BRATTLEBORO-Liberty Mutual and Safeco Insurance have awarded The Richards Group a 2024 Make More Happen Award for its volunteerism with Project Feed the Thousands, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing food and personal care items for thousands of people in and around seven communities across southeastern Vermont and southwestern New Hampshire.
The award includes an initial donation of $5,000 for Project Feed the Thousands, which can be doubled to $10,000 just by having community supporters vote online.
As of Monday, April 1, The Richards Group and Project Feed the Thousands community story is highlighted on the official Make More Happen microsite at agentgiving.com/the-richards-group-2024, where supporters can vote. When the cause receives 500 votes, the $5,000 donation will be doubled.
Last year, Project Feed the Thousands collected 431,856 meals and personal care items for thousands of people in need. The organization also raised $214,747 to help buy even more food for neighbors who would otherwise go hungry.
The $10,000 donation would directly support nine food shelves in the greater Brattleboro area and allow them to bulk purchase food in more expensive categories such as canned meats and proteins that families need.
"We are honored and incredibly grateful for being awarded the 2024 Make More Happen Award so we can continue to help our community and give back even more to Project Feed the Thousands," Tracey John, Retirement Plan Consultant at The Richards Group, said in a news release. "Project Feed the Thousands has had a significant impact in the Brattleboro area, and we are thrilled to double the donation with community support."
The Richards Group has supported Project Feed the Thousands since it launched 30 years ago. It started when John, also a board member of Project Feed the Thousands, reached out to the rest of the staff for support. Without hesitation, the agency donated and offered additional support.
They also learned that a staff member had grandchildren who were directly impacted by the nonprofit, as the children had also been recipients of food donations. To this day, The Richards Group continues to host pot luck lunches in exchange for donations and keeps a big red bucket - the symbol of Project Feed - to collect nonperishable food from staff and customers to donate to local food pantries throughout the giving season.
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.