Animal refuge a target for Vermont Gives

Springfield's VINE Sanctuary has signed on to participate in Vermont’s first day of giving on June 7.


"Vermont Gives" is an opportunity to unite Vermonters around causes they believe in and help nonprofit organizations connect to the larger community.

Vermont Gives is an initiative of Common Good Vermont, a 501(c)(3) statewide organization dedicated to providing programs and resources that support nonprofit organizational capacity building and to partnering with sector leaders, businesses and the broader community to elevate the visibility and status of the nonprofit sector.

“Vermont Gives is like ‘Giving Tuesday’ in November but the focus is all on Vermont,” Development Director Hannah Manley says. “The day is designed to increase the fundraising capacity of participating nonprofits, rally the state around the nonprofits in our communities and build sector unity. June is traditionally a slow month for most nonprofits when it comes to fundraising, so we are grateful to have this opportunity to highlight philanthropy across this state on this one day in June.”

On June 7, starting at midnight, you can visit vermontgives.org/organizations/vine-sanctuary and make a donation to VINE Sanctuary and/or to any of the great participating nonprofit organizations in the state. Other Springfield participants are Senior Solutions and Springfield Hospital. You will have 24 hours to make your donation, and all giving will end at 11:59 p.m. on June 7.

Located on Massey Road, VINE Sanctuary offers refuge to animals who have escaped or been rescued from the meat, dairy and egg industries or other hurtful circumstances, such as cockfighting, pigeon racing, vivisection, and zoos. Sanctuary residents include chickens, cows, pigeons, ducks, doves, geese, sheep, peacocks, emus, guineafowl, and one exceptional pig.

They were the first to figure out how to rehabilitate roosters used in cockfighting and continues to both shelter and advocate for these birds.

In addition to sheltering and advocating for animals, they conduct research and education aimed at creating systemic changes in agriculture, trade, and consumption as well as human attitudes about animals and the environment.

VINE works within an ecofeminist understanding of the interconnection of all life and the intersection of all forms of oppression. The organization endeavors to facilitate alliances among animal, environmental, and social justice activists.

Meg and Maddox of VINE Sanctuary