Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

"A worthy New Year's resolution, perhaps, is to take no hatred into the New Year without requiring it to restate its purpose."
-Robert Brault
a free-lance writer for forty years, has appeared in publications and venues ranging from Reader's
Digest to the CBS TV series "Criminal Minds" to the Ivory soap wrapper.

     Hello friends, and Happy 2023! You may have noticed a brief hiatus from WeCAN in the last few weeks; a much needed holiday recess was followed swiftly by a bout with Covid, which left this Editor down for the count and unable to do much of anything while recovering. We are back, though, with an email chock full of ways to get involved with your community during these cold Winter months. Take a look at what's new and grab your brand new, 2023 calendars to make a solidarity plan--we look forward to seeing you at an event, lecture, meeting, or workshop soon!

From Lean Left VT

Our focus for 2023 will be on Wisconsin and Virginia. 

In April, Wisconsin voters will elect new Supreme Court justices. The re-election of Tony Evers for Governor was critical, but to put a check on the right-wing’s legislative agenda, justices must be elected who will protect voting and reproductive rights and deal with the extreme gerrymandering in the state.

In Virginia, the election for the House of Delegates will take place in November. Currently, the  Democrats have 47 seats, and the Republicans hold 51. There are two vacancies. This year all 140 seats in the General Assembly will be on the ballot — under new legislative maps seen as more favorable to Democrats. Helping Democrats break the current trifecta will bring back an agenda that includes protecting reproductive rights, passing sane gun control laws, and addressing the housing crisis and school funding. 

_____

HAPPENING THIS WEEK:
MONDAY JANUARY 9th, 2023-SUNDAY, JANUARY 15th, 2023 

Monthly Book Group: Parenting 4 Justice
hosted by Brooks Memorial Library and Parenting for Social Justice; facilitated by Abby Mnookin
Monthly, on Second Wednesdays, at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 6pm-8pm:
Wednesday, January 11th, 2023
Wednesday, February 8th, 2023
Wednesday, March 8th, 2023
Wednesday, April 12th, 2023
Wednesday, May 10th, 2023
Free. Some copies of books are available for loan from the library or they can be purchased at Everyone’s Books or online. To sign up or if you have questions, please email Abby at [email protected].
Dive deep into the topics of Social Justice, Parenting for Social Justice, Parenting for Racial Justice, Parenting for Economic Justice, Parenting for Disability Justice, Parenting for Gender Justice, and Parenting for Collective Liberation. Snacks will be provided and we also hope to offer childcare.

______

Guilford Cares Food Pantry
Thursday, January 12th, 2023 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 families.

______

Conversation: Renate Allen and Makeda Djata Best
Friday, January 13th, 2023 at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (10 Vernon Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7pm.
Free. Space is limited, registration recommended. To sign up, call 802-257-0124 x 101 or visit: https://www.brattleboromuseum.org/.../conversation.../
Renate Aller joins Makeda Djata Best, the Richard L. Menschel Curator of Photography and the interim head of the Division of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Harvard Art Museums, for a conversation about Aller’s work. The talk is presented in connection with Renate Aller: THE SPACE BETWEEN MEMORY AND EXPECTATION.
Born in Germany, Renate Aller lives and works in New York. “The Space Between Memory and Expectation” and “side walk 6’ apart in NYC” are her most recent projects. Her works are in the collections of corporate institutions, private collectors and museums, including Lannan Foundation, National Gallery of Art, Yale University Art Gallery, Parrish Art Museum, and Musée des Beaux-Arts in Le Locle, Switzerland.
Makeda Djata Best’s interests focus on 19th- and 20th-century American photography, with a special interest in photojournalism, documentary, war photography, and text and image works. She is the author of Elevate the Masses: Alexander Gardner, Photography and Democracy in Nineteenth-Century America and the editor of Devour the Land: War and American Landscape Photography Since 1970. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. from Harvard University, an M.F.A. and a B.F.A. from the California Institute of the Arts, and a B.A. from Barnard College.

______

Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market
a project of Post Oil Solutions
Saturday, January 15th, 2023 at the Winston Prouty Campus (60 Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 10am-2pm.
Saturdays, November through March.
For more info email [email protected], call 802-275-2835, or visit us at www.brattleborowinterfarmersmarket.org. 
Weekly indoor farmers market, creating community and boosting food security every week.  All local - farm produce, meats, syrup, honey, fresh baked goods, fruits, cider, preserves, plus handmade soaps, gifts and more. 
Accepting credit, debit and SNAP/EBT.  
Crop Cash + Food Boost turns $10 SNAP into $40 every week! 

ONGOING EVENTS

Coffey with Coffey Hours: 2nd Saturday and Sunday of Each Month

During the legislative session State Rep. Sara Coffey will host her “Coffee with Coffey” hours on the second weekend each month.  This is a way for Sara to share updates and hear from her Guilford and Vernon constituents 
Sara is hosting in-person coffee hours on the second Saturdays of each month from 10am-11am, and for those who who cannot attend in-person join her via Zoom (use this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89043648911?pwd=VTI3SDJoMTFGcWFIblUwK1dscWcyQT09) on Sunday afternoons from 3pm-4pm.

In-person Coffee with Coffey schedule on Saturdays from 10am-11am: 
Sat. Jan. 14 Vernon Library
Sat. Feb. 11 Broad Brook Community Center in Guilford
Sat. March. 11 Vernon Library
Sat. April 8 Broad Brook Community Center in Guilford
Sat. May 13 Vernon Library
Sat. June 10 Broad Brook Community Center in Guilford

Zoom Coffee with Coffey on Sundays from 3pm-4pm:
Sun. Jan. 15
Sun. Feb. 12
Sun. March 12
Sun. April 9
Sun. May 14
Sun. June 11

These are great opportunity to connect with neighbors and to share your ideas and priorities. Everyone is welcome!

______

Rural Queer Creative Space
hosted by Out in the Open
Tuesdays, Online. 6pm-7pm.
Bring your knitting, your drawing, your collaging, your sewing, your writing, your painting! Bring your crafts and craft along with other rural queer folks!
Open-drop in space to share your creative side!

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87116115742... 

______

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. 

______

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.

______

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESOURCES

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.

______

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.

• Please see the website for the most up-to-date information. Thank you!

Folks receiving services through Foodworks, Loaves and Fishes, and the Brattleboro Community Justice Center can obtain free meals through those organizations.

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.

______

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

______

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.

______

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. 

______

We here at WeCAN are so appreciative of your continuing support and readership. Happy New Year and we look forward to working towards a more fair and just Windham County in 2023, together.

With many thanks,

Your Friendly WeCAN Editor,

Joanna