Every year, Co-op Currents profiles one or more organizations that receive funding from WEC’s Community Fund. Year over year, the Community Fund gives grants to libraries throughout WEC’s service area, supporting general operations and some specific programs. Libraries in Vermont are not all funded the same way: some are municipal and town-funded; many others are private nonprofits. Grants and donations are vital to continuing these libraries’ free, welcoming programming that sustains their communities.
What do public libraries offer their communities? “It’s so much more than books,” according to Bradford Public Library’s director Gail Trede. At a time when much public funding for arts and humanities is being cut, Community Fund donations directly support arts programming at Bradford Public Library and Jaquith Public Library, in Marshfield. Supporting local libraries is a cornerstone of the Community Fund’s grantmaking.
WEC’s Community Fund is made up entirely of member contributions. About 14% of WEC’s members donate their capital credit refunds to the Community Fund; others make donations out of pocket. This generosity allows the Community Fund to make grants to nonprofits serving the communities in WEC’s service area. In 2024, the Community Fund distributed $38,050 to local nonprofits. To learn how to donate your capital credits, or to make a contribution to WEC’s Community Fund, contact Administrative Assistant Dawn Johnson at 802-224-2332 or Dawn.Johnson@wec.coop.
Poem Town: Bradford Public Library
Over the 17 years library director Gail Trede has worked at Bradford Public Library, she’s seen a lot of change in how people use the space. Yes, people browse and check out books. But it provides much more to its community. It’s a cooling center with free water when it’s too hot outside. It’s a place to get internet and tech support, including help applying for jobs and benefits. It’s a place where parents working toward regaining custody of their children can have supervised visits. It’s where people gather for interest groups and find lifelong friends. One library patron held a “Friendsgiving” celebration with people she met at Bradford Public Library’s adult crafting group, said Trede. Recently, Trede was invited to be the keynote speaker for Bradford’s sixth grade graduation. “I said, ‘You guys, I’ve known you since you were toddlers at story hour. I’ve been there for many firsts, and the first is the friendships you made, when you learned what it is to be a community.”
The secret to the library’s popularity is simple, said Trede. It’s because it’s a universally welcoming place. “Any program at the library, because everyone is welcome and it doesn’t cost anything, that’s what brings in a diverse population. It doesn’t matter if you have a job or not, or a house to live in: everyone comes to the library.”
And while the town of Bradford supports its library, the library is not municipally funded and must do its own fundraising. “We’re dependent on grants, donations, and our annual appeal,” said Trede, noting that community members are often surprised to learn the library is a private nonprofit, and librarians are not on town payroll.
A grant from WEC’s Community Fund supports Bradford Poem Town. Now entering its eighth year, and steadily growing, this community-wide celebration of poetry takes place every April, during National Poetry Month. The intent of the program is to make poetry accessible to the community and to inspire new readers and writers of poetry. “We have 100 folks from up and down the valley who submit original poetry that we format, professionally print, and hang throughout town,” Trede explained. The Community Fund grant pays for this. Any funds left over help pay staff time for formatting, hanging, and later, distributing the handsomely printed works back to the poets.
The celebration draws people who have never before written a poem and well-known published poets; young children and elders; poets who write in English and in Spanish. “Some people don’t think they are poets, and then they get a response from people in the community about how much they love their poetry,” said Trede. And when that happens, Poem Town grows: poets return the next year, and newly inspired poets submit poems for the first time.
Summer Concert Series: Jaquith Public Library
Susan Greene, director of Jaquith Public Library in Marshfield, describes her library as a “thriving community center.” Access is the reason why: Jaquith Public Library is on a bus line and has public bathrooms and broadband internet. People visit the library to meet their needs — sometimes they don’t even go inside, Greene says that people from all over the area use the internet from their cars in the parking lot when the library isn’t open — and when there, discover everything else the library has to offer.
Such as the summer concert series, which can draw 250 people on a warm clear night. WEC’s Community Fund is a sponsor of the series, which puts on six concerts a summer with Vermont musicians representing lots of genres. In 2025, the lineup included the country-western bluegrass of Colin McCaffrey and the What Not String Band; the harmonies of Fair Sparrow; and the beats of A2VT. Marshfield is a half hour by car from St. Johnsbury, Barre, Montpelier, and Hardwick, Green said, “so really if people want to do anything, they need to drive. This is a way for people, right in their own community, to enjoy cultural and musical experiences.” The series also draws music lovers from throughout Central Vermont — many of whom are WEC members, Greene pointed out—who then, in a happy cycle, discover the library itself and its many resources. “It shows people we exist!” said Greene: it’s not only that the library promotes the music series, but the music series also promotes the library.
Jaquith Public Library leverages the funding from WEC and other sponsors, Greene noted: at concerts the library holds a book sale, bake sale, raffle, and silent auction, and Just Food Hub sells fair trade treats. Sponsoring concerts helps the library raise money for future events and programming. “It’s a win-win-win, but we need that initial startup,” Greene said. “So the money from the Community Fund is crucial.” WEC’s Community Fund is also a big support for being a reliable year-over-year funder, and for having a simple application process,” Greene added. “We’re very, very, very thankful for that help. Without it we really couldn’t have the concert series, it’s that crucial. When Washington Electric responds, we’re just thrilled.”
To learn more about WEC’s Community Fund: wec.coop/capital-credits/community-fund.
To donate Capital Credits or make a cash contribution to WEC’s Community Fund: wec.coop/capital-credits/community-fund-donations.
To request a Community Fund donation for your local nonprofit: wec.coop/about-wec/wec-community-fund.
You may also contact Dawn Johnson at 802-224-2332 or dawn.johnson@wec.coop.