February 2025 Letter to Volunteers

Dear ADP Volunteers and ADP donors,

Every year brings new challenges and changes. Right now, there isa a is a lot of change, at the federallevel. Businesses, the State of Vermont and other states are trying to grapple with the changes in the law, and the impact of tariffs.  ICE officers may come to our shifts and take people away. A lot of our food comes from Canada and Mexico, and immigrant labor, and we might face food shortages and rising prices, all things that we can’t control.

Non-profits in Vermont that had federal funds are laying off employees, and some may close. All the non-profits who depend on federal funds are going to be fundraising, which could impact on our fundraising.

How do we respond? I think that one of the ways to handle change is to remain laser-focused on our mission and know that what we are doing is important work that will likely be needed more than ever. When the world changes, the mission continues, but we may need new strategies. Aunt Dot’s Place did that during the pandemic. The leaders kept up with safety protocols, made changes as needed, but the work went on. We were aware of the challenges, and we were adaptable, and we were successful. And we will do the same with the challenges we face.

Here are our statistics from January:

Purchased Food: $14,352

Purchased Food: 8,421 pounds.

Donations from Organizations

Donations from grocery stores

The snow is falling, the wind is blowing yet our hearts are warm with purpose to help our neighbors have enough food to live healthy active lives.

Sincerely,
Sue Miyamoto
Board President