MONTPELIER — Vermont Secretary of State Sarah Copeland Hanzas and leaders from several Vermont businesses and nonprofit organizations recently announced the launch of a new program titled Vermont Civic Connect.
Vermont Civic Connect is a program for Vermont businesses and nonprofit organizations that are committed to improving civic engagement and education across the state. The Secretary of State’s office will provide information and resources on voting and civic engagement to participating businesses/organizations. Those organizations can then share that trusted information with employees, clients and customers.
The program will have two tiers — “Partners” and “Champions.” Civic Connect Partners will receive access to the Secretary of State’s toolkit of nonpartisan, official information and resources — including social media, newsletter and printable flyer materials — that promote voting and civic engagement. They commit to using these resources to share trustworthy information with employees, clients and/or customers.
Civic Connect Champions take this step and go one further, pledging to strengthen the culture of civic engagement at the workplace, including providing flextime or paid time off on election days and opportunities for employees to volunteer in their communities.
“This program recognizes two important realities: One, Vermonters are seeking trustworthy information about our elections and looking for ways to get more involved in their communities. Two, the workplace is where we spend most of our waking hours, and Vermont businesses/nonprofits are deeply embedded and trusted within the civic fabric of our state,” Copeland Hanzas said in a news release. “My office has the tools and information to spread the word about voting and promote civic engagement, like a seed ready for planting. The Vermont businesses/nonprofits joining this program have the reach to make our democracy and civic life flourish and bloom!”
Founding members who have signed on at the partner level are Agri-Mark (Cabot), Coldwell Banker Hickok and Boardman, Common Good Vermont, and Washington County Mental Health Services (WCMHS). Champion level founding members are: Ben and Jerry’s, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, Gordon’s Window Décor, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Mamava, Norwich Solar, Stone Environmental Inc, Vermont Artisan Coffee and Tea, Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility (VBSR), Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Vermont Foodbank, Vermont Glove Company, and Vermont Professionals of Color.
“At VBSR, we believe that businesses help weave the civic fabric of Vermont,” said Executive Director Chelsea Bardot Lewis in a statement. “When employers encourage participation, dialogue and community engagement, we strengthen both our democracy and our economy. We’re honored to join Civic Connect as a founding partner because we believe that trust is fundamental to business, community, and democracy.”
“Vermont is strongest when people feel connected to their communities and confident that their voices matter,” said Vermont Chamber of Commerce President Amy Spear. “Businesses have a unique ability to foster that sense of belonging by helping employees access trusted, nonpartisan information and creating a culture that encourages participation… When more Vermonters are informed, engaged and inspired to take part, we build stronger communities, a healthier democracy, and a more resilient economy.”
“The Vermont Professionals of Color Network is dedicated to advancing the social and economic prosperity of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color across Vermont,” said Co-Founder and Executive Director of Community and Policy Weiwei Wang. “A big part of that means informing and empowering our community members to engage in Vermont’s civic life, whether through voting, volunteering, or running for office. We’re proud to be a founding member of the Secretary of State’s Civic Connect program to ensure these opportunities reach Vermont’s BIPOC community, because every Vermonter deserves a stake in our civic life.”
