The Bennington County Multicultural Community Center, a branch office of the national refugee resettlement agency ECDC, is pleased to announce that up to $5,000 in donations made between now and December 31st will be matched by the Maple Hill Fund. Through this fundraiser, your donation will unlock additional funds for the Center and will contribute to our mission; providing exceptional support to those who have arrived to Bennington through the refugee resettlement process and continuing to build our community projects and programs that enhance the quality of life for all Bennington County residents.

With federal funds to support refugees under constant threat and with new restrictions on federal programs limiting access for those who are not yet citizens, your donations help ensure that families in Bennington can receive the support they need while they build their new lives here.

The Maple Hill fund was begun by Juliana Centner who lived through World War II in Germany as a child and a refugee. At the end of the war, she was separated from her parents and siblings and sent to England. As a young adult, she moved back to Germany for education and eventually immigrated to the United States, teaching young children at The New School in New York City. Eventually, she left the city and happily settled in Shaftsbury, Vermont. She taught kindergarten at the Bennington College Early Childhood Center and became a beloved teacher to elementary children until her retirement. Juliana was active in anti-war/pro peace, human rights and equal rights causes. She cared greatly about the work being done to help others lead full lives. Her fund seeks to support such causes.

BCMCC - Maple Hill Match Challenge

Donations Doubled Through the End of 2025!