September Newsletter
Happy fall from CVRAN! We’re pleased to bring you another edition of our monthly newsletter, featuring stories, resources, and updates impacting the New Vermonter community. Please share this newsletter with friends, family, and neighbors who may be interested in staying connected to this work, and folks can subscribe at our website.
Monthly Roundup
CVRAN hosted its annual Fall Picnic at the North Branch Nature Center this month! We had a great time mingling, sharing food, and playing in the famous Mud Kitchen! Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed connecting with each other as CVRAN client families, volunteers, staff, and community members – enjoy the fall foliage and cooling temperatures in the days and weeks to come! Huge thank you to everyone who brought food to share and to the NBNC staff who helped make the day special for all.
CVRAN’s board, staff, and team leaders have been hard at work trying to develop local solutions to the loss of Medicaid coverage for hundreds of thousands of lawfully-present immigrants on October 1st 2026. This federal eligibility shift creates an immediate financial barrier for families who must transition to employer-sponsored insurance or Vermont Health Connect (VHC) plans. We are proud to provide a pilot program offering partial subsidies toward health insurance premium costs. The purpose of this program is to reduce short-term financial barriers, stabilize families during the transition off Medicaid, and encourage timely enrollment in employer or VHC plans during their Special Enrollment Period. The program is designed as a temporary bridge to sustainable health coverage and is intended to provide assistance only during the 2026-2027 coverage years. Our upcoming Fall Fundraiser will be crucial to generating the funding to provide this crisis-prevention program and ensure no one goes without the medical care they need and deserve. CVRAN’s staff is in contact with eligible households, but if you believe that you or a family you know may qualify for the program, please contact Ali at ali.zenie@cvran.org.
CVRAN staff attended two useful trainings this month that we want to be sure we share with the community.
An organization called DetentionHelp hosted a training which helps friends and supporters of ICE detainees file pro se habeas petitions (that is, without a lawyer). We recommend checking out their website to learn more about the joint effort to make a free tool to help fill out paperwork that may help folks get released from immigration detention. Attached here are the presentation slides, though at the request of the training organizers, please do not forward these beyond the CVRAN community.
Please note that, when possible, it is always advised to get a lawyer to assist in this process. Many CVRAN families already have legal representation who should always be consulted in the event of detention, and Vermont Asylum Assistance Project stands at the ready with emergency assistance to aid in such cases within the state of Vermont.
CVRAN staff additionally attended an online training entitled “Communication Engagement Training (COMET): Interpreting and Communicating for Difficult Health-Related Conversations” hosted by the Minnesota Center of Excellence in Newcomer Health. Below are some of our main takeaways from this training and practical tips on how to ensure best communication practices with client families, with or without the aid of interpretive services.
- Using plain language is essential: Whether we realize it or not, language is imbued with all sorts of additional meanings. Body language, common stock phrases, and cultural implications may not translate well, so it is best to be as plain and clear in your communication as possible.
- Interpreters are not just message converters – they play additional roles in translating meaning and intent: Besides converting your message in English to another language and back again, interpreters may also play equally important roles of (1) clarifier, (2) cultural informant, and (3) advocate. Being aware of these various roles can help you, the interpreter, and the client get the most out of an interpreted conversation and ensure understanding.
- Interpreting for traumatized folks can present additional challenges: Especially in conversations around health and healthcare, it can be difficult to convey recommendations in one’s healthcare while at the same time communicating that people have agency in their health choices, particularly in the opaque and sometimes daunting US healthcare system. Translating and interpreting this intent – especially in a manner that is trauma-informed – may be difficult, and can be ameliorated by plain language and clearly stating intent.
Please remember that CVRAN utilizes a service called BoostLingo, providing on-demand professional interpretation (from a real human!) at the click of a button. Please reach out to Ali at ali.zenie@cvran.org if you do not have access to Boostlingo but could make use of it in your work with New Vermonters in the community.
Check out episodes 3 and 4 of Many Voices, One Vermont, co-produced by CVRAN, the Vermont Asylum Assistance Project, USCRI Vermont, and the Vermont Language Justice Project. You will hear from Montpelier’s own Liza Earle-Centers and one of her students from Central Vermont Adult Education (CVAE) discussing the incredible work they do with their students. We cherish opportunities to amplify the voices of New Vermonters and those who champion a more welcoming Vermont.
A reminder for clients with asylum cases in immigration court – courts nationwide are currently rescheduling many hearings, including “mega master” hearings, where many people receive the same preliminary court date. These hearings can be crowded and scheduled on a short time-frame, so it’s important to stay updated on all case information.
Immigration lawyers now recommend all applicants check their hearing dates and case status every few days directly through EOIR’s automated system. This helps prevent missed hearings and ensures you know exactly when and where you need to appear.
If you receive a hearing notice you don’t understand – or if you’re unsure whether a notice is real – CVRAN can help you review it.
Exciting opportunity for state employees! CVRAN is participating in this fall’s VTShares Vermont State Employees Workplace Giving Campaign from October 26th through November 9th. Each fall, state employees make a pledge to the nonprofit of their choice. Those funds are then collected through payroll deductions during the following calendar year. Since 1978, these donations have totaled nearly 11 million dollars! Please consider choosing CVRAN if you are a state employee looking to participate. Look out for more info about how to participate soon.
You may notice more “ICE OUT” signs appearing in businesses and organizations around Montpelier in the coming weeks. This does not reflect an increased presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Rather, it is a community-wide effort to reaffirm Montpelier’s commitment to being a welcoming, ICE-free community where all residents can feel safe, included, and supported.
Community members are invited to learn more and get involved at the ICE OUT Campaign Kickoff on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 PM at the Montpelier Unitarian Church. Join neighbors, local organizations, and business leaders as we come together to demonstrate our shared values and strengthen support for immigrant communities. Questions about the campaign and/or events can be direct to iocvt@proton.me.
A great new initiative is coming into fruition in Montpelier to connect and support volunteers and volunteer-based organizations as a way to strengthen our local community. The newly-minted “Montpelier Volunteer Exchange” (with the acronym “MoVE”) is in its early stages of forming and organizing. If you or someone you know would be interested in engaging further on Montpelier-based volunteerism, feel free to reach out to jon@montpelierstrong.org to be added to the email list and be informed of future meetings, events, and opportunities to volunteer in Montpelier!
Keep an eye on your mailbox! Our annual Fall Fundraiser letter should arrive at your door by the end of October. A contribution this fall or winter will help sustain critical programs, strengthen support for New Vermonters already participating in our services, and allow us to reach even more neighbors seeking connection, resources, and opportunity. You are welcome to make a one-time or recurring gift today, and join us again when our fall campaign launches in the coming weeks. Together, these contributions help ensure our programs remain strong, responsive, and accessible to all who need them.
Recent News
Vermont prisons agree to improve services for ICE detainees after discrimination complaint (9/1)
Vermont Hospital Workers Fight for Immigrant Neighbors (9/2)
Federal Appeals Court Rules Against Trump Mandatory Detention Policy (9/10)
Somber and hopeful, 47 immigrants become U.S. citizens on 9/11 anniversary (9/11)
Attorney General Clark Sues to Block Trump Administration’s Public Charge Rule (9/14)
Clergy arrested at Williston ICE facility: ‘We’re going to continue this kind of resistance’ (9/14)
Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month in Vermont (9/15)
ICE Surge is Targeting Vermont’s Roofing & Construction Workers (9/23)
ACLU Publishes New Poll of Vermont Voters (9/23)
Vermont AG charges anti-ICE protesters after Chittenden County prosecutor declines (9/25)
Community Highlights
We’re celebrating several milestones across our community this month! A local family (who has been waiting well over a year!) finally recently received their green cards, a client earned their Licensed Nursing Assistant (LNA) license, three clients started new jobs, and one family welcomed a new baby. These moments reflect the hard work, resilience, and growth happening every day in our community, and we’re honored to celebrate alongside them. 🎉💛
Volunteer Spotlight: Olivia Gay
Olivia first got involved with CVRAN several years ago as a donor, and then she sponsored artists in the March Arts Marathon.
Earlier this year, Olivia was reading the newsletter and saw the opportunity to help Isabelle with managing donation offers and needs. Isabelle relies on Olivia to communicate to our volunteer base and the larger community about items that families are seeking and items that donors are offering – from bikes to garden tools, reading glasses, and dehumidifiers!
Isabelle says, “I love working with Olivia! Her support has really helped me and CVRAN respond in a more organized and timely manner to requests for physical items as well as to the generous offers from our membership and the community. Olivia does it with a lot of care and is so kind in her communication to everyone. Her participation in this role has helped keep items out of landfills and helped CVRAN families access items they needed more easily at no cost. It all makes a difference!”
This was a role she could take on drawing on her administrative and organizational skills, and which could easily fit into her schedule. Olivia likes being a thread in the tapestry of support for families and also freeing up staff time – and we appreciate her immensely for it!
Favorite CVRAN moments: Unexpected connections with friends who are also involved with CVRAN.
Favorite pastime: Wandering! Sometimes on woodsy trails with dappled light, sometimes on backroads with a dip in a clear pool as the goal. She loves being outdoors on the beach or hilltop or lazing on a rock in the sun.
Thank you, Olivia!
Ways to Help
Starting around mid-October, we will be looking for folks to help us with our Fall Fundraiser mailers! If you’d like to help us stuff envelopes for a few hours around that time (exact date and time TBD), please reach out to maddie.tagatac@cvran.org to coordinate.
We are additionally interested in having a volunteer support one of our client families with administrative tasks (like going through mail) and occasionally help with transportation. If you are interested in taking on some or all of these tasks, please reach out to isabelle.tibi@cvran.org to coordinate.
Thank you all for your continued time and energy to support CVRAN’s core mission! We appreciate you all!
You’re Invited!
Click for details on each flyer.
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Hispanic-Latino Culture Celebration
12:00-3:00 PM
North Branch Nature Center, 713 Elm Street, Montpelier, VT
Saturday, October 3, 2026
Migrant Justice Milk with Dignity Picket & Celebration
3:00-7:00 PM
Hannaford, 935 Shelburne Rd, Burlington, VT
Tuesday, October 6, 2026
ICE OUT Campaign Kickoff
6:30-8:30 PM
Montpelier Unitarian Church, 130 Main St, Montpelier, VT
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
9:30-11:30 AM
135 Main St, Montpelier, VT
Tuesday, October 13, 2026
CVRAN Quarterly Meeting!!
5:00-6:30 PM
115 Main St, Montpelier, VT
Saturday, October 24, 2026
Hub’s Got Talent: Democracy in Performance
7:30-9:30 PM
College Hall Chapel, 36 College Street, Montpelier, VT