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SVHC announced the organization had reached $24 million of its $25 million goal at a press conference on Thursday.

SVHC Asks for Community Help Reaching $25 Million Vision 2020 Goal

By Brian RhodesiBerkshires Staff
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BENNINGTON, Vt. — Southwestern Vermont Health Care has officially raised $24 million as part of its $25 million goal for its Vision 2020 campaign, with plans to fund the last $1 million with community help.  

 

"We are asking the members of our community to lend their support to invest in a new generation of care. The goal is $1 million, and we hope to raise this amount in 6 months," said David Newell, co-chair of the Vision 2020 Public Phase Committee. "We’re on the cusp of a new and exciting future for the hospital and everyone in the tri-state area who turns to SVHC for care."

 

The announcement came at a press conference on Thursday. Money raised for the campaign will go toward the new Kendall Emergency Department, which will be double the size of the current space, and the Hoyt-Hunter Cancer Center, which will have double the number of exam and infusion rooms. 

 

SVHC President and CEO Thomas A. Dee said the current Emergency Department, the oldest such facility in the state, is taking on double the number of patients each year as was intended. 

 

"Our region requires modernized facilities to support the top notch care our exceptional clinicians provide," he said . "The improvements we are making will have a positive impact on the lives of each person in the community and continue to for generations. We are forever grateful for everyone’s support."

 

Andrew King, the other co-chair of the Vision 2020 Public Phase Committee, spoke to the importance of community contributions, no matter the size. 

 

"Every dollar makes a difference. No donation is too small," he said. "The most important thing is to do what you can to help us build a hospital that keeps pace with the care needs of everyone — growing families, aging adults, our sickest, our most vulnerable … All of us."

 

Funding up to this point has primarily come from donations over the last four years, including nearly 300 gifts from private donations and grants. 

 

"We would not be at this stage of the campaign without the generous support of Nancy and Don Kendall, the Hunter Family, the Hoyt Family, Pamela and Richard Ader, Jackie and Tony Marro, Lucinda Thomson and many more members of our regional community and SVHC volunteer leaders," said Tommy Harmon, trustee and chair of the foundation's Vision 2020 Steering Committee. "We are deeply indebted to all of our donors for their faith in our organization and their ability to see the need for facilities that match our clinicians uncompromising level of care they provide to our patients."

 

For more information, visit svhealthcare.org/Vision2020.


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Fish and Wildlife Department: Take Down Birdfeeders, Secure Food from Bears

MONTPELIER, Vt. — The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has begun to receive reports of bears coming out of their dens and is urging Vermonters to remove their birdfeeders and take additional steps now to prevent conflicts with bears over the spring and summer.
 
"Do not wait to take down your birdfeeders and bearproof your yard until a bear comes to visit," said Jaclyn Comeau, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department's Bear Biologist.  "You need to act now to head off bear conflicts over the spring and summer, even if you have never had a bear visit your property before."
 
Bear incidents have been on the rise over the past several years.  Officials believe this trend is a result of Vermont's healthy black bear population learning to associate people and food over multiple generations.  Even with a steady increase in the number bears harvested by hunters in recent years—including a record harvest in 2024—Vermont's bear population has been stable over the past two decades and shows signs of growth over the past five years.
 
Shorter winters also mean that bears are emerging from their dens earlier in the spring.  In recent years bear activity has begun in mid-March.  This is roughly two weeks earlier than what is traditionally considered the start of "bear-aware season" in northern New England.
 
"Preventing bears from having access to human-related foods is key to successful coexistence with these long-lived and intelligent animals," said Comeau. "Bears can be found in every corner of Vermont other than the Champlain islands.  Put bluntly, most Vermonters live in bear country."
 
The department asks Vermonters to take the following proactive steps for coexisting with bears: 
 
  • Take down birdfeeders between mid-March and December.
  • Store garbage in bear-resistant containers or structures, trash cans alone are not enough.  
  • Follow the steps on our web page for composting in bear country. 
  • Use electric fences to keep chickens and honeybees safe. 
  • Request a bear-resistant dumpster from your waste hauler. 
  • Feed your pets indoors. 
  • Never feed bears, it is illegal.
 
"Deep snow may delay some bears from emerging from winter dens until April, but mid-March is the time for Vermonters to prepare for the early risers by taking down our birdfeeders, making sure garbage is secure, and protecting backyard chickens and bees with an electric fence," said Comeau.  "This will help teach bears that our yards and neighborhoods are not good places to search for food, but it will only work if everyone does their part."  Taking these precautions will also help reduce the chance of attracting other wildlife species such as raccoons, skunks and rodents.
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