►
From YouTube: Kindness Connection - 9/15/2022
Description
From Jan Riordan:
Jesse Bridges, CEO of United Way of Northwest VT.
The Mission of the United Way is to build a stronger community by working together. Jesse discusses a multitude of programs that support community
vibrancy.
This video belongs to http://www.cctv.org and published with permission under Creative Commons License CCTV Center for Media & Democracy Programming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
A
Hi,
I
am
jan
reardon,
and
I
am
here
proudly
representing
the
jennifer
reardon
foundation.
Jennifer
is
my
sister-in-law
and
due
to
a
very
tragic
occurrence,
we
lost
jen
as
far
as
her
physical
being,
but
we
do
have
to
say
that
carrying
on
her
spirit
of
being
kind,
loving,
caring
and
sharing
has
been
quite
a
gift
that
she
left
for
us
and
we're
proud
to
spread
that
throughout
many
communities.
A
As
you
know,
we
came
back
from
the
kindness
tour,
so
we
hit
the
east
coast
and
it's
nice
to
be
back
here
in
burlington
with
someone
that
I'm
going
to
introduce
you
to
in
a
minute
just
to
hear
about
all
the
wonderful
things
that
tie
into
being
a
kind
community
and
and
caring
for
one
another
at
this
time.
Obviously
it's
it's
more
important
than
ever.
So
I
have
the
the
privilege
and
honor
of
having
jesse
bridges
here
with
us
today.
Thank
you,
jesse
for
being
here.
Thank
you.
A
So
much
jesse,
yes
and
jesse,
is
the
ceo
of
the
united
way
of
northwest
vermont,
which
I
want
to
find
out
a
little
bit
more
about
the
territories
and
all.
But
I
obviously
love
the
united
way
and
the
work
that
that
has
happened
with
the
united
way
that
you
obviously
have
had
a
a
great
role
in
given
your
leadership
and
I've
always
heard
wonderful
things
about
you
back
from
parks
and
rec.
And
here
you
are
now
even
in
a
larger
capacity,
doing
great
things
for
vermont,
and
I
want
to
thank
you
for
that.
A
B
A
A
B
B
A
Ever
yeah,
even
in
the
early
days
of
planning
for
the
new
y,
it
was
all
about
bringing
back.
You
know
we
looked
at
prints
from
the
1920s
and
they
had
all
these
gathering
spaces,
then
that
disappeared
and
then
all
of
a
sudden,
you
realize
the
need
for
that,
and
certainly
coming
out
of
the
pandemic,
to
be
able
to
have
human
interaction
again.
Is
it
warms
your
heart.
B
B
And
so
through
that,
as
a
as
a
leader
in
the
city
getting
to
understand
what
people
wanted,
really
listen,
thinking
about
universal
accessibility
principles
in
the
built
environment
that
got
me
to
thinking
a
lot
about
social
impact-
and
you
know
the
place
is
one
thing.
But
how
do
you
create
the
opportunities
for
exactly.
A
B
B
A
A
And
how
would
you
say
one
of
my
questions
that
I
had
a
little
further
down,
but
it
ties
in
now.
How
would
you
say
the
united
way
here?
Northwest
vermont
compares
to
other
united
ways.
I
know,
for
instance,
like
with
the
y
there's
y
of
the
usa,
and
so
there's
probably
some
governance,
but
do
you
have
a
chance
to
really
kind
of
tweak
things
based
on
our
community?
How
does
that
work?
So,
what's.
B
100,
that's
fabulous
the
funding,
the
volunteers,
the
people,
it's
all
local.
We
have
a
local
board.
We
have,
you
know
thousands
of
local
donors.
Yes,
thousands
of
local
volunteers
right
serving
our
local
community.
Northwest
vermont
is
franklin
grand
isle
and
chittenden
county.
Okay.
I
have
wonderful
colleagues
that
all
run
their
own
nonprofit
organizations,
independent
nonprofit
organizations
across
the
state
right,
there's,
there's
a
cohort
of
us
throughout
the
state.
We've
really
enjoyed.
We
work
together
so
well.
That's.
B
B
B
B
A
Right
absolutely
so,
are
you
familiar
with
a
day
of
sharing,
which
is
more
of
a
united
way?
Is
that
something
that
happens?
Okay,
I
know
on
september
17th.
Actually
my
brother
and
his
family
are
from
albuquerque,
and
the
united
way
is
working
with
the
jennifer
reardon
foundation
and
having
a
day
of
caring
at
the
isotopes
ballpark
right.
B
A
B
A
B
B
At
parks
right,
it
was
like
you
know:
I
got
150
employees.
What
can
we
do?
Well,
really.
The
only
place
for
that
is
we'll
all
go
down
to
the
interval
or
we'll
go
to
one
of
the
big
parks
and
do
a
project.
What
an
accomplishment
and
those
are
those
are
fun
and
they're,
good
and
they're
episodic,
and
and
that's
as
much
about
the
volunteer
feeling
that
we
get
sure
as
it
is
about
the
task
that
we're
accomplishing
and.
B
We're
leveraging
over
40
000
volunteer
hours
over
the
course
of
the
year.
That
is
remarkable.
The
value
of
that
volunteer
hours
is
well
over
a
million
dollars
exactly
and
and
then
that
amplifies
and
and
compounds
when
you
look
at
a
bunch
of
the
different
places,
of
course,
and
so
we're
seeing
you
know,
the
role
of
the
volunteer
has
shifted
dramatically
during
covet.
You
know
our
good
partners
at
age.
Well
that
run
meals
on
wheels
first
day
of
the
pandemic,
they
lost
100
volunteers,
food
still
needed
to
get
to
people.
B
We
worked
with
them
to
recruit
300
new
volunteers,
but
we're
still
struggling
to
kind
of
meet
that
need,
as
we've
come
out
of
the
pandemic,
and
people's
priorities
have
shifted.
I
think
what
we're
seeing
the
food
shelf
next
door.
There
is
a
role
for
staff,
professional
staff
to
play
and
not
just
rely
on
volunteers.
True,
one
of
the
other
programs
we
run
at
united
way
is
common
good
vermont,
which
started
here.
B
B
Past
wyoming
passed
us
we're
going
to
see
we're
about
to
get
some
new
numbers
at
post
pandemic.
We've
had
a
lot
of
startups,
so
we'll
see
yeah,
that's
true,
but
one
of
the
messages
I
always
want
to
send
is
we've
got
to
support
the
people
who
do
the
work
as
much
as
the
work
itself,
and
certainly
as
a
leader,
that's
something
I
tried
to
do
at
parks.
You
always
used
to
tell
the
staff
at
parks
you're
in
public
service
you're,
not
public
servants.
B
B
A
A
And
it
shows
it
definitely
does.
What
would
you
say
going
into
your
position
were
a
couple
of
your
top
goals
and
maybe
they
were
not
accomplished,
or
maybe
they
were
because
things
you
know
you,
you
hit
the
ground
running
and
things
come
your
way
as
as
we
all
know.
So
what
would
you
say,
though,
are
a
couple
of
goals
you
had
in
mind
coming
in
and
how
did
that
vary?
Perhaps
as
you've
moved
along.
B
The
number
one
goal
we
just
talked
about
it
was
the
people
in
the
organization
love
it.
How
do
we
grow
the
people?
How
do
we
make
sure
people
that
are
doing
this
important
work
feel
supported,
valued
and
and
put
a
structure
in
place
that
that
isn't
just
about
the
output?
It's
not
just
about
the
external
reflection
of.
Did
we
solve
x
problem
in
the
community?
B
Coming
out
of
the
pandemic,
talk
about
things
being
true.
The
workforce
challenges
we're
facing
are
huge
and
we'll
we're
going
to
touch
more
on
that.
I
think
hopefully,
as
we
talk
here
so
that
was
a
big
priority
and
I
think
we've,
I
would
say,
have
done
well
on
that.
But,
like
every
other
organization,
we've
had
a
lot
of
turnover.
The
last
couple
years,
people
moving
into
great
great
other
roles
in
the
community,
we're
growing
in
different
ways
and
that's
been
exciting,
and
so
we've
got
a
lot
of
new
people
too.
A
B
B
B
B
B
We're
changing,
everybody
else
is
doing
their
fundraising
as
non-profits.
There's
a
lot
more
competition
in
the
marketplace,
there's
a
lot
of
other
things
out
there.
The
other
thing
we're
known
for
is
funding
and
we
still
do
funding.
It's
still
we're
still
one
of
the
largest
discretionary
grant
makers
in
the
entire
state
and.
B
This
year,
we
we
granted
in
our
overall
funding,
we're
doing
about
1.3
million
dollars
in
community
funding
and
that's
from
a
variety
of
sources.
It's
an
impact
and
again
that's
something:
that's
evolved
on
the
business
side
because
it
used
to
be
that
we
would
there
we
go
and
spectrum
and
and
their
new
dropping
center.
B
We
can
make
that
happen.
We've
had
less
ability
to
do
that,
because
we've
had
less
of
that
unrestricted
philanthropy.
What
we've
been
able
to
do
is
find
other
sources
of
funding,
so
we've
been
able
to
leverage
federal
and
state
dollars.
We've
been
able
to
make
our
funding
more
flexible,
so
that
mark
can
take
that
50
and
turn
it
into
something
more.
It
can
fill
in
the
hole
that
a
federal
grant
won't
exactly.
B
B
A
B
Together
exactly
we
really
were
able
to
accelerate
some
of
this
change.
When
I
talk
about
trust-based
funding
really
being
able
to
build
on
the
principles,
we've
always
had
at
united
way
volunteer-led.
It's
volunteers
dollars
right
that
we're
then
leveraging
out
to
do
all
these
different
pieces
within
the
community.
B
What
we
did
during
covet
immediately
was
unrestrict
all
of
the
dollars
and
that
we
were
funding
to
our
partners
in
those
first
months
in
march
and-
and
we
said
we're
sending
out-
we
don't
know
if
the
checks
are
going
to
keep
coming
in
exactly
but
we're
sending
the
money
out
to
you,
because
we
know
you
need
it
right
now,
whether
it's
to
keep
your
staff
employed
or
it's
to
meet.
The
increased
need
right
with
some
of
the
some
of
the
issue
key
strategy
issues
that
was.
B
I
think
a
lesson
to
be
learned
for
all
of
us,
as
individual
donors,
family
foundations,
the
government,
when
we
think
of
funding
when
we
start
to
put
a
lot
of
buckets
boxes
and
restrictions
around
that
and
tell
our
community
leaders
and
partners
who
are
out
doing
this
work.
What
we
expect
them
to
do
with
those
dollars
right.
A
B
B
That
for
a
long
time-
and
we
have
the
same
trust
with
our
donors-
and
we've
heard
that
for
years,
that's
one
of
our
united
way's
hallmarks
donors
come
to
us
and
say:
well,
we
trust
you
to
put
the
dollars
where
they're
needed
most
and
that's
what
we
do
and
we
use
these
partners
in
the
same
way.
We
want
to
treat
them
in
the
same
way,
and
so,
instead
of
us,
holding
them
accountable,
our
relationship,
interesting
holds,
holds
us
accountable
right
right.
Our
community
holds
us
accountable.
B
A
B
B
Yeah,
so
it's
it's
been
a
it's
been
a
great
journey
and
that
pivot
has
enabled
us
to
to
think
differently.
We've
increased
the
number,
the
level
of
grant
funding
that
we've
had,
so
we
shrunk
down
size
wise
at
the
during
the
pandemic.
We
we
didn't
have
as
much
staff
and
you
know
definitely
donation
dollars
went
down
in
some
places
because
people
weren't
working
or
otherwise
we've
come
back
out
of
it
now
with
a
much
more
sustainable
mix
where
we've
got
grant.
B
Funding
coming
in
we've
got
fee
for
service
work
that
we
do
through
our
working
bridges
program,
which
we
should
definitely
talk
about.
We've
got
common
good
on
board
now
exactly
and
what
that's
given
us
ability
to
do
is
use
the
unrestricted
philanthropy
and
much
more
of
that
levering
and
amplifying
way
so
that
we
can,
let
you
know
mark,
do
what
he's
doing.
B
B
Working
bridges
is
a
program
that
puts
in
partnership
with
employers,
resource
coordinators,
on-site
at
workplaces
to
help
employees
navigate
the
issues
that
keep
them
from
maintaining
or
being
successful
at
work,
and
this
is
a
program
again.
It
started
as
this
idea
around.
There
are
a
lot
of
barriers.
Just
getting
a
job
is
not
the
end
of
a
path
to
sustainability.
Correct
right.
B
Yes,
one
of
our
key
strategies
that
we're
trying
to
to
unlock
is
achieving
financial
stability,
and
this
is
one
of
our
resource
coordinators
on
site
here,
working
with
an
employee
to
help
them
navigate
a
myriad
of
different
issues
and
it's
all
of
the
issues
that
we're
also
working
on
in
other
places.
So
this
helps
us
address
all
of
our
other
key
strategies
when
you
think
of
meeting
basic
needs.
B
What
we
talk
about
with
meeting
basic
needs
are
food,
housing
and
transportation,
so
unlocking
the
tremendous
resources
that
we
have
in
our
community,
whether
it
be
government
resources
or
our
non-profit
partners
right,
but
we're
doing
that
at
the
workplace,
so
we're
able
to
meet
employees
where
they're
at
they
already
got
to
work.
We're
not
asking
them
to
make
an
appointment
in
the
evening
or
come
back
on
saturday,
and
this
is
where
employees
benefit,
because
those
employees
convenience
of
this.
It's
convenient
and
the
employer
benefits,
because
the
employee
shows
up
exactly.
A
B
Supports
out
in
the
community,
yes,
and
that
keeps
people
employed
that
keeps
them
moving
forward,
helps
address
some
of
the
benefit
cliff
gap.
So
we've
seen
his
wages
have
risen.
Yes
right!
Well
that
what
that's
done
to
some
families
is
it's
shot
them
over
the
benefits
cliff.
So
it
means
before
you
were
getting
assistance
for
food.
Maybe
you
were
getting
housing
assistance
you're,
getting
help
with
your
heating
oil.
A
So
they're
not
involved
in
the
system
anymore,
they're
able
to
really
I
mean
they're
working
hard
then,
and
how
good
does
it
feel
when
you're
able
to
do
those
things
for
yourself
and
here
they've,
you
know,
obviously,
with
your
help
been
able
to
prove
themselves,
which
is
just
beautiful.
I
didn't
realize
the
depth
of
that
program.
That
is
amazing.
We.
B
B
A
B
Community
and
we've
got
16
employer
partners
in
northwest
vermont.
We've
got
another
10
in
with
greenmount
united
way
in
the
northeast
kingdom.
Central
vermont
all
over
the
state,
we're
with
ccv
we're
with
the
hospitals,
we're
with
manufacturing
sites,
and
it's
and
it's
just
another
way
where
united
way
again
is
existing
at
that
intersection.
Yes,
and
seeking
to
amplify
the
change.
That's
happening
and.
A
B
A
B
Always
get
to
see
it,
they
don't
always
get
to
see
it,
and
I
think
you
know
the
the
mental
health
piece
you
just
mentioned
is
such
a
it's
an
issue
across
the
country.
More
than
ever,
vermont
has
a
massive
mental
health
crisis.
Right
now,
in
january
of
this
year,
we
launched
our
mental
health
initiative,
so.
B
Are
teaming
up
with
so
the
uvm
medical
center
has
provided
the
initial
funding
for
us
to
get
it
going
using
a
collective
impact
model,
which
means
we've
brought
together.
We
are
serving
as
a
backbone
organization,
we're
holding
the
table
for
conversation
and
change
right
and
we're
bringing
together
everybody
from
howard
center
and
northwestern
counseling
and
support
services.
B
The
designated
mental
health
agencies,
the
spectrums
of
the
world
nami
and
suicide
prevention
groups
to
bring
them
together
to
say,
what's
working
and
what's
not
working
and
we've
identified
three
key
areas
that
we
really
need
to
focus
in
on
as
a
community
as
we
move
forward,
one
of
those
being
the
workforce
challenge
that
we
talked
about.
Okay,
there
are
not
enough
mental
health
care
providers
in
the
state
and
that's
leading
to
you,
know
kids
waiting
for
days
in
the
ed
to
get
seen.
B
A
B
And
not
just
crisis
response,
it's
not
just
about
having
crisis
response
embedded
in
the
police
department
that,
yes
and
we've
got
to
have
a
continuum.
Exactly
all
of
us
have
felt
the
impacts
of
mental
health
over
the
last
couple
of
years
and
we're
talking
about
it
more,
which
is
a
key
part
of
de-stigmatizing.
A
It
that,
in
a
in
an
odd
way,
feels
good.
It
just
feels
so
good
to
address
that
and
to
let
people
know
that
this
is
what
we
want
to
talk
about
and
and
make
it
better.
You
know
it
there's
so
many
things
that
people
are
aware
of
now
versus
before
as
to
why
somebody
may
act
a
certain
way
and
it's
just
again,
coming
from
a
good
place
and
understanding
that
that
person
just
needs
some
help.
Yeah.
B
Clear
is
kind
right.
We
want
to
be
clear
about
what
these
issues
we
can't
just
sweep
it
under
the
rug,
because
if
we
do
that
well
we're
we're
not
giving
credence
to
the
people
that
are
suffering
number
one
credence
to
ourselves.
Mental
health
care
is
healthcare.
Our
brain
is
a
part
of
our
body
and
everybody's
everybody.
Every
brain.
It's
unacceptable
and.
B
It's
not
getting
better,
because
people
feel
more
isolated,
they
feel
more
alone.
What
does
it
take?
It
takes
one
person
to
prevent
suicide
really,
and
so,
if
we
increase
our
overall
understanding,
whoa
kinder
community,
more
empathetic
community,
exactly
people
know
where
the
resources
are,
and
then
the
third
area
is
youth.
Mental
health.
The
impact
to
our
kids
over
the
last
couple
years
with
what's
happened
with
schools
and
child
care
settings
the
impact
to
the
people
working
in
those
environments.
It's
just
we.
B
A
Know,
but
thank
you
so
much
for
being
here.
I
can't
wait
to
talk
again
and
see
what
else
we
can
do
to
get
involved
and
do
a
little
bit
more
for
this
wonderful
community
that
is
here
and
you've
played
such
an
integral
part
of.
So.
Thank
you
very
much.
Thank
you
for
spreading
kindness,
you
betcha!
I
love
it.
Thank
you.
Bye
now,
bye.