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Vermont Youth Conservation Corps asks for $100,000 to add vans so its 'Food as Medicine' deliveries can reach more patients
Summary
Christine Hadwen of the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps asked the committee for a one‑time $100,000 capital investment to buy two cargo vans to remove transportation bottlenecks in the Health Care Share program, which delivers Vermont‑grown produce to more than 450 families across five counties.
Christine Hadwen, director of the Vermont Youth Conservation Program with the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC), told the committee her organization runs an 11‑acre organic farm and the Health Care Share (Food as Medicine) program that delivers produce to clinics and partners across five counties, serving more than 450 families annually.
Hadwen said the program has farm production, packing and distribution systems in place but lacks sufficient delivery capacity. "If we were to get two additional vans, we could run routes simultaneously, organizing deliveries by region, being much more efficient, reducing travel time, bringing food distribution points closer to patients," she said. VYCC requested a one‑time capital investment of $100,000 to purchase two cargo vans to expand the program.
Hadwen described the program's existing partnerships — including deliveries to North Country Hospital, the VA in Newport and clinics across Chittenden County — and said VYCC hires 80 to 100 young people annually to support production and distribution. She said the organization has an asset management plan and a larger fleet used for other programs that supports vehicle replacement and sustainability plans.
Committee members asked for a follow‑up briefing on prescribing decisions, distribution mechanics and how clinics are engaged; Hadwen and the committee indicated appropriations would be the logical next stop for funding discussions. The committee also noted Food is Medicine Awareness Day on April 8 and a statewide task force examining related work.
Next steps: staff requested more detailed operational and funding information for appropriations consideration; no budget action was taken in the hearing.
