Low-income heating program benefits from bank’s challenge

© 2016 Telegraph Publishing LLC

Merchants Bank and the Champlain Valley Office for Economic Opportunity have announced the results of their fundraising for WARMTH, a program to help low-income Vermonters pay home heating bills.

The statewide fund received a $40,000 challenge grant from Merchants Bank and went on to raise a total of $107,000. The Merchants Bank contribution was distributed statewide through the five community action agencies, which raised the matching funds.

Each agency received the Merchants Bank funds in the same proportion to the matching funds it raised. South East Vermont Community Action raised $23,267, according CVOEO Executive Director Jan Demers and received approximately one-third of the Merchants Bank contribution.