Capstone Community Action announces generous support from the Friends of Bernie Sanders’ Mittens Fund to create a new program directed to at-risk, low income Vermont children and families. This new program will offer eligible families support to more than double their savings and learn critical financial literacy skills.
By harnessing the popularity of Senator Bernie Sander’s mitten merchandise sales, Capstone’s “Mitten Match Savings” program will offer families in its Head Start program seed money to start a savings account as well as coaching in financial literacy. The Mitten Match program will then match their savings, 2:1, up to $500 in savings after six months. Head Start is a federally-funded program that provides comprehensive early childhood services to at-risk low income families. Head Start programs utilize a “whole family” approach which is proven to help break the generational cycle of poverty. Bernie’s Mitten money will now offer these families a chance to save and build assets for the future.
“Jane and I were amazed by all the creativity shown by so many people, and we’re glad we can use my internet fame to help Vermonters in need,” Senator Bernie Sanders said. “But even this amount of money is no substitute for action by Congress, and I will be doing everything I can in Washington to make sure working people in Vermont and across the country get the relief they need in the middle of the worst crisis we’ve faced since the Great Depression.”
“Community Action and Head Start programs address the underlying roots of poverty and the failure to address income disparity in this country,” said Sue Minter, executive director of Capstone Community Action, a 56 year old anti-poverty program. “Poverty is not permanent. We know that financial literacy and wisely managing savings can be a pathway out of poverty. We’re delighted to turn the popularity of Bernie’s mitten merchandise sales into an opportunity to help transform the lives of low income Vermonters.”
Capstone Community Action was founded in 1965 and works to overcome poverty by serving people in crisis and creating economic opportunity for people and communities. Capstone’s programs include emergency food, heat assistance, housing counseling and homelessness intervention, savings and credit coaching, business counseling, workforce development, home weatherization, transportation access, and child and family development programs in Early Head Start/Head Start. We serve over 10,600 people through these programs each year. www.capstonevt.org.