The Vermont Community Foundation has established a fund to help people and communities recover from the devastation caused by this week’s floods.

Torrential rain and the flooding it produced left downtowns underwater, forced residents to evacuate their homes, washed out roads and bridges, destroyed crops, and threatened dams.

“I think this is one of the moments where Vermont really shines because Vermonters look out for one another, especially in a crisis, and we’ve seen that already in the last few days,” said Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation.

The nonprofit is working to assess needs and set up a distribution system, Smith said. No fundraising goal has been set yet, though organizers anticipate reaching six figures this week.

The Red Cross, the state’s community action agencies, the governor’s office and the Federal Emergency Management Agency are working with the Vermont Community Foundation and its partners to coordinate efforts to raise the money needed to provide crucial help, Smith said. 

The foundation is also working with partners such as the Shelburne Museum and Higher Ground to hold fundraising events.

The freshly minted VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund intends to provide support specifically to communities affected by the storm.

Contributions to the fund can be designated for immediate and long-term efforts.

The Vermont Community Foundation has a history of mounting philanthropic efforts at critical moments.

The foundation’s VT COVID-19 Fund raised $11 million for communities in the state, Smith said. Half that money went to emergency needs, and the other half toward systemic changes. 

The foundation also raised more than $10 million to help communities rebuild after Tropical Storm Irene in 2011. 

The fundraising process for Irene was similar to that being used for the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund, and the two efforts could share beneficiaries and address similar emergency response needs, Smith said.