As the pandemic began to affect Vermont, Paul Raulston, CEO of Vermont Coffee Company, started a fundraiser for Addison County’s H.O.P.E. (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects), pledging to match donations up to $25,000 to restock the food shelf to help those affected by Covid-19. 

Vermont Coffee Company was able to meet its goal, donating a total of $50,000 within a few days. Raulston then launched a second fundraiser with the same $25,000 donation match to benefit the John Graham Shelter in Vergennes and the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) in Chittenden County.

After 29 years at the helm, Paul Millman announced his upcoming retirement and shared musings about the state of the iconic employee-owned company, science in our society, mission-driven management, and business in Vermont.

Paul's long-planned announcement coincided with the international peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, which drove escalating demand for Chroma's precision optical filters and optical coatings for the medical, scientific and imaging industries. Headquartered in Rockingham (Bellows Falls), Vermont, the company serves an international market. Local, regional and national media covered the news — each with an appropriately different take.

Vermont Works for Women announced the Trailblazers program for this year, running from March 2 through May 2, 2020. Trailblazers is a training program to prepare women for careers in the trades, focusing on construction, electrical work, and plumbing.

These are historically male-dominated fields and are often higher paid occupations. The Trailblazers program can help women attain better salaries, as jobs in the trades generally pay much more than the minimum wage.

Call2Recycle, the first and largest consumer battery stewardship organization in the US, published its annual report on which states had recycled the most batteries. This year, these calculations excluded batteries recycled by major retailers and other private companies, bringing a focus on batteries recycled by consumers.

This month the Vermont Commission on Women, in consultation with the Vermont Attorney General’s office and the Vermont Human Rights Commission, launched a state-wide public education program, Workplaces For All.

A central component of the program is the new website, workplacesforall.vermont.gov containing useful resources for Vermont employees, employers and members of the public regarding the laws relating to and best practices for addressing sexual harassment and workplace discrimination.

The American Association of Daily Money Managers (aadmm.com) is mentioned as an option for your financial team to avoid the risk cited by Nancy Sween, National Association of Elder Law Attorneys spokesperson, of finding a random person you find online to be your bill payer.

The Chill Program, established by the founders of Burton Snowboards, Jake and Donna Carpenter, is a nonprofit that inspires youth to overcome challenges through board sports.

Since its inception, Chill has introduced more than 25,000 youth to snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, and stand-up paddle boarding.

Rock Point School was thrilled to have a student featured in a new video about the Chill Program. Rock Point students are encouraged to explore multiple ways to overcome challenges by keeping physically active and enjoying the Vermont outdoors. Watch Charlie, of Rock Point School, share his experience in the Chill Program, and what it means to him.

Small Dog Electronics had gifts aplenty for lucky audience members who were able to snag tickets for this VPR live event on November 6, 2019 that quickly sold out. 

An Evening with Audie Cornish, Reporting on Politics in 2020 was an entertaining and illuminating experience for everyone in attendance at the beautiful Elley-Long Music Center at Saint Michael's College. Audie Cornish is co-host of All Things Considered which airs weekdays on VPR each afternoon. Her wit and humor shone through as she described many aspects of reporting and broadcasting in the current fast-paced news cycle.

Small Dog Electronics' sponsorship was integral to the success of the event, and we congratulate them on their efforts.

Small Dog Electronics, a long time client, is on the move. Originally started as a mail-order electronics online shop, Small Dog Electronics expanded into bricks-and-motor stores in Vermont and Key West, Florida. Their second store, Dorset Street in South Burlington, is moving to a new space at Flynn Ave and Pine Street in Burlington. We're excited to see the new store that is just a short drive down Pine Street from downtown Burlington. The store is set to open Thursday, October 17.

Call2Recycle, Inc. and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources have kicked off the 2nd annual Vermont Battery Collection Challenge. The challenge once again seeks to rally Vermont residents to recycle their batteries at drop-off locations, thus diverting them from landfills, lowering the risk for potential safety incidents, and reducing waste collection costs.