Merchants Bank grant helps vulnerable Vermont households build financial skills and credit

Burlington, VT – November 13, 2013 – (RealEstateRama) — Merchants Bank is making a grant to help the Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity’s (CVOEO) Growing Money Program provide financial education and build financial skills for over 600 vulnerable Vermont households. Although the economy has been slowly mending since the 2009 downturn, many low income Vermonters have yet to experience increased financial stability and asset building. Recent cuts to basic services like 3SquaresVT (formerly Food Stamps) and Head Start, as well as stagnant wages and rising costs, are putting even more pressure on fragile households