Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

"Slavery occurred at an intersection of racism, homophobia, and negative attitudes towards sexuality, largely influenced by Christian ideology. Juneteenth, therefore, celebrates the end of an inherently heteronormative, sexphobic system of racial oppression. There are intersections here."
Gabrielle Alexa Noel, 
author of "How to Live with the Internet", essayist, software developer, and sex-positive content creator

Editor’s Note: Sam and I (Joanna) are away this weekend celebrating Pride month with our respective friends and chosen families, so we would like to share these words that were originally printed in the Weekly Email Update sent out on June 21st, 2021. Have a great week, friends! 

   “As this Summer Solstice weekend unfolds, we mark the longest day of the year, the first time Juneteenth is federally recognized, and the continuation of Pride month... it's quite a weekend, WeCAN readers! We would like to share with you an enlightening excerpt from "Black & Queer: What It Means to Celebrate Juneteenth and Pride in the Same Month" by Gabrielle Alexa Noel, an author, essayist, and sex-positive content creator, who is also Black and Queer. We hope this piece helps all of us to better understand what it means to identify as both BI&POC and LGBTQIA2+ during the month of June and the social intricacies that are woven into the identity of any person straddling two communities. You can learn more about the author here: https://gabriellealexa.com.

     "Every year on June 19th, we celebrate the ending of slavery in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed on January 1st, 1863, it took more than two years for news to reach the enslaved in Texas. Juneteenth, aka Freedom Day, acknowledges that delay and is observed as a day of pride and reflection. Juneteenth also sits directly in the middle of LGBTQ+ Pride month, which was established in 1969 to commemorate the Stonewall Uprising. Both are celebrations of important milestones for Black and LGBTQ+ liberation. And yet, as a Black queer person, this overlap sometimes splits my identity in half.
     In Black spaces, where Juneteenth is primarily celebrated, there is a perception that being LGBTQ+ is antithetical to Blackness. Other Black people tell me all the time that queerness was constructed by white people, although there is so much evidence to disprove that, and that it’s an intentional endeavor to weaken Black families and communities. My celebration of Pride is met with scorn by other Black people who wonder why there is seemingly more support for LGBTQ+ liberation than for Black liberation. At the very least, I’m told I should endeavor to be Black “first.” Liberation movements do not occur in succession, and I don’t have to pick one aspect of my identity to focus on. They all simultaneously exist and inform how I am marginalized. And yet, as I’m fielding questions about why I gave up on Black men or why I’m actively going against nature, it does feel like they’re trying to incentivize me to choose a side.
     On the other hand, LGBTQ+ spaces can be notoriously racist, evidenced by the phrase that has decorated gay bars and dating app profiles alike: “No fats, no femmes, no Asians, no blacks.”
     I’m used to both rejection and fetishization. White queers have said everything to me from, “I’m not attracted to Black girls,” to “I just love Black skin, it makes you so attractive.” But there is also overt and systematic discrimination. Mainstream LGBTQ+ organizations have even advocated for policies that were ultimately harmful to QTPOCs. In that context, Pride feels more like a celebration of white queerness. When LGBTQ+ movements neglect to center or uplift Black and Brown people, they are centering white supremacy instead; their silence creates some of the problems we see today, like the severe rates of poverty and homelessness amongst Black queer folks.
     It’s also ironic that we neglect to center QTPOCs when the Stonewall riots were incited by Black and Brown drag queens and trans women as a reaction to police violence. Considering the particular way in which the police harass, assault, and re-victimize Black trans women, it is impossible to extract race from our conversations about Stonewall. But, somehow, we ended up with a historical Stonewall film that follows a white, cis gay man in their place.
     Similarly, when we talk about slavery, it’s important to note the presence of Black queerness and its impact on perceptions of Black bodies. When the Portuguese arrived on the continent of Africa, representations of queerness and gender fluidity reified ideas that Black people were inferior and sexually indiscriminate. Slavery occurred at an intersection of racism, homophobia, and negative attitudes towards sexuality, largely influenced by Christian ideology. Juneteenth, therefore, celebrates the end of an inherently heteronormative, sexphobic system of racial oppression. There are intersections here. And in not talking about them, homosexuality has been reframed as un-African and a “white disease,” even though there are countless examples of homosexuality across cultures.

     When I hear people refer to the LGBTQ+ community and the Black community as two separate entities, black queer folks like me learn that we cannot belong in either camp. “Safe spaces” are never quite safe for us. We forfeit safety from homophobic violence in exchange for safety from racial violence and vice versa. White LGBTQ+ people and cis Black folks do not have to make the same critical decisions. And this complicates my celebrations of both.
     The LGBTQ+ community and the Black community have intentionally been positioned as rivals, even though their liberation movements overlap. During the Bush administration, government funding was intentionally diverted to Black religious organizations that were most likely to vote against same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, in the 1960s, a lot of LGBTQ+ advocacy groups referred to gay as “the new Black.” Gay right’s activist Frank Kameny even stated, “Now that it is becoming unfashionable to discriminate against Negros, discrimination against homosexuals will be on the increase.” He considered homosexuality to be the last major area where prejudice and discrimination were prevalent, minimizing the struggle for Black liberation in this country.
     In the quest for stricter anti-discrimination laws, LGBTQ+ organizations failed to realize how the criminal justice system was harming the exact people they had set out to protect via mass incarceration.
     Recognizing how Black issues in this country are often sidelined, celebrating our collective freedom on Independence Day—and not Juneteenth, when all ethnicities were freed—is off-putting. But to also share a month with LGBTQ+ Pride, which started a hundred years after Juneteenth, has drawn the ire of the Black community. By commemorating important days in our history, it keeps us educated about this country’s mistakes. Otherwise, those mistakes end up happening again. The fact that so many people are aware of Pride but don’t have the same energy for Juneteenth reflects the role of white supremacy in the structure of this country.
     These are the issues that complicate my experience as a queer Black woman. I want to celebrate all of the facets of my identity. I want to recognize the struggles my many communities have had to overcome and not be forced to pick between marginalized communities. The quote “Until we are all free, we are none of us free” by poet Emma Lazarus rings true.”

Gabrielle Alexa Noel”*

*https://www.wecantogether.net/weekly_email_update_6_21_21

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WeCAN WEDNESDAYS

     Exciting news: WeCAN is co-sponsoring a series of events this Summer with Brattleboro Democrats and Rep. Emilie Kornheiser! The series continues on June 29th, 2022 and runs through August. Join us at the Brattleboro Town Common where we will celebrate politics, get to know candidates new and old, and maybe even throw ourselves a 5 year birthday party...we can't wait to see you there!
You can find more information below in this email or go to https://www.wecantogether.net/wecan_wednesdays_2022, where these events will have a dedicated space on our website. 
If you would like to volunteer or set up a table for your organization, please use the following links:

Click here to volunteer: https://www.emiliekornheiser.org/volunteer/
Click here to sign up to table or represent a candidate: https://forms.gle/4JuNT7Uw1hwQkHGp8

If you would like to sign up to help at the WeCAN table, please email us at [email protected] Thank you!

HAPPENING THIS WEEK:
MONDAY, JUNE 20th, 2022-SUNDAY, JUNE 26th, 2022

Vermont Food Bank’s Veggie Van Go Upcoming Schedule
The First and Third Mondays of Every Month in the parking lot across the street from the main entrance to Brattleboro Union High School (131 Fairground Road, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 10am-11am. 
Please, no early birds. 
Questions? Call 1-800-585-2265 or email [email protected] 
Veggie Van Go is a program through the Vermont Foodbank that gives out free produce and local food for people to take home.
ATTENTION: Starting in May, the VT Foodbank asks that participants arrive at the Brattleboro Union High School no earlier than 9:45am. Cars that arrive early will be turned away until the start of the event. 
June 20th, 2022 (Juneteenth Observed)
Week of July 4th, 2022 TBA
July 18th, 2022

Important information:

• Drive through model- please stay in your vehicles
• If you are walking there: see a Vermont Foodbank associate but please make sure to stay 6 feet back.
• There are no income requirements, registration or paperwork to participate
• You do not need to be present to get food: you may ask someone to pick up on your family's behalf.

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Housing Crisis and Remedies: Emergency Measures and RAD Just Cause Eviction
hosted by Brattleboro Common Sense
Monday, June 20th, 2022, Online. 4:50pm.
There is a selectboard meeting the next day.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83375624148?pwd=bEpxNDdhN0tEYlVQYWMrZGpaRzNjUT09
For more information, please go to brmse.org or email [email protected]     
Brattleboro government recognizes the housing crisis, but recent proposals for construction of a dozen or so units are a pathetic response.
Brattleboro Common Sense (BCS)  proposed rent controls and just-cause eviction controls (JCE) two years ago, and town government has dragged its feet. BCS is also proposing emergency measures to create new housing  in a matter of days without new construction.
In the next few months RAD will be embarking on a campaign that will promote and support Just Cause Eviction Charter Change efforts in several municipalities across the state. Just Cause Eviction is one policy that can be implemented to alleviate some of the issues facing renters. It prevents Landlords from arbitrarily evicting tenants for no reason and requires landlords to renew leases to tenants that have adhered to their lease agreements. JCE policy creates protections for tenants and ensures Landlord accountability.
RAD previously took point on the JCE Charter Change in Burlington, successfully getting the policy onto the ballot and passing it with a 64% majority. (See  HB 708 ) While we successfully got it passed both chambers of the Statehouse, it was ultimately vetoed by Scott and failed the Veto override vote by just 1 vote.  It’s not over. 

BCS ACTIONS
YOUTH VOTE  local 16-y-o vote, serve in town government. Brattleboro approved 2019, vetoed, VT Legislature to re-approve 2023
CLIMATE CRISIS    CLEAN ENERGY (fossil fuel) FUND 2010-2021
DECLARATION 2014 re human cause, Obama regulate CO2
DECLARATION (2019 -) people make emergency laws;   
EMDOVY 2010 eminent domain closes VY nuke re economic threat
COMMON SENSE CONSERVATION (lost 2019) and
SUSTAINABILITY (Energy) COORDINATOR test conservation in municipal buildings/
DEMOCRACY, Pro-Democracy amendments 2015, ending voter suppression in the town charter since 2012 local WALL STREET TAX started 2010
RENT and EVICTION CONTROL barely started 2020
SAFE POLICING (approved 2021) guns only on specified operations
BUSH INDICTMENT RESOLUTION (2008)

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Gunsense Vermont First Annual Leadership and Courage Awards
Monday, June 20th, 2022, Online. 6:30pm-8:30pm.
Tickets start at $25 per individual. For more information please contact Conor Casey · [email protected] · 802-227-7213.
Please join us in honoring Ann Braden, GunSense Founder (and WeCAN Founding Member!), in our first annual Leadership and Courage Awards. We will be joined by David Hogg, Co-Founder of March For Our Lives and other inspiring speakers. 
Once tickets are purchased, a Zoom link will be sent to your email prior to the event. We look forward to seeing you!

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Guilford Cares Food Pantry
Thursday, June 23rd, 2022 at the Guilford Fairgrounds (163 Fairground Rd, Guilford, VT 05301). 3pm-4pm. 
If you have questions, concerns or would like to donate groceries or monetary gifts please contact Pat Haine 802-257-0626. For additional questions or more information call 802 579 1350 or email [email protected]. 
Guilford Cares Food Pantry has moved! The Pantry has moved to the First Aid building at the Guilford Fairgrounds. We will be fully stocked with all our usual grocery items.
The Fairgrounds are on Fairground Road, just off Weatherhead Hollow Road. From Guilford Center Road turn onto Weatherhead Hollow Road. Travel 1.7 miles down the road. The Fairgrounds are on the left and there will be a sign directing you up the hill for about .2 miles. The red building is on the left with a sign out in front. Please remain in your car; we’ll greet you,  and give you a shopping list as we have been doing for the past year.
If the Pantry will be closed for any unexpected reason, the closure will be announced on WKVT, WTSA, and Front Porch Forum.
If you cannot come to the Pantry due to illness or high risk, you can call also call Pat to arrange for food delivery by a volunteer.
We know that supplemental food can make such a big difference in one's budget. That is why we are stocking our shelves for our neighbors. All are welcome to come and take home fresh produce, staples, meat, dairy.
Guilford Cares welcomes anyone in need of supplemental food for themselves or their.

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Co-ops Change the World with Dave Gutknecht
hosted by the Brattleboro Food Co-op
Thursday, June 23rd, 2022, Online. 7pm.
Registration and more info here: bfc.coop/coop-speakers/
Join us for the Brattleboro Food Co-op's second installment of Co-ops Change the World: 
Dave Gutknecht has been involved in the cooperative movement since the 1970s. Based in the Twin Cities, he was the editor of Cooperative Grocer magazine for many years, and also has a deep history with the movement against the Vietnam War, serving prison time for his draft resistance – his case even went all the way to the Supreme Court. 
Dave will speak on the current importance and relevance of cooperatives, followed by a Q&A moderated by BFC Board President Jerelyn Wilson. This is a free event series on Zoom, open to everyone.

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HAPPENING OUTSIDE WINDHAM COUNTY: GREENFIELD, MA
Restoration and Reciprocity: Healing Relationships with the Natural World with Robin Wall Kimmerer
hosted by the Nolumbeka Project. Co-sponsored by First Light and Greening Greenfield.
Thursday, June 23rd, 2022 at Greenfield High School (21 Barr Ave, Greenfield, MA 01301). 7pm.
Free. Donations appreciated. This program will also be live streamed at www.facebook.com/nolumbekaproject
Robin Wall Kimmerer is a mother, scientist, decorated professor, and enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation. She is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Special Guest: Rhonda Anderson, Western MA Commissioner on Native American Affairs.

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Par for the Cause
hosted by Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development.
sponsored by The Trust Company of Vermont and Brattleboro Savings & Loan and Park Place Financial Advisors.
Saturday, June 25th, 2022 at the Winston Prouty School (209 Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 2pm-7pm.
Par for the Cause is Winston Prouty’s signature fundraiser held annually on the last Saturday of June (rain date Sunday). The event includes a family-friendly 9-hole mini-disc-golf course, a community picnic with food, drinks, music and fun activities, along with a multi-day raffle leading up to the event.
What is ‘mini-disc-golf’?
It’s a combination of disc golf (sometimes called frisbee golf) and miniature golf. Inspired by our former indoor mini-golf fundraiser which we held for 5 years, we’ve adapted the games and taken the fun outdoors. This new game offers visitors a chance to enjoy our campus forest trails and hilltop views, while connecting with friends and family and supporting Winston Prouty’s mission at the same time. Traditional disc golf holes are decorated with a theme each year. This year’s theme is “Children’s Games.” Some games you’ll see come to life include Candyland, Chutes & Ladders, Twister, Go Fish and classic building blocks.
PRIZE-A-DAY RAFFLE
As part of our annual fundraiser, beginning June 1st and leading up to our June 25th event, we’re holding a prize-a-day raffle in which we’ll pull multiple winners every day of the month. There are over 90 chances to win with prizes valuing a total of over $4,000! Tickets are now on sale. They are one for $5, four for $15 and fifteen for $50. Each ticket goes back in the pool every day.
JUNE 25TH EVENT
The course will open at 2pm and picnic bbq dinner (by donation) will be served starting at 4pm. Check back soon for more details about the event, including dinner menu, drink menu and other fun activities to enjoy!
Thank you for your support!

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UPCOMING EVENTS

A Silent Vigil of Loving Kindness
Monday, June 27th, 2022 at Wells Fountain (298-250 VT 30, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 4:30pm-5:30pm.
For further information and to be on the mailing list for future vigils, please contact Tim Stevenson, [email protected], go to www.postoilsolutions.org, or call 802.869.2141.
Under a banner that reads, “Holding a Space of Loving Kindness for All Living Beings,” we conduct a silent vigil every other Monday, 4:30-5:30, @ Wells Fountain across from Brooks Library and the Municipal Building, downtown Brattleboro
Our purpose is to serve as a living reminder of the inherent goodness of each of us, as well as our inextricable connection with one another.
For a few minutes or the entire hour, all are welcome to join us in extending sentiments of loving kindness to all living beings: to family and friends, neighbors and strangers, kindred spirits and adversaries, human and non-human beings, alike. And to ourselves, as well. People may choose to stand, kneel, or sit in a chair they bring, or on one of the stone benches circling the Fountain.

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WeCAN Wednesdays
sponsored by Brattleboro Democrats and WeCAN: Windham County Action Network
Every Other Wednesday Through August on the Brattleboro Town Common (Park Pl, Brattleboro, VT 05301). 5pm-7pm
Wednesday, June 29th, 2022
Wednesday, July 13th, 2022
Wednesday, July 27th, 2022
Wednesday, August 8th, 2022

Click here to volunteer: https://www.emiliekornheiser.org/volunteer/
Click here to sign up to table or represent a candidate: https://forms.gle/4JuNT7Uw1hwQkHGp8

This election season, and particularly the primaries, is a really exciting one! We have competitive races and new faces up and down the ballot in Vermont! Primary season is the time to push the conversation and ask tough questions. It’s a real opportunity to get to know candidates and for them to learn about your life and policy interests. I’m writing to invite you into this conversation and ask you to share the event information with your network. 
Starting on June 15th, we will host candidate events every other Wednesday on the Brattleboro Town Common. Sometimes we’ll have a debate or speeches or a panel conversation. Sometimes we’ll host a dinner table conversation. At our first event on June 15th we will have a cook-out with some soap box speeches. We’re encouraging folks to come and table, to bring posters and leaflets, to join with their causes and their curiosity. We’re hoping to have kids and games and talk about abortions all at once. It will be community and politics and we hope you can join us and spread the word. 

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Book Launch: The Girl in the Yellow Pantsuit by Becca Balint
hosted by Everyone’s Books
Friday, July 1st, 2022 at Brooks House Atrium (132 Main St, Brattleboro, VT 05301). 4pm-6pm.
Join us for the book launch of Becca Balint’s book The Girl in the Yellow Pantsuit: Essays on Politics, History, and Culture at Brooks House in Brattleboro, VT, where we will celebrate not only Becca, but Brattleboro’s community of ideas, too.

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Summer of Solidarity
Friday, July 1st, 2022 and
Friday, August 5th, 2022 at Pliny Park (corner of High Street and Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 5pm-6pm.
A collective action focusing on connected global, national, and local outrages.
Hosted by Brattleboro Solidarity, The Root Social Justice Center, Tenants Union of Brattleboro, Lost River Racial Justice, VT Debt Collective, 350 Brattleboro, Out in the Open, and Youth 4 Change. 

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Spark Teacher Education presents System Change Not Climate Change: Climate Justice for Classrooms
facilitated by Spark Teacher Education Institute
Session 1: Tuesday, July 5th, 2022
Session 2: Tuesday, July 12th, 2022
Session 3: Tuesday, July 19th, 2022
Session 4: Tuesday, July 26th, 2022, plus 2-3 sessions with great speakers. 
5pm-6:30pm.
To register or to get more info, go HERE.
The aim of the professional development is to ground ourselves in a people-centered analysis of the ecological crisis, integrate the analysis into curriculum, and identify steps towards building a movement. 
This 12 hour online professional development is for educators, organizers, and parents. 

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Summer Institute: Documenting Everyday Life
hosted by the Vermont Folklife Center
Wednesday, July 6th, 2022-Thursday, July 7th, 2022 at 118 Elliot Gallery (118 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). Begins at 10am on Wednesday and ends at 4:30pm on Thursday.
Tuition fees listed below. Please go here: https://www.vermontfolklifecenter.org/events/si22-documenting-everyday-life for more information.
Schedule:
In-Person Wednesday, July 6th, 2022 and Thursday, July 7th, 2022, 10am - 4:30pm, plus an evening event on Wednesday, June 6th, 2022.
The Vermont Folklife Center’s work is guided by this central question: How can I/we understand experience from the point of view of the person or group to whom that experience belongs? 
This 2-day, in person workshop will present the foundations of our particular skill set and approach, what we refer to as the “ethnographic toolkit.” Capturing the scope of everyday life through deep listening and description is a part of how ethnography builds context. These tools can be used by anyone looking to engage with a community or group of people to reach a deeper understanding about how we live and live together.

As a group, we will:

• Explore strategies for community-based learning and inquiry that center on collaborative and ethical engagement
• Learn from ethnographers who have adapted this framework in their projects 
• Conduct mini-fieldwork trips and participant observation; write field notes from several ‘scales of attention’ (self, neighborhood, community)
• Gain basic experience with digital media making, with a critical lens on documentary work and the ethics of representation

This workshop will leave participants with a deeper understanding of the ethics of representation in all public work on Vermont community life and cultures. Space and time will be provided to work individually and as a cohort to apply the ethnographic toolkit within your own community projects, research, media-making endeavors, classroom plans, or areas of interest. 
Tuition and Graduate Credit:
Course fees are on a sliding scale ranging between $275 - $525. There is the option to take this course for 1-graduate credit for an additional $125. Financial Aid is available (email [email protected] for more information)
Cancellation Policy:
No refunds after June 22, 2022. Written cancellation notice (email or snail mail) must be received by that date for a refund minus a $25 administrative fee.

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Pierce’s Summer Food Pop-Ups!
hosted by the Putney Foodshelf and Food 4 Kids
Wednesday, July 13th, 2022
Wednesday, August 10th, 2022 at Pierce’s Dance Hall (121 East Putney Falls Road, Putney, VT). (The image attached is incorrect and should read 121 East Putney Falls Road). 1pm-2:30pm.
All are welcome.
Free Summer food for all. Putney area families and individuals are encouraged to attend. Fresh produce and other groceries are available! 

*the correct address is 121 East Putney Falls Road

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New Community Food Initiative

Have You Heard of Farm Stand Together?
Find more info and apply here: https://www.farmstandtogethervt.org/
Delicious Food on your Terms in your Community! From their site: 
"We believe that everyone should have access to the delicious foods Vermont farmers are growing and making. 
The Farm Stand Together mutual food aid program will be providing gift cards for use at a small selection of farm stands across Vermont. The program is in trial and access in this first round will be limited. 
Gift cards will work like regular credit cards at participating farm stands, and can be used to purchase any items at the stand. They can be spent all at once or over time."
Buy what you want and need – there are no strings attached to your gift card. Shop at the location that's most accessible to you.
Use your Farm Stand Together gift card to reduce the cost of buying local food.
Buy food grown and produced thoughtfully to provide nutritious – and delicious – food.
Keep Vermont money in the Vermont community. Shop for your groceries from farmers and producers in your own area.

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ONGOING EVENTS

Recovery Families
hosted by Turning Point
Fridays at Turning Point of Windham County Recovery Center (39 Elm Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 10am-11am. 
Young children welcome!
Join other caregivers for connection and support of your own recovery journey or that of someone you love. 

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Taking Steps Brattleboro, a program of Brattleboro Area Hospice is offering Advance Care Planning Weekly Zoom Information Sessions on Wednesdays from 10am-11am.
If you are interested in attending the Zoom info session, or want more information about Advance Care Planning, please contact Ruth Nangeroni, Advance Care Planning Program Coordinator at 802-257-0775 ext 101 or [email protected]
Advance care planning ensures that your loved ones and health professionals know what you  want in a medical emergency when you are unable to speak for yourself. It’s a process of creating a written health care plan(advance directive) that tells others what you would want if you couldn’t tell them yourself.
Advance Care Planning includes discussing choices about end-of-life (EOL) care with your medical provider, family and others. It involves choosing and educating your Health Care Agent and making informed decisions to complete an Advance Directive. Join us and learn more. Find out if adding a COVID-19 or Dementia provision would be beneficial to include or add to a previously completed Advance Directive.
Brattleboro Area Hospice (BAH) is an independent, non-profit organization that provides non-medical support to dying and grieving community members and volunteer-staffed assistance with Advance Care Planning. BAH is 100% locally funded, and provides services free of charge. Services are available to anyone living in southeastern Vermont or bordering New Hampshire towns.
Advance Care Planning: It’s how people care for one another.

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Volunteer Opportunity

Putney Foodshelf Needs Volunteers
We are looking for volunteers to fill out the following teams as soon as this week:
Open Hours (Fridays 1-4 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30-11 a.m.)
VT Foodbank: pick up, unload, and restock (Fridays 7:45am-8:30 a.m.)
If you, or anyone you know, might be interested in volunteering, we'd love to hear about it!
Start by filling out this form and we'll be in touch. Volunteering can be a fun and gratifying way to connect to the community. 
If you are already a Foodshelf volunteer and would like to sign up for one of these shifts, please let us know asap by signing up through our regular signup portal or emailing [email protected] Thank you! 

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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESOURCES

Endorse Vermont’s Reproductive Liberty Amendment
Have questions? Please contact Charlie Gliserman, Policy & Prop 5 Campaign Manager at [email protected] or (802) 338-6811.
The Reproductive Liberty Amendment, previously Prop 5, will be a ballot measure in Vermont's 2022 General Election. If passed, it would amend Vermont's constitution to protect every person's right to make their own reproductive decisions, like whether and when to become pregnant, use temporary or permanent birth control, or seek abortion care. 
An endorsement is a public statement of support for the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, which may be featured on the Vermont for Reproductive Liberty website (reprolibertyvt.org) and its campaign communications. 
An endorsement is a powerful way to show Vermont that you or your organization is proud to support the Reproductive Liberty Amendment. Join us in this campaign, powered by and for Vermonters, to protect reproductive freedom for all.
You can find the endorsement form HERE.

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In Home Covid 19 Vaccines and Boosters

If you are homebound and not able to leave your home for medical services, you can get your COVID-19 vaccination and booster in your home.

• If you are in the service of a local home health agency, the agency will reach out to you to schedule an appointment.
• If you are not in the service of a home health agency, you may request an appointment by calling 802-863-7240 (toll-free 833-722-0860) Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm.

www.healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine

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Covid 19 Pop-Up Testing and Vaccinations
Testing and vaccinations are available for all. 
If you need testing or a vaccine, there are a variety of options available to you: your primary care provider, pop-up sites and pharmacies. The Test Site Finder below can help you find other testing near you.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT POP-UP TESTING LOCATIONS
Here are the steps to set up a testing appointment at a pop-up testing site:

• Register to get an account
• Receive an email with your patient ID and use that to confirm your account (check your spam folder if you don't see the email)
• Log in with your patient ID
• Set up an appointment

Register for Pop-Up Testing Here

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The Village Closet
on the Wintson Prouty Campus (60 Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in Croker Hall.
Open Wednesdays from 4pm-6pm and Saturdays from 10am-12pm, or
by appointment. For more information, please email [email protected]
Your source for free baby, children, and pregnancy clothing/items. Donations of gently used items accepted. We are collecting new and "like new" children's coats and winter gear for our Kids in Coats partnership with United Way of Windham County.  If you have items to donate, please stop by today if you are able!
On Wednesdays, Everyone Eats will be distributing free dinners on campus from 3:30pm-4:30pm.

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FREE HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD IN WINDHAM COUNTY

Brigid’s Kitchen, St. Michael’s Church, 47 Walnut Street, Brattleboro 802-254-6800 or 802-558-6072 
Grab-and-go lunches and fruit/nuts on Mon, Weds, Thus, and Sat, 11:30am-12:20pm.

Loaves and Fishes, Centre Congregational Church 193 Main Street, Brattleboro (802) 254-4730
Grab-and-go lunches on Tuesdays and Fridays at 12pm.

VT Foodbank and Veggie Van Go will be at Brattleboro Union High School (Fairground Ave, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in the parking lot, on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, from 10am-11am. Drive up, touchless pickup. Walkers welcome, too. Call VT 211 for more information. 

Foodworks, the food shelf program of the Groundworks Collaborative https://groundworksvt.org (802) 490-2412, [email protected] 
Foodworks has open hours for curbside pickup on Mondays 11am-4pm, Wednesdays 1pm-6pm, Fridays 12pm-4pm, last Saturday of each month from 9am-12pm. Deliveries are available onTuesdays across Windham county. Please email [email protected] or call 802-490-2412 with any questions!
Households in need of food are asked to call or email to coordinate delivery. There is an urgent need for volunteers, and Foodworks has set up protocols to keep staff, volunteers, and clients as safe as possible. Please email us at [email protected] if you are able to help.

Marlboro Community Food Share
hosted by the Marlboro Community Center
Wednesday 10am-2pm; Thursday 10am-5pm; Friday 10am-12pm; Saturday 10am-12pm at the Marlboro Community Center (524 South Road, Marlboro, VT, 05344). 
The Marlboro Community Center invites you to fill a bag with non-perishable grocery items. Food is set up in the main space and is available during our open hours. Eggs and produce on Thursdays as available. No registration or eligibility required. Deliveries can be made through Marlboro Cares for those needing assistance. Please call Marlboro Cares at 258-3030 in advance to arrange a delivery.
To donate food:
Leave non-perishable food in the donation box at the Marlboro Post Office. It will be collected on a weekly-basis. (Please note that this box previously supplied the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry, which is now distributing food exclusively from VT Food Pantry) 
Gardeners and farmers are welcome to donate produce. Wear masks and wash hands when harvesting and handling food. Fresh produce can be dropped off at the Community Center on Thursday between 1pm and 4pm. (Any leftover produce will be taken to FoodWorks the following morning)

Guilford Food Pantry 
Every Thursday at the Guilford Fairgrounds. 5pm-6pm.
We know that supplemental food can make such a big difference in one's budget. That is why we are stocking our shelves for our neighbors. All are welcome to come and take home fresh produce, staples, meat, dairy. Guilford Cares welcomes anyone in need of supplemental food for themselves or their families.

Putney Foodshelf Weekly Open Hours 
Fridays at Christian Square, Putney, VT, 05346. 1:30pm-3:30pm.
Saturdays at Christian Square, Putney, VT, 05346. 9am-10:30am. (NEW HOURS!)
We also have a food drop at the Putney Meadows parking lot every 4th Thursday, from 9am-9:45am.
Message us on our FB page HERE, call 802.387.8551, or email [email protected] with questions. www.putneyfoodshelf.org
Curbside Open Hours. All are welcome - we just ask you to provide your town of residence and number in household for our data tracking purposes.
Stay in your car, please. Volunteers will take your order and bring out boxes of food, including nonperishable items, fresh produce, paper goods, meat, and dairy products.

Everyone Eats continues, including grab-and-go meals at these times and locations: 

• There is no longer an Everyone Eats distribution at Turning Point on Sundays, as Edible Brattleboro is dormant in the winter.
• The meals at Retreat Farm are stocked in their farm stand for pick up anytime, first come first serve. We are planning to stock on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Folks receiving services through Foodworks, Loaves and Fishes, and the Brattleboro Community Justice Center can obtain free meals through those organizations.
You can also order Everyone Eats! meals directly from participating restaurants using the Localvore App.

Our Place Drop-In Center at 4 Island Street, Bellows Falls, VT, 05101. Call us at 802-463-2217 for assistance. Email at [email protected] Please wear a mask to keep our employees and yourself safe.
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Wednesday: 8:30am-4pm
Thursday: 8:30am-1pm
Friday: 8:30am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Our Place Drop-In Center operates a food pantry and meal site where they serve breakfast with to-go meals that are ready for pickup by 9am. Lunch is ready by 11:30am. 
Everyone is welcome to stop by to get a meal. At this time we are allowing only employees in the building.

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ADDITIONAL COVID 19 RESOURCES CAN BE FOUND AT THEIR PERMANENT HOME ON OUR WEBSITE, HERE: https://www.wecantogether.net/covid19_resources

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RESOURCE FOR WeCAN

Rapid Response Text Alert System

When WeCAN began, Song & Solidarity set up a Rapid Response Text Alert System for WeCAN Groups. Directions for signing up are on WeCAN's website, here: https://www.wecantogether.net/rapid_response. We are grateful to Song and Solidarity for providing this service.

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ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING 

Indigo Radio
Sundays at 1pm on Brattleboro Community Radio 107.7FM. To stream live, visit: www.wvew.org 
Indigo Radio, deepening understanding and making connections! IndigoRadio is a group of area educators seeking to learn through engaging with others in our community and throughout the world. We will be talking about educational and social issues both globally and locally and connecting them to our lives and Brattleboro community. Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigoradiowvew/. For archive recordings of past shows: https://soundcloud.com/user-654648353. 

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We look forward to seeing you this Summer at WeCAN Wednesdays, friend! Until next time...

Your Friendly WeCAN Editor,

Joanna and the entire WeCAN Team

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