In thanking Lebanon Rotary, Kristi pointed out that the Club started giving in 1999, and has contributed to keeping Listen’s programs going.
Kristi spent more than 20 years working in child protection with Easter Seals Vermont. Prior to that, she worked with youth with developmental disabilities. In 2024, she came Listen as development director. She grew up in the Upper Valley, lives in Sharon, and has a 16-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son.
Listen has given 50+ years of service to 30+ towns in New Hampshire and Vermont. Listen works in four primary areas: food insecurity, housing, heating and utilities, and service coordination. They have a program team of seven persons supporting neighbors in crisis. Listen also has one community health outreach worker meeting people where they are. The food pantry is located at Pantry, 60 Hanover Street. The community dining room is just over the Connecticut River in White River Junction.
How Listen is funded:
- 35% from three stores: Canaan, Lebanon, WRJ Thrift;
- 65% philanthropic dollars—Rotary Clubs and others, grants, private donors, faith groups;
- 40% individuals and groups.
Sustainability at Listen:
- 215,000+ lbs. of books recycled;
- 540,000+ lbs. of textiles recycled.
In the past fiscal year:
- 4,000+ people were given gift cards for essential items;
- 38,113 home-cooked meals were prepared and served by 30 volunteer teams;
- 1,507 individuals received assistance with heat and electricity bills;
- 759 secured or maintained housing;
- 3,110 households received service coordination—a big increase from the previous year. Needs are becoming more complex, requiring more hours of support from coordinators.
- 4,932 persons received produce and shelf-stable pantry goods;
- 1,408 received thrift store gift cards;
- 168 children attended summer camp.
What we are seeing now:
- Community meal service up almost 19%;
- Heating assistance requests up about 21%;
- Service coordination requests up over 40%—a lot of time is spent on housing because rental vacancy rates are down, and rent payments are up. Here are the pressures:
- A problem is that the jobs that keep our community running don’t pay enough to meet today’s rent levels.
- Washington’s cutbacks are hurting: less heating assistance, SNAP benefits were paused and then resumed at a lower level. Listen partnered with the NH food bank. Still, delays in processing and additionally required paperwork mean a lot more service coordination time.
- The cost of living has gone up as well, especially the cost of transportation.
- Our area is lovely, which often hides those who need assistance: it’s a “hidden poverty challenge.”
How Listen is responding:
- Increasing health and utility fund by 21%; adding an additional $50,000 in February;
- Purchased additional food to meet panty and dining hall demand;
- Community health worker position needs additional support. We’ve had to replace COVID funding which first gave us this position.
- We’ve exponentially invested in staff and infrastructure.
What’s in the road ahead?—Near to completing a new Strategic Plan:
- Establish stronger internal systems;
- Support our people;
- Build organizational financial health;
- Create a more responsible environmental impact;
- Responsive programs.
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