Financial and Lifestyle Resources for Vermont

Make an impact through values-based banking The term banking is used to describe the act of using your money for your own financial well-being. It could be saving money in a bank account, paying bills in online banking, or borrowing money for a home, vehicle, or for some other purpose.  

So you’re thinking about commuting to work by bicycle? First of all, congratulations. Your life is about to get a zillion times more fun. And you’re going to save money and reduce your environmental impact! You probably have a bunch of questions about bike commuting gear, though.

On the homepage of their website, the Vermont Foodbank notes that “In Vermont, one in four people struggles with hunger.” That means that on any given day, you may pass by a handful of people who will go to bed hungry that night. You may even be one of those who are struggling.

We've started to experience some pretty chilly nights, and we all know what this means—the start of the heating season is upon us! Many Vermonters heat their homes with fuel oil, and know that this requires a storage tank that is owned by the fuel recipient, not the fuel dealer. In order to ensure that the tank is safe for the homeowner and the environment, Vermont fuel dealers are required to inspect a tank prior to the initial delivery of fuel to a new customer, and some new regulations for Vermont oil tanks are now in effect.

What does hunger look like in Vermont? 69,724 Vermonters live in food insecure households, meaning they don’t have regular access to nutritious foods. Food insecurity is defined by the USDA as the lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times due to a lack of financial resources.

You’ve seen them everywhere—large open solar fields with rows of panels. Aside from housing energy-saving devices, these fields are often left unused. However, these well-mowed solar fields are often excellent, untapped resources. Why not put them to use to help bees and other pollinators that are dying due to climate change, pesticide use, and loss of habitat?

Imagine that you are a refugee and have moved to a foreign country where you don’t understand the language. You don’t have a job to support yourself and your family. You aren’t familiar with the customs or the manner of conducting business.  The banking system where you came from is nonexistent, in disarray, or simply different than you are accustomed to.  Does the word “overwhelmed” come to mind?  

What do you think of when you think of Vermont? For me, it’s our green mountains, kind and thoughtful residents, cooperative culture, amazing lakes and rivers, and our working landscape (Vermont farms). As a matter of fact, the Council on the Future of Vermont found that 97.2% of all Vermonters rank the working landscape and its heritage as one of their top values when they think of Vermont.