CCS provides essential supports to people with intellectual disabilities and autism
Champlain Community Services (CCS), Inc., now celebrating its 55th year of serving our community, offers coordinated one-to-one supported employment, home & shared living, school-to-career transition, and community supports to adults and children with intellectual disabilities and autism in Chittenden, Grand Isle, and Franklin Counties, Vermont. We also promote and coordinate self-advocacy activities, and offer crisis (24 hour on-call response) and respite (staffing and coordination of additional hours)
A small, family-centered organization providing lifelong supports, CCS offers personalized, intentional service. We work closely with each individual — and the people important to them — to help them create a fulfilling life respectful of his or her unique goals and dreams.
11/26/2025
Give a little, relax a lot!
Now through December 20, every $20 donation to CCS enters you into a drawing for a free 90 minute massage at Theta Massage And Bodywork LLC.
To enter, visit our Donation page https://ccs-vt.networkforgood.com/, make a donation of $20 or more, choose Annual Fund, and write raffle in the notes.
Theta Massage and Body Work believes in promoting vitality, mobility, and balance. Intentional therapeutic massage is at the core of their practice. They pair compassionate care with a continually growing hands on skill set to support each client on their unique wellness journey.
A little support and a little relaxation can go a long way.
11/25/2025
PGLL and CELEBRATION OF TREES
This week the Colchester Peer Growth & Lifelong Learning group set up our beautiful tree at the University Mall in South Burlington for ANEW Place’s annual Celebration of Trees holiday fundraising event! ANEW Place provides a holistic continuum of services centered in love and dignity for individuals experiencing homelessness in Chittenden County, and all proceeds from the raffle help support their mission to provide tools for lifelong change so that each person may start anew.
Our CCS PGLL participants have been working hard all semester long to create beautiful ornaments and collect donations for our tree. If you win the PGLL “Wildlife of Vermont” tree, you not only get to take the tree home, you’ll also win over $200 worth of gift cards to local businesses, passes for a cruise on the Spirit of Ethan Allen, dog treats and toys, locally-made art, and so much more! Thank you to all the local businesses and individuals who generously donated to our tree. Caring for others through service is an integral part of what we do as a PGLL community, and we are grateful to be a part of this incredible annual tradition.
The Celebration of Trees event opens on Black Friday (11/28) and is open to the public every Wednesday-Sunday through December 14. Stop by to see all the beautiful trees in person and purchase raffle tickets.
11/21/2025
💥Bridging Update💥
The energy was palpable at Bridging this week as everyone gears up for their week off. November is flying by, and after today the students will not be back until December. We spent the week prepping for Pod Treasures. Dancing Free Beatz made some wonderful gluten free snacks for everyone to share. Students also worked on art projects and visited Burlington City Arts and The Pet Advantage to explore some of their dream jobs.
Our first Pod Treasures today was a hit. The students owned the spotlight at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. There was dancing, amazing snacks, and wonderful stories being told.
I hope everyone enjoys their Thanksgiving.🦃
11/20/2025
Opening Doors to College & Careers!
CCS was excited to send a strong group of staff and our Employment Team to this year’s Opening Doors to College & Careers conference hosted by UVM Center on Disability & Community Inclusion and Vermont APSE.
Ashley Dubois, our Employment and Education Senior Manager and current President of VT APSE, co-hosted the event with Bryan Dague from UVM’s CDCI. Tyler Kronoff, Supported Employment Coordinator, and Chris Micklus, System Administrator, presented a breakout session on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Supported Employment. Our Outreach Coordinator, Bill Goldwyn, represented CCS with a vendor table focused on outreach and recruitment.
We were also proud to have two individuals supported by CCS showcasing their own small businesses with vendor tables, highlighting their creativity and entrepreneurial skills.
A great day of learning, leadership, and community connection for CCS!
11/17/2025
🔥 From lunch vibes to benefit night energy!
Our lunch group hit up Dave's Hot Chicken a few weeks ago and now we are turning that energy into a night that supports CCS!
Join us Friday, December 12 from 4 to 8 PM at Dave's Hot Chicken in South Burlington.
20% of your order goes directly to Champlain Community Services.
In store: ask them to scan the QR code
Online Orders: use code GIVE
Order online: https://lnkd.in/gp38T_qs
Call: 802 710 1729
Come hungry, bring friends, and lets fill the place with CCS spirit!
11/14/2025
PGLL UPDATE from Anna Kremer, Campus Facilitator
Our CCS Peer Growth & Lifelong Learners have been embracing the joys of the fall season by celebrating holidays, birthdays, and community! Participants have presented on many fascinating topics, including the History of Haunted Houses, Camping, and Abenaki PowWows! After learning about how Indigenous peoples were the first to farm turkeys, participants made their own creative turkey art in class this week.
Next week, the PGLL group will serve their community by participating in ANEW Place’s annual Celebration of Trees event at the University Mall in South Burlington.
11/14/2025
Bridging Update!
Winter might be settling in, but our Bridging crew is still bringing the sunshine! This week, students jumped into first aid with Nurse Laurie, explored what it takes to be a musician with Cosmo and Scarlett, toured the Greater Burlington YMCA, and UVM Health - UVM Medical Center where they learned about Project Search. Our Journey Men created another video with CCTV & Town Meeting TV . Stay tuned for that video coming soon!
Next week will be our first Pod Treasures of the year, a celebration of everything the students have accomplished this session. Friends, family, and supporters are all invited to join us on November 21 at 10:00 AM in ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain Lakeside Room.
11/09/2025
PHP Update: Sarah and Caroline, two of our seven second-year UVM medical student research partners, presented at All-Staff last week. Part of a semester-long Public Health Project between CCS and the Robert Larner College of Medicine ("Measuring What Matters"), they encouraged staff to participate in an upcoming survey of the CCS Community.
11/08/2025
✨ Bridging Update! ✨
It’s hard to believe we are already in the final few weeks of our first pod. Time really does fly when you are having this much fun.
This past week, our Bridging crew enjoyed an interactive performance by Nobuntu at the The Flynn . The a ca****la quartet captivated everyone with their harmonies, dancing, and energy.
Good Company worked with our Outreach Coordinator Bill on interview tips and tricks, then put those skills to the test with practice interviews.
Dancing Free Beatz visited UVM to learn about the Think College Vermont. Program Director Bryan Dague filled the students on how they can continue their education.
The Journey Men explored Generator Makerspace , creating custom metal name tags and other designs.
We have two weeks left until the end of our first trimester. What fun can we cook up next week?
11/07/2025
Learn about the Pen Pal Project and “breaking news” at CCS!
See the impressive list of CCS staff honored for exceptional service this month!
Here are CCS staffers who earned recognition from their peers att our November All-Staff meeting Nora- For going above and beyond with Jordan while Paige was out. Brent – for all your hard work and navigation as we transition through payment reform and COI. Matthew M - For the amazing support yo
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Champlain Community Services (CCS), Inc. is in its 53rd year of serving our community. We provide essential, coordinated supports - at work, at home, in school, for life - to Vermonters with intellectual disabilities and autism. Our goal is to build a community where everyone participates, and everyone belongs.
Our services are intentional, carefully coordinated, and highly personalized. We work closely with each individual — and their families and other people important to them — to support them in creating a life directed by her or his unique goals and dreams.
A true grassroots success story, CCS was founded by the family members of people with intellectual disabilities and has emerged as a recognized leader in its field.
CCS partners with dozens of employers across all sectors of the economy on our national-award-winning supported employment program, Way2Work. Through Way2Work we offer a unique continuum of employment training, placement, and career development from the pre-vocational stage through retirement. Our consumers are succeeding at employment - and self-employment - in the competitive economy, while helping employers strengthen and diversify their workforces.
We provide home supports and shared living options as well as community supports. CCS also promotes and co-facilitates advocacy activities, hosting Champlain Voices self-advocacy group.
CCS offers crisis (24 hour on-call response) and respite (staffing and coordination of additional hours).
If you share our vision of a truly inclusive community and want to learn more about how to access our services, join our staff, volunteer your time, or support our work, please contact us. For more, visit our website at www.ccs-vt.org.
