Next with Kyle Clark Word of Thanks Campaign

The Vail Valley is a winter wonderland and summer playground for the entire world. We're most proud of the hardworking people who run the resorts and our community so beautifully. Our neighbors are from all walks of life, full of love and spirit, and quick to care for each other. 

While these beautiful details set us apart, the Vail Valley consists of every socioeconomic circumstance imaginable, and it is hard to make your way here. We experience an extremely high cost of living in what is known to be one of the highest-cost healthcare regions in the country. It is extremely difficult to find housing of any variety, most of all affordable housing. Many of our community members are uninsured or underinsured, creating a very complex problem for neighbors facing a medical crisis or long-term illness. According to recent data, 18% of Eagle County residents are uninsured. This is about three times the state average.  

Here is where the Vail Valley Charitable Fund (VVCF) comes in, providing financial assistance to individuals and families living in the Vail Valley experiencing financial hardship due to a medical crisis or long-term illness. Since 1996, the VVCF has raised and distributed $9.4 million to over 2,100 families in the Vail Valley. All the money raised stays here locally to help those who need it most. Watch our story HERE.

VVCF's programs allow us to complete our mission to help our community be financially resilient in the face of a medical crisis or long-term illness: Direct Aid has distributed a record level of funds to your neighbors; Eagle County Smiles and Eagle County Grins help children and adults achieve oral health; Eagle County Moves provides essential physical therapy to complement an applicant's healing journey; and the Vail Breast Cancer Group offers care and comfort to those recently diagnosed, with a Mammogram Program in its final stage before implementation very soon. 

Our cornerstone program is Direct Aid Grants, which assist locals who live and work in the Vail Valley with a one-time grant of up to $7,500 to pay for medical debts and living expenses. We require each applicant to have lived in our area for at least one year, serving the I-70 corridor from East Vail to Dotsero including Red Cliff and Minturn. The hardworking families in this area show us daily how hard they work to sustain themselves. In the face of a medical crisis or long-term illness, our Direct Aid allows them to be financially resilient so they can focus on healing.

Our ability to make an even larger impact begins with you. These continue to be extraordinary times as we adapt to a new normal post-pandemic. We need you now more than ever as our community needs you now more than ever. 

Thank you, in advance, for supporting locals in the Vail Valley who need it most!