This commentary is by Martin Hahn of Barre Town and Emma Paradis of Barre City. They work at Common Good Vermont, a statewide association of nonprofit organizations in Vermont, and a program of United Way of Northwest Vermont.
As Vermont grapples with growing community safety challenges, our state’s nonprofit sector finds itself at the intersection of crisis and response. From Brattleboro to St. Johnsbury, from Rutland to Johnson, from Burlington to Barre and from Thetford to Wilmington, nonprofit organizations are not just witnessing the impacts of these challenges — they’re experiencing them firsthand while simultaneously working to address them.
Last fall, Common Good Vermont convened a listening tour with nonprofit leaders across the state to learn more about their work and their communities. Earlier this month, we hosted a statewide virtual call with nonprofit leaders to discuss how nonprofits are experiencing and responding to community safety challenges. What emerged from these conversations was a complex picture of organizations stretching beyond their missions to meet urgent needs, while themselves facing unprecedented operational challenges.
The reality on the ground is stark. Home health workers are finding it increasingly difficult to safely conduct vital home visits. Shelter providers are confronting dual challenges: ensuring the safety of their clients while addressing community concerns about their presence. Youth-serving organizations are witnessing the traumatic impact of crime and violence on the young people they serve. Throughout the state, nonprofits are investing in security measures and training that draw resources away from their core services.
Yet these organizations aren’t just responding to challenges — they’re often the last line of support for Vermonters in crisis. When other systems reach their capacity limits, it’s frequently nonprofit staff who step in to help, even when doing so stretches their resources and exceeds their traditional scope of work.
The situation reveals deeper systemic challenges. Our mental health system is straining under increasing demand. Housing remains scarce and unaffordable for many. Substance use disorders continue to impact communities while treatment resources fall short. These challenges don’t exist in isolation — they interact and compound each other, creating complex situations that defy simple solutions.
What’s particularly concerning and overlooked is the increasing strain on nonprofit workers themselves. Organizations report difficulty recruiting and retaining staff for positions that now routinely involve managing high-stress situations: threats and actual violence and overwhelming mental health and substance use behaviors.
The nonprofit sector is being asked to serve as de facto crisis responders, often without adequate training or resources. This is not sustainable.
However, amid these challenges, there are promising signs. Across Vermont, nonprofits are fostering innovative collaborations, breaking down silos between organizations and sectors. They’re developing new approaches to balance individual needs with community safety, often finding creative ways to maintain welcoming spaces while ensuring security for all.
The path forward requires acknowledging several crucial realities. First, community safety isn’t just about law enforcement — it’s about mental health, housing, substance use treatment and economic security. Second, nonprofits play an essential role in this ecosystem, but they cannot shoulder these responsibilities alone. Third, sustainable solutions require adequate resources and support for the people and organizations doing this critical work.
As we move forward, we — practitioners, advocates, neighbors and policymakers — need to:
- Recognize nonprofits as essential partners in community safety and support them accordingly.
- Invest in prevention and early intervention alongside crisis response.
- Develop coordinated, cross-sector approaches to complex challenges.
- Ensure that solutions are equitable and don’t disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.
Vermont’s nonprofit sector stands ready to continue its vital role in building safer, stronger communities. But we need a broader community commitment to support this work. This means adequate funding for core services, investment in staff training and security, and recognition that community safety requires all of us — government, businesses, nonprofits and community members — working together toward shared solutions.
The challenges we face are significant, but they’re not insurmountable. By supporting the organizations on the front lines of these issues, we can build more resilient communities and a humane response to Vermonters in crisis.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Martin Hahn and Emma Paradis: Vermont’s nonprofits are on the front lines of community safety.