CVCAC's Build Your Money Muscles is being offered in Barre again this summer!  This ongoing group can help you improve your relationship with money, increase your cash flow and experience financial security.  Find the support you need to develop healthy financial habits and create a more abundant lifestyle.  Stop financial self-sabotage and make money a positive force in your life!  The 5-part Build Your Money Muscles group series will run Monday evenings 6-8pm July 19, 26 and August 9, 16, 23.  Call 476-8493 for more information.  Download the flyer. Read more about CVCAC's Credit Building work.

CVCAC's Kym Maynard was honored on June 17th as the Vermont and New England 2010 Home-Based Business Champion by the U.S. Small Business Administration at a ceremony presented by Vermont Business Magazine in Shelburne, Vermont. Maynard was selected based on business development assistance she provides to home-based art and craft entrepreneurs on site at the Local Agricultural Community Exchange (LACE) in downtown, Barre, VT.   As a CVCAC Micro Business Development specialist, she provides technical assistance relevant to the particular needs of this sector including managing inventory, pricing, display and marketing.  Because she has been a home-based artisan and business owner (jeweler), she is a tireless advocate for these businesses.  She sees the value that they bring to the lives of the owners; she knows that the jobs and income they create for their families and communities have real impact.  As the award recognizes, Kym's work is improving the climate for home-based businesses across Vermont and New England. Find out more about the LACE Gallery. Read the Full Release on the local SBA page.

The Vermont Community Development Program at the Agency of Commerce and Community Development awarded an $800,000 grant to the City of Barre and sub-grantee CVCAC on June 18 to purchase and redevelop a downtown property into a community campus to house CVCAC’s services. The announcement was made in front of the P&S Furniture Store, future home of CVCAC’s program offices, training classrooms, and food shelf. Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie presented the award to CVCAC Executive Director Hal Cohen, highlighting the project’s economic potential. “It's good for the City of Barre – it’s an investment that leverages public and private money, and it will support an organization that is doing critical work.” Hal Cohen, together with Board President Carol O'Neill and Barre Mayor Thom Lauzon, accepted the award noting that economic conditions have put tremendous pressure on the working poor. “The need for our services has grown exponentially the past few years. With a new centrally located community campus, we can help more Vermonters get the assistance they need. This project brings jobs downtown, makes more services available to low-income Vermonters, and consolidates multiple offices into one energy-efficient building. It’s a win-win-win for us and for the community.” Read More in the Times Argus or View the Story on WCAX.

Introducing Weatherization Skillshop, CVCAC’s new program to help homeowners make energy efficiency improvements with the right tools, techniques and training. This summer and fall, homeowners can learn how to take steps toward energy efficiency using home weatherization techniques. Nine Skillshops will be offered around the state, starting June 12 at the Barre Technical Center. Each full-day Weatherization Skillshop costs $150, and partivcipants receive hands-on training, professional tools, and useful resources, as well as a certificate from Efficiency Vermont to put towards a professional energy audit. Check out www.weatherizationskillshop.com for more details and the full schedule. Space is limited!

CVCAC is the proud recipient of a 2010 Governor's Award for Environmental Excellence for the Button Up Vermont initiative.  Button Up Vermont is an intensive public education program to mobilize Vermonters to save energy in their homes and is implemented in partnership with the Vermont Energy and Climate Action Network (VECAN) and Efficiency Vermont. "We are truly honored to be recognized as a statewide leader in teaching Vermonters about energy efficiency," said Hal Cohen, CVCAC Executive Director. "In Button Up's two years, we have reached over 3,000 Vermonters in over 200 workshops in every county in Vermont." Congratulations also goes out to the Wheels for Warmth program for Environmental Excellence in Environmental Justice and Sustainability. The Vermont Governor's Awards for Environmental Excellence were established in 1993 to honor Vermont individuals, organizations, institutions, public agencies, businesses, and industry using innovative approaches that reduce or eliminate the generation of pollutants and wastes at the source. Categories have been expanded since then to include other environmental leaders. To date, more than 100 award-winning efforts have been recognized.