Brandon thrift store funds new town solar projects with $50,000 donation
Nifty Thrifty, a thrift store in Brandon, Vermont recently donated $50,000 to the town. The gift is in honor of its 50th anniversary. Town officials said the donation is going towards solar projects, including new solar panels at three locations. These new energy sources are expected to save taxpayers $10,000 annually. The Nifty Thrifty shop is known for its commitment to the local community. “We’re a small town and, you know, we are very community conscious. We are proud of our town and we’re proud of the people that live there. So, we just want to give back to them,” said Dorothy Bird, a volunteer coordinator at Nifty Thrifty. Last year, the store funded the construction of a new gazebo for the town. They also absorbed the total cost of the town’s swimming program so any child could take lessons for free, among other contributions.Brandon Town Manager Seth Hopkins said the shop gives $500 donations to different community groups almost every month, emphasizing their consistent support to the area. This year, in honor of Nifty Thrifty’s 50th anniversary in business, the store delivered its largest donation to date. Since November, Nifty Thrifty worked with the town’s energy committee, the Downtown Brandon Alliance, and other community members to brainstorm an energy project that will benefit the entire town long-term. They settled on three solar projects. The main piece is adding solar panels to the police station roof.”It’s going to basically wipe out the police electric bill, you know, from that part of the budget for as long as they’re producing solar,” Hopkins said. It will also add solar to the highway department and its parking lot, providing power for the lot’s electric vehicle chargers. Hopkins explained this investment will reduce the town’s electric expenses.”This $50,000 is more than any of the contributions that they’ve made before, so this is really special. And they wanted to give it to the community in a way that would benefit everybody, and this really will benefit all the taxpayers of Brandon for a very long time,” he said. The donation will impact the town for decades as the panels have an expected life of more than 30 years. Hopkins said the committee will use the winter to finish planning and then begin construction in the spring. The committee is aiming to complete the projects by the summer and has set a July 1 deadline to have the panels ready.
Nifty Thrifty, a thrift store in Brandon, Vermont recently donated $50,000 to the town. The gift is in honor of its 50th anniversary. Town officials said the donation is going towards solar projects, including new solar panels at three locations. These new energy sources are expected to save taxpayers $10,000 annually.
The Nifty Thrifty shop is known for its commitment to the local community.
“We’re a small town and, you know, we are very community conscious. We are proud of our town and we’re proud of the people that live there. So, we just want to give back to them,” said Dorothy Bird, a volunteer coordinator at Nifty Thrifty.
Last year, the store funded the construction of a new gazebo for the town. They also absorbed the total cost of the town’s swimming program so any child could take lessons for free, among other contributions.
Brandon Town Manager Seth Hopkins said the shop gives $500 donations to different community groups almost every month, emphasizing their consistent support to the area.
This year, in honor of Nifty Thrifty’s 50th anniversary in business, the store delivered its largest donation to date.
Since November, Nifty Thrifty worked with the town’s energy committee, the Downtown Brandon Alliance, and other community members to brainstorm an energy project that will benefit the entire town long-term. They settled on three solar projects. The main piece is adding solar panels to the police station roof.
“It’s going to basically wipe out the police electric bill, you know, from that part of the budget for as long as they’re producing solar,” Hopkins said.
It will also add solar to the highway department and its parking lot, providing power for the lot’s electric vehicle chargers. Hopkins explained this investment will reduce the town’s electric expenses.
“This $50,000 is more than any of the contributions that they’ve made before, so this is really special. And they wanted to give it to the community in a way that would benefit everybody, and this really will benefit all the taxpayers of Brandon for a very long time,” he said.
The donation will impact the town for decades as the panels have an expected life of more than 30 years.
Hopkins said the committee will use the winter to finish planning and then begin construction in the spring. The committee is aiming to complete the projects by the summer and has set a July 1 deadline to have the panels ready.