The Vermont Catholic Community Foundation Inc. invites the faith community to attend its third annual meeting Sept. 13 to celebrate the contributions made by individuals and/or groups to the community through their acts of charity, service and faith.

Date: Friday, Sept. 13, 6–8 p.m.

Place: Old Lantern Inn & Barn, 3260 Greenbush Road, Charlotte, VT 05445

Thanks to the extreme generosity of Old Lantern Inn and Barn, Misty Knoll and other sponsors, this event is free to the faith community, but there is limited sitting. You must register by Sept. 10, at vtcatholicfoundation.org/annualmeeting.

The Vermont Catholic Community Foundation is a separate nonprofit from the Diocese of Burlington that was established in 2015 to build a strong foundation for the Catholic Church in Vermont. During the last four years, the foundation has grown to more than 67 funds supporting schools, parishes, cemeteries, ministries and charitable causes throughout the state. Each fund established in the foundation is restricted to a specific cause or ministry to provide funding in perpetuity based on the donors’ intentions.

Funds like the Gokey Fund help people like Sandy, a mother of three who had her teeth extracted years ago, receive dentures which, she said, changed her life: “I am now comfortable attending my kid’s events. I am confident at my job. My health is better as I can eat a broader range of nutritional foods. I am smiling at everyone all the time! I have never been happier.”

John Fitzgerald and Mary Ellen Fuller, classmates at Cathedral High School, sent their eight children and nine grandchildren to Rice Memorial High School and established the Rice Memorial High School Fuller Fitzgerald Fund to ensure others could afford to attend. All eight of the Fitzgerald children surprised their mother with a gift doubling the fund and financial aid capacity.

The Dr. Thomas G. Howrigan Fund, established with a bequest, leaves a beautiful legacy of faith and on-going operational support for St. Patrick Parish in Fairfield.

The foundation reflects the core values of the Catholic faith and brings the Catholic community together to express those values in various ways. Whether it is providing support for dentures; financial aid to students who could not otherwise afford a Catholic education; or resources to care for Catholic cemeteries, the foundation provides many pathways for individuals and Catholic entities to create funds that will support specific purposes now and in the future.

To learn more about VCCF visit vtcatholicfoundation.org.

— Ellen Kane is the executive director of The Vermont Catholic Community Foundation.

—Originally published in the Aug. 31–Sept. 6, 2019, issue of The Inland See