Jan Demers: Pulling against poverty; pushing away hunger

“I hungry, Gamma”, said my two-year-old granddaughter. I would rend heaven and earth to make sure she had something to eat. And it was easily done with good options. Still, my heart stopped when I heard her words. Vermont is in a struggle to feed 4,619 children verbalizing the same words, “I’m hungry,” because the Federal Nutrition Services proposed a rule on July 24, to close the broad-based categorical eligibility that presently allows children up to 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level to receive ben … (read more)

On any given Sunday evening volunteers at a local church in Burlington feed between 80 and 130 hungry people. The food is homemade, nutritious and delicious. The crowd is intergenerational. Some are homeless, some are food insecure and some appreciate the … (read more)

She is a single mother of two children aged 8 and 10 years. The family became homeless initially due to domestic violence. She coped by staying at a motel while occasionally couch surfing at a family member’s home for nearly four months. The family found … (read more)

It was Damber who told the story. “Although my mother has chronic migraine headaches, she loves to work and wants to help. My father works the night shift so that he can help in the store during the day. My youngest sister, who is in Essex Middle School, … (read more)

It was Damber who told the story. “Although my mother has chronic migraine headaches, she loves to work and wants to help. My father works the night shift so that he can help in the store during the day. My youngest sister, who is in Essex Middle School, … (read more)