Lamoille County Family $500 Fund

by AJ de Saint Phalle

A week ago today, Alan Lehouiller read about the deployment of the 86th
Brigade of the Vermont National Guard in the newspaper and decided it
was time to do something for the families left behind.
Lehouiller decided to create what he is informally calling the "Lamoille
County Family $500 Fund." He is asking every business in the county from
Stowe to Cambridge to donate a flat $500, not a penny more and not a
penny less, to show their support for the families of local soldiers
deployed overseas. "We can have a real big impact on these families to
help them out. Whether you support the war or not, it doesn't matter
because you're supporting the people in your community."
Lehouiller is working with Dana Tourangeau of the Vermont National Guard
Family Readiness Center in Colchester (Tel. 802-607-8773), who is
notifying the approximately 20 Lamoille County families of the fund. If
they opt in Tourangeau will then release their contact information to
Lehouiller. The plan is to give each family a base payment of $400 plus
$100 for each child. So a family with three children would receive $700.
It is hoped that this will become an ongoing funding mechanism since it
is expected that there will be further deployments. "We just want to say
to these families, here's the money, no strings attached. If you want to
go buy Christmas presents for the kids, or you need a little help with
your fuel bill, whatever it is, just do it," said Lehouiller.
After consulting with his accountant, Lehouiller decided that it would
be important for the funds to be collected and distributed by a
nonprofit corporation so that the donors could take a tax break and the
recipients would not be taxed. The Hyde Park V.F.W. has stepped forward
to play that role. According to Lehouiller 14 companies and individuals
have already committed to participate in the Lamoille County Family $500
Fund, for a total of $7,000 raised so far.
"I'm just doing this because I feel pretty lucky for what I have and I
think a lot of other people do, and you look at these people, what
they're losing. Their kids are going to be without their father or
mother for a year and a half, two years. Hopefully this will be a
catalyst for other counties here in Vermont to do the same thing."
Businesses and individuals who don't have the full $500 to give by
themselves are encouraged to team up with friends and associates to hit
the magic number as a group effort. Donors are asked to make their $500
checks out to "Hyde Park V.F.W." and either mail them or drop them off
at Lehouiller's business, Johnson Hardware & Rental, just east of town
on Route 15. He will then get them to the Hyde Park V.F.W. so that they
can begin disbursing the money to the families in time for Christmas.