James M. Cox Foundation Awards $50,000 Grant to Spectrum Youth & Family Services

BURLINGTON, V.T., September 17, 2019 – Spectrum Youth & Family Services was awarded a $50,000 grant award by the James M. Cox Foundation of Cox Enterprises to renovate a space in its Pearl Street building that will result in two-stories and 1,500 square feet of space for youth services. Reconstructing the space known as “the Vault” is a critical endeavor for Spectrum. Currently a storage unit, the renovated Vault will be used for counseling, case management, tutoring and employment support. Additionally, Spectrum will renovate its Drop-In Center to create a more youth-friendly, trauma-informed space for its clients.

Dealer.com, a Cox Automotive company, has a long history of partnership with Spectrum Youth & Family Services and recommended the organization for the James M. Cox Foundation grant. The Foundation focuses its charitable efforts on conservation and environment, early childhood education, and empowering families and individuals for success and health.

“Dealer.com is a proud supporter of Spectrum Youth & Family Services,” said Wayne Pastore, general manager at Dealer.com. “This grant will provide them with the resources needed to finish their new community space.”

For nearly a decade, Dealer.com employees have participated in Spectrum’s annual fundraiser – Sleep Out – where volunteers sleep out in the cold, a show of solidarity for the youth Spectrum serves. Their efforts have raised more than $170,000 for Spectrum over eight years.

“Dealer.com has been a valued partner for many years in our work to improve the Burlington community,” said Mark Redmond, executive director, Spectrum. “We’re ecstatic to receive a James M. Cox Foundation grant award. We can’t wait to get started on redesigning the Vault and our Drop-In Center.”

Founded in 1970 as a community shelter, Spectrum has been recognized in the Burlington area and on a national level for its work supporting the city’s runaway youth by offering housing, employment, education, mental health and substance abuse counseling and life skills coaching.


“Spectrum’s work is extremely valuable to the Burlington community,” said Pastore. “Dealer.com and Cox Enterprises believe all young adults and youth deserve the shelter, care and guidance that are at the core of Spectrum’s mission.”

To learn more about Spectrum Youth & Family Services, please visit https://www.spectrumvt.org/. Additional details on the James M. Cox Foundation, and how to apply for a James M. Cox Foundation grant, can be found at www.coxenterprises.com/corporate-responsibility/james-m-cox-foundation.

About The James M. Cox Foundation

The James M. Cox Foundation is named in honor of Cox Enterprises’ founder and provides funding for capital campaigns and special projects in communities where the company operates. James M. Cox was Ohio’s first three-term governor and the 1920 Democratic nominee for president of the United States. The Foundation concentrates its community support in several areas including: conservation and environment; early childhood education; empowering families and individuals for success; and health.   

About Dealer.com


Dealer.com provides an integrated platform of advertising, website and managed services products which allow OEMs, dealer groups, retailers and agencies to leverage advanced digital technology and data to better engage and connect with their customers. The company practices a deep commitment to its culture of innovation, with a focus on health and wellness, making it one of the most desirable places to work, and a valuable partner for automotive retailers. Based in Burlington, Vermont, Dealer.com is a Cox Automotive brand. For more information, visit www.dealer.com.