BRATTLEBORO — Entergy Corporation recently awarded a grant to the Brattleboro Area Drop In Center for repairs at Drop In's headquarters at 60 South Main St.
Goals include the purchase and installation of a new furnace, new storage shelves for the food bank, and upgrades to the walk-in freezer.
According to Chris Wamser, site vice president, writing in a news release, Vermont Yankee employees have a special relationship with the Drop In Center.
“A few years ago, while doing another project at the center, we noted the furnace and freezer were in need of upgrading. This grant allows us to complete that project,” Wamser wrote.
For the past 20 years, workers at Vermont Yankee have helped the Drop In Center enrich its community services through grant funding and volunteer labor.
Lucie Fortier, the Drop In Center's executive director, explained in a news release that this recent support from Entergy addresses some of the organization's most vital needs:
“Our furnace has been inefficient and requiring regular maintenance for some time. We just have not been able to afford to replace it. Their generosity will also save us money with efficiency of the new system, so it's a gift that will keep on giving.”
Fortier added the food shelf keeps growing, “and our capacity has not been the best, so helping us with some updates to our pantry will also assist us to be better organized to provide food to the thousands of individuals that come through our doors.”
Contributing to our region's largest campaign against hunger, Entergy also provided $30,000 toward the 2014 fundraising goal of Project Feed the Thousands - and another $2,000 for holiday toys.
Entergy has consistently made major contributions to this campaign. Since Entergy bought Vermont Yankee in 2002, it has contributed nearly $300,000 to the Drop In Center in corporate grants alone. Entergy Charitable Foundation has also pledged $45,000 over the next three years.
Acknowledging the importance of this support, Project Feed the Thousands co-chair Kelli Corbeil said in a news release that this support has always been something her organization has counted on in reaching its goals.
“What many people don't realize is that not only has the corporation stepped up over the years as the hunger epidemic has grown in our area, but Entergy's employees themselves have also donated significantly towards the campaign,” she explained.
This year, the Drop In Center will support more than 20,000 individuals through its food shelf, day shelter, case management, advocacy, and housing assistance programs.
The Drop In Center also operates Brattleboro's Emergency Winter Shelter at the First Baptist Church.