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Champlain Housing Trust Earns National Recognition from Mutual of America
Burlington-based Organization Honored for its Award-winning Program to Offer Safe, Emergency Housing for Homeless Vermonters.

NEW YORK, May 2, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Champlain Housing Trust will be recognized by Mutual of America for its Harbor Place program during a special hometown luncheon and award presentation at the Hilton Burlington in Burlington on Tuesday, May 3 at 12:00 p.m.

Mutual of America Logo. (PRNewsFoto/Mutual of America)

The program was named a Merit Finalist Award recipient in Mutual of America's 2015 Community Partnership Award competition, which received entries from organizations nationwide. As one of 10 finalists in the competition, Champlain Housing Trust received a monetary award from Mutual of America.

The Champlain Housing Trust is the largest provider of affordable housing in northwest Vermont. In 2013, they bought a 59-room motel and partnered with state and local agencies to add on-site support services to provide emergency housing for homeless Vermonters. In doing so, they turned a once-failing motel in Shelburne into a haven of hope called Harbor Place.

The Harbor Place program offers homeless guests a path to rebuilding their lives. Families and individuals are provided with a warm, clean and safe temporary place to stay. In addition, they have direct access to vital services, including crisis counseling, health care services, credit-repair counseling and other programs aimed at breaking the cycle of homelessness by helping them get back on their feet and into permanent housing.

"Harbor Place has provided needed shelter to more than 1,000 individuals," said Brenda Torpy, Chief Executive Officer of Champlain Housing Trust. "Based on this success, the state has asked us to help other service providers in Vermont replicate our unique case-management model by working together to share what we've learned."

About the Mutual of America Community Partnership Award

The Mutual of America Community Partnership Award annually honors the outstanding contributions that 10 nonprofit organizations, in partnership with public, private and other social sector organizations, make to society. Last year, Mutual of America celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Community Partnership Award. Since 1996, 200 partnerships from cities and towns across America have been recognized. To learn more, visit mutualofamerica.com/cpa. To watch videos of all 20 national award-winning programs, visit the official YouTube channel for the Mutual of America Foundation Community Partnership Award.

About Mutual of America

Mutual of America specializes in providing retirement products and services to organizations and their employees, as well as to individuals. Since 1945, Mutual of America has remained committed to offering plan sponsors, plan participants and individuals carefully selected, quality products and services at a competitive price and the personal attention they need to help build and preserve assets for a financially secure future. For more information, visit mutualofamerica.com.

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SOURCE Mutual of America

For further information: Kieran O'Dwyer, 212-224-1743, kieran.odwyer@mutualofamerica.com