Announcing the Award Recipients for the 2025 Roots of Prevention Celebration
The Burlington Partnership for a Healthy Community invites you to attend our 15th annual Roots of Prevention Award Celebration to honor the outstanding contributions of the awardees below to support a safe and healthy place in which we all can live, work, and thrive!
Please join us Thursday, May 15th at Contois Auditorium in Burlington City Hall as we gather with neighbors over food, listen to our guest speakers, and of course celebrate our community changemakers!
THIS YEAR'S AWARD RECIPIENTS
Outstanding Individual Awards
Marcus Aloisi, Advocate (Flavors Hook Kids) Marcus is being recognized for his passion and tireless advocacy against flavored tobacco products and youth targeted vaping in Vermont. Following graduation from UVM, Marcus has become a powerful voice in the Flavors Hook Kids Vermont campaign and a key proponent of S.18, legislation aimed at eliminating the sale of flavored tobacco in Vermont. Marcus got started in this work as part of a class at UVM, where he an a team of other students helped BPHC design and launch our prevention campaign for high school students, “BHS Elevate.”
Marcus’s nominator shared, "There haven't been many people who have stuck as profoundly as Marcus to an issue...Marcus is a passionate advocate to help youth live healthy lives and is fiercely promoting S.18 to ensure no more youth in Vermont become addicted to nicotine." Marcus has used his personal journey to inform and inspire action, writing on opinion piece for VT Digger, providing testimony in legislative committee hearings, and showing unwavering dedication to promoting healthier lives for young people. As his nominator said, “Marcus didn't let his personal struggle with vaping bring him down, but rather, used it to help ensure other youth don't get addicted. He is a changemaker!”
Sal Millichamp, Community Weaver and Advocate Sal is being recognized for her dedication to fostering community and connection, particularly within the Champlain Housing Trust (CHT) community.
Sal has been a community weaver, creating opportunities for connection across buildings in the senior living community. Her nominator had this to say, “Recognizing the diverse families with children living in CHT housing, Sal has tirelessly worked to create meaningful opportunities that bring them together. She organizes inclusive activities that foster friendships, cultural understanding, and a stronger sense of community among residents. Known for her warmth, attentiveness, and ability to make people feel heard and valued, Sal also leads weekly coffee hours—providing a welcoming space where neighbors can connect, voice concerns, and access valuable resources. At first, only a few people came, but now the room is full every week with residents eager to connect.”
As one nominator shared, she "never stops with her support - she perseveres despite the obstacles." Sal’s nominators listed so many things she is doing or has started to support Burlington we couldn’t include them all, but here are just a few highlights:
Early morning meals on weekends for unhoused Burlingtonians
Saturday morning group for local children
Laurentide Residence “coffee hours” for connection and sharing concerns.
Block parties for Laurentide and other local Burlington Housing Authority residences.
Sal’s efforts to foster connection, advocate for positive change, and create a supportive environment make her truly deserving of this award.
Youth & Families Award
Jeetan Khadka, AALV & Community Advocate Jeetan is an advocate for refugees and immigrants in Vermont, recognized for over 10 years of dedicated work in our area. He was nominated for his work as Employment and Training Counselor at AALV, where he provides culturally responsive case management, helping clients overcome significant barriers to employment and achieve self-sufficiency.
In particular, his nominators noted his efforts to support individuals in the refugee and immigrant communities living with a Substance Use Disorder or misusing substances. Jeetan was noted for his efforts to go above and beyond in his role, offering crucial support, resources, and guidance towards healthier lives. His nominator shared that, "He has so much love and care for individuals that are dealing with addiction issues. He does not turn people away when they are struggling and offers help no matter how challenging. He never judged them or gave up on them."
Jeetan’s previous work in Vermont has all been to support and value diversity and inclusion for all youth and families, including his role as a key organizer for the award-winning multicultural youth group Diversity Rocks, showing his long-standing commitment to inclusivity and connection for all in our community.
Outstanding Organization Award
Barbara Shaw-Dorso, Conflict Assistance Program (Burlington Community Justice Center) Barbara has been a committed peacemaker with the Burlington Community Justice Center (CJC) for over 13 years, where her nominator says she, “...is passionate about using conflict as an opener for repair, healing and connection.”
Barbara is being honored for both her work to create a Victim Liaison position at the CJC, increasing capacity to connect with victims within restorative processes as well as her leadership of the Conflict Assistance Program, a preventative program that helps residents address conflict with support and skill-building opportunities. Barbara helps deescalates disputes ranging from neighbor disagreements to workplace issues through conflict coaching, restorative dialogues, and mediation.
Barbara’s nominator shared that Barbara’s results are clear: last year 95% of the 66 participants she supported achieved meaningful engagement or resolution. One person she helped noted, "Barb is an amazing listener, neutral, creative in her problem solving approaches, a deep thinker, a caring community member and committed to supporting people in conflict."
D.G. Weaver Awards
Dr. Heather Link, Pediatrician & Assistant Professor & Elizabeth McDonald, Nurse Practitioner (UVM Medical Center) As a pediatrician, Dr. Heather Link has dedicated her career to serving children and expanding access to care. Libby McDonald, a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at UVM Children's Hospital has demonstrated an ongoing passion for supporting the health of young people and advancing health equity.
Both were nominated for their work providing onsite healthcare services to Burlington High School students through a partnership with the school district called the BHS School Based Health Center. A student can see a Dr. Link or nurse Libby for anything from an immediate need like strep throat to a physical for clearance to participate in sports, and get on the spot support so they can stay healthy and participate in their community regardless of their caregiver’s capacity.
Their nominator shared, “The teenagers and young adults we work with are on the brink, if not already, navigating the medical world on their own. Breaking it down for students and empowering them to understand how and when to access healthcare is a role the School Based Health Center staff and school nurses work on every single day...Libby and Dr. Link are friends to our student population and always answer questions and support our students to be their healthiest selves.”
They went on to share how meaningful it has been to have providers who are, “…thoughtful, consider the whole child, and provide professional and expert healthcare in, what can be, a challenging environment."
This intentional approach to meet students' healthcare needs directly where they are, removing barriers to seeking help, and providing quick medical attention through an ongoing trusted relationship has been an incredible resource for teenagers in Burlington.
Learn more about each award and what it represents, as well as submit nominations for a future awards celebration, by visiting our Roots of Prevention nomination page.
