Why I Give: Alison Friedkin

“I grew up believing everyone should have a stable home, reliable access to food, and healthcare.”

That’s the way housing advocate Alison Friedkin approaches her work in Central Vermont: with the belief that we can meet the foundational needs of all Vermonters.

Now Vice Chair on the Board of Homeshare Vermont, Alison started her nonprofit career in 2005 with Downstreet—which was then called Central Vermont Community Land Trust.

Alison was drawn to working with a nonprofit: it matched her desire to do good by her community and her skills in high-level organization. “I’m a professional list-maker,” jokes Alison. Even though she didn’t have a background in affordable housing, she learned on the job by first managing Downstreet’s front desk. Fifteen years later, when she left Downstreet, she departed as the Director of Real Estate Development. Many of the buildings Downstreet manages today exist thanks to Alison, her team, and her work. Her last project was Taylor Street Apartments, a development that brought 30 apartment homes to Montpelier’s downtown. Taylor Street Apartments is now considered a leader in transportation-efficient housing.

“I had a lot of pride in my work,” explains Alison. What were once just buildings in a neighborhood “weren’t just buildings to me anymore. I still drive around my Central Vermont community and feel proud that I helped build these buildings. There is no denying the impact Downstreet has had. When you drive around Central Vermont, you see it.” Alison once even brought her mother to one of her worksites. “I loved putting a hardhat on my mom and showing her what I was doing. I was so proud.”

And it was her mother who instilled in her the tradition of charitable giving from a young age. At the end of every year, her mother would bring out her checkbook, click her pen, and start writing out donations to all of the organizations she believed in.

“My mom is 86 and I still watch her cut her checks,” laughs Alison.

To Alison and her mother, charitable giving is not about the amount of money you give: it’s about showing your support.

“I give because the work continues,” says Alison. “I see the work continuing. There is still need.”

Alison gives to Downstreet monthly. She once cut her year-end checks just like her mother, but after she realized how easy it would be to set up a recurring monthly gift, she made the switch.

“Having supporters at any level is really important,” concludes Alison.

And, just like Alison said, the work is continuing at Downstreet. With a new 41-room service integrated hotel in Barre, a new portfolio of affordable housing opportunities in Lamoille County, and multiple projects addressing the critical need for flood-resilient housing, community support goes a long way in making the belief that everyone should have a home a reality.

Learn more about giving with Downstreet, or set up your own monthly gift, at downstreet.org/make-a-gift.