Essex, VT Community
Resource Guide
New to the community? Need a meal or other help?
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The community of Essex, VT and the State of Vermont are home to many food and social service groups for those in need of extra assistance, whether temporary or long-term. Please consider using this reference as a starting point for you or someone you know.
Food Pantries Serving Essex
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Aunt Dot’s Place
Address: 51 Center Road, Essex
Contact: 802-662-5614
Website: www.auntdotsplace.com
Hours: Tuesday, 6:00pm to 7:30pm. Thursday, 9:00am to 11:00am. Saturday, 10:00am to 12:00pm.
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Essex CHIPS Youth Food Shelf
Address: 2 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction
Contact: 855-273-8336
Website: www.essexchips.org/food-shelf
Hours: Weekdays, 9:00am to 5:00pm
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Essex Jericho Underhill Ecumenical
Address: 273 VT-15, Jericho
Contact: 802-899-3932
Website: www.ejufoodshelf.wixsite.com/ejufoodshelf
Hours: 3rd Saturday, 9:00am to 11:00am
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Heavenly Food Pantry
Address: 39 Main Street, Essex Junction
Contact: 802-878-5745
Website: www.fccej.org/v5/SERVING-OTHERS/ HEAVENLY-FOOD-PANTRY
Hours: 2nd Monday, 5:30pm to 7:30pm. 4th Thursday, 2:00pm to 6:00pm.
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Williston Community Food Shelf
Address: 400 Cornerstone Drive #130, Williston
Contact: 802-735-6303
Website: www.willistonfoodshelf.com
Hours: Tuesdays, 5:00pm to 6:30pm. Thursdays, 9:00am to 11:00am. Saturdays: 9:00am to 11:00am.
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Other Food Assistance
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Feeding Chittenden
Address: 228 North Winooski Avenue, Burlington
Contact: 802-658-7939
Website: www.feedingchittenden.org
Meals: Monday to Friday, 6:30am to 8:30am. Groceries: Monday to Friday, 10:00am to 3:00pm.
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Essex Westford School District
Free & Reduced-Price School Meals
Free school meals for income eligible families.
Contact: 802-857-7333
Website: www.ewsd.org/freereduced
Free Meal Program
Free meals for all children ages 18 or under. Children do not need to be present, no application or paperwork is required.
Contact: 802-857-7333
Website: www.ewsd.org
Hours: Monday through Friday. Maple Street Park & Pool Concession Stand, 10:00am to 2:00pm. Albert D. Lawton, 8:30am to 10:30am. Essex Elementary School, 9:30am to 11:30am. Westford School, 10:30am to 11:15am.
Vermont Foodbank
Farmers to Families
Provides registrants with 30lbs of fresh food.
Contact: 802-476-0316
Website: www.vtfoodbank.org/coronavirus-services- for-individuals
Food for Older Adults
Delivers free staple foods to local pick-up sites for income-eligible Vermonters age 60+.
Contact: 1-800-214-4648
Website: www.vtfoodbank.org/share-food/csfp
HANDS VT
Provides food for seniors, 50 years and older, through dinners and educational programs.
Contact: 802-864-7528
Website: www.handsvt.org
Shift Meals — Everyone Eats
Partnered with Mark’s BBQ to distribute food on Thursdays 12-4pm. Must pre-register online.
Contact: 802-662-4381
Website: www.shiftmeals.org/everyone-eats
Food Not Bombs Burlington
Recovers food that would otherwise be discarded, and shares free vegan and vegetarian meals with the hungry.
Contact: 802-793-8851
Website: www.facebook.com/FoodNotBombsBurlington
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Financial Support and Assistance
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Economic Services Division
Helps income eligible Vermonters meet their needs. A few of their services are listed below.
Contact: 1-800-479-6151
Website: www.dcf.vermont.gov/ESD
3 Squares VT
Helps Vermonters buy food.
Reach Up
Supports households with children.
Farm to Family
Helps Vermonters buy fresh, local food.
Fuel Assistance
Helps Vermonters pay their heating bill.
Essential Person
Helps Vermonters afford essential, live-in care.
Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)
Provides healthy foods, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education, counseling, and resources to income eligible Vermonters who are pregnant or caregivers of children under 5.
Contact: 1-800-649-4357
Website: www.healthvermont.gov/family/wic
Joint Urban Ministry Project (JUMP)
JUMP provides assistance in the form of vouchers to pay utility bills, purchase groceries, transportation gas assistance, laundry, cleaning supplies, prescription co-pay and basic essential goods.
Contact: 802-862-4501
Website: www.jumpvt.org
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Financial Support and Assistance
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Essex CHIPS — TeenLine
Warm line connecting youth and their families to information and resources.
Contact: 855-273-8336
Website: www.essexchips.org/teenline
Howard Center
Community Outreach Team
Social workers available to help community members with a variety of social service needs.
Contact: 802-488-7778
Website: www.howardcenter.org/mental-health/ community-support/#outreach
First Call Chittenden County
Phone support, crisis intervention and assessment, service referrals and connection to follow-up care available 24/7/365.
Contact: 802-488-7778
Website: www.howardcenter.org/first-call-for-chittenden- county/
Pathways Vermont Support Line
Warm line providing confidential, peer-to-peer support for adult Vermonters.
Contact: 833-888-2557
Website: www.pathwaysvermont.org/what-we-do/our- programs/vermont-support-line/
Spectrum Youth & Family Services
Supports youth through drop-in, housing, counseling, and health services.
Contact: 802-864-7423
Website: www.spectrumvt.org
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Other Community Resources
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Age Well Vermont Helpline
Provides expertise on a variety of issues for aging Vermonters.
Contact: 1-800-642-5119
Website: www.agewellvt.org/services/helpline
Essex Community Justice Center
Offers many support services with restorative approaches to crime and conflict.
Contact: 802-873-7690
Website: www.essexcjc.org
Essex Municipal Offices
Find municipal resources and updates.
Contact: 802-878-6951
Website: www.essex.org www.essexjunction.org
Essex Westford School District Language Services
Contact: 802-857-2019
Website: www.ewsd.org/TRANSLATION www.ewsd.org/ELL
Translation Services
Provides oral & written translations for families.
English Language Learners
Supports students with other home languages.
Vermont 2-1-1
Dial 2-1-1 to be connected to an extensive list of important community resources.
Contact: 211
Website: www.vermont211.org
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COVID-19 Resources
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Vermont Department of Health
Prevention, testing, and vaccine information.
Contact: 802-863-7240
Website: www.healthvermont.gov/covid-19
Vermont Department of Labor
Unemployment benefits and workplace safety.
Contact: 802-828-4000
Website: www.labor.vermont.gov/covid19
COVID-19 Recovery Resource Center
Resources for businesses and individuals.
Website: www.accd.vermont.gov/COVID-19
Want to Help? Many of these resources are frequently seeking volunteers or food/monetary donations. Reach out to them directly!
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Updated May 2021. This guide is updated seasonally. If you have information or updates to add, please contact teenline@essexchips.org