BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – In 2020, the Sara Holbrook Community Center, a prominent Burlington nonprofit that provided summer, afterschool and early education programs for city youth, got a much-needed $3.3 million overhaul. But just four years later, Sara Holbrook abruptly closed at the end of last month.
Board chair Kristin Fontaine has attributed the closure to a constellation of factors including the loss of pandemic relief funds, stiff competition for grants and donations, and staffing challenges. Yet Fontaine’s explanation glosses over other difficulties. Former employees and those who worked with and donated to the center describe an organization that was financially mismanaged and spiraling in the years before it closed its doors.
Ike Bendavid spoke with Seven Days’ Alison Novak, who reported on the story in this week’s issue.