. We’ve
assisted with applications for SNAP benefits, Seasonal Fuel Assistance, and furnace repairs and/or replacements.

Our Food Shelf took in a tota l of 40,401.96 pounds {about 18326.01 kg) of food. Broken down, it was
5,300 pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables, 6117 pounds of food donated by the USDA, 14,309.05
pounds of food acquired through the Vermont Food bank, and 14,675.91 pounds of food and items
donated by area individuals and businesses.

Rural Community Transportation

Rural Community Transportation, Inc. (RCT) is a nonprofit 501 ( c)(3) corporation which provides public transportation
services throughout Caledonia, Orleans, Essex and Lamoille Counties. In FY2023, RCT provided 3,905 rides to 72 residents
of Brighton and Island Pond, traveling 75,502 miles at a total cost of $51,841.18. RCT continued to provide safety-focused,
demand-based rides and all buses operated fare-free.
RCT operates with federal and state funding; however, our funding sources typically require between 20% and 50% locally
matched dollars. All town appropriations received are used to provide the required local match, and are therefore vital to
RCT’s operation.
We hope you will vote to fund this request, and RCT looks forward to continued service to the residents of Brighton.

Sincerely,

Jessy Pelow
Office Administrator
Northeast Kingdom Learning Services (NEKLS)

At NEKLS, our Adult Education and Literacy (AEL) program, our K-12 Tutorial program an Ready, Set, Grow Childcare
Center (RSG) are on a mission to provide dynamic and impactful educational experiences for the members of communities
like the Town of Brighton. Imagine a future where our adult education initiatives flourish and every individual can access
high-quality learning opportunities to improve their skills and pursue their dreams. We believe that education is the key to a
brighter future for our students, and we need your support to make that happen. Your appropriation of $250.00 will directly
fuel our efforts to enhance and expand our programs.
In Newport, Vermont, our Ready, Set, Grow Childcare Center, a 5 ST AR, high quality child care is licensed to serve 99
children.
Our Adult Education and Literacy programs, available at learning centers located in Canaan, Hardwick, Island Pond, Newport
and St. Johnsbury, include programs for unenrolled individuals age 16 and older, who are interested in:

• earning their high school diploma or GED
• gaining skills to transition into a new career
• improving their academic skills in reading, writing and math
• becoming workforce training or college ready or
• learning or improving English language skills as a second language

Our Tutorial program partners with local schools throughout the NEK to provide tutorial services for students K-12 to help
them achieve academic success.

Respectfully submitted,
Michelle Faust
Executive Director

2023 Annual Report 39