Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

“Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world we want to live in.” 
Frances Moore Lappé
author of Diet for a Small Planet

      This week's Weekly Email Update has more than a few new opportunities to connect with our community in Windham County, WeCAN readers. Whether your passions lie in social, environmental, racial, food, or economic justice, there is something for you in this week's offerings. Grab your calendar and pick an event or two to attend either in person (with a mask) or virtually. Don't feel like putting yourself out there all on your lonesome? That's ok! Ask a friend or family member to join you as you create positive change for your community. Until next week, friends...

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HAPPENING TODAY, SUNDAY, MARCH 28th, 2021

Community Conversations with Representative Emilie Kornheiser
Sunday, March 28th, 2021, Online. 11am.
Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtce-grD4rGNxo9FEE3R8zKpRSj_qBTz03 . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Emilie Kornheiser, State Representative for Windham 2-1, invites you to join her weekly office hours: Sundays at 11am. We’ll talk about what’s happening in the legislature and in our town. Open conversation format-- come for the full hour or just stop by for a few minutes to share a particular concern or question. 

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Vermont Renews Convergence
Sunday, March 28th, 2021, Online. 1pm-3:30pm.
Register now for access! Register for Vermont Renew Convergence with Mobilize. Accessibility: Closed captioning will be available. Have accessibility questions? Reply to your registration email to confirm your requirements or request more information.
On Sunday, March 28th, The Vermont Renews Coalition is hosting a mass convening for activating, exciting and educating Vermonters on the systematic change work of the VT Renews Campaign. (Think Thrive Agenda on a statewide level)
We're pushing for just, equitable solutions to the many interconnected crises we're facing through the policy framework outlined by Renew New England Alliance ( www.renewnewenglandalliance.org) 
Join us to learn about how our work in Vermont in connected to national and regional movements, the 2021 VT Renews legislative priorities, and to connect with fellow activists as we continue to build a movement in Vermont.
The Vermont Renews Coalition consists of Rights & Democracy, Vermont State Labor Council AFL-CIO, 350 VT, Democratic Socialists of America: Champlain Valley,  Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, Migrant Justice, Community Action Works, and Justice For All.

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HAPPENING THIS WEEK, MONDAY, MARCH 29th, 2021-SUNDAY, APRIL 4th, 2021

Everyone Eats! 
Monday, March 29th, 2021-Thursday, April 1st, 2021 at the C.F Building (80 Flat Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 4pm-6pm. Masks required. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY.  If you have any questions visit https://www.brattleboro.com/everyoneeats/ or contact Frances Huntley [email protected]. Organizational ordering information is listed under our Free and Nutritious Food in Windham County section further along in this email. 
Everyone Eats! is a program which will distribute meals from Brattleboro restaurants to anyone in need who lives in Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, or Vernon, free of charge, through December 11th. There will be 850+ meals/day available Monday through Thursday to serve our community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Pick up for individuals will be at the C.F. Church Building at 80 Flat St in Brattleboro and group/institution orders can be picked up at Mama Sezz in West Brattleboro. All meals are available Monday-Thursday between 4pm and 6pm until supplies run out.
If you have extra produce from your garden, there will be a wheelbarrow you can drop it off in on your way out of the pickup site. Participating restaurants will use the donated produce in making more meals.
The meals are free, but if you would like to make a monetary contribution to help make more meals possible for others, it will be gratefully received. The base cost of each meal is $10 but any amount will be appreciated.
Each restaurant will contribute meals two or more days a week. You will receive one individually packaged cold ready-to-eat or heat & serve dinner for each person you request a meal for. Meals will be distributed cold, so if you are driving a distance, delivering to other households, or distributing through your organization, consider bringing a cooler if you can.

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Windham County NAACP March Monthly Meeting
Wednesday, March 31st, 2021, Online. 6:30pm-7:30pm. Please note meetings are held monthly on the last Wednesday of the month from 6:30pm-7:30pm via Zoom. All members and those on the mailing list will receive the Zoom link a few days prior to the meeting. If you are not a member or on the mailing list please email Sarah at [email protected] for more information and to receive the link. 
Please join us for our online monthly meeting.  Meetings are open to members and non members alike. During the meetings we will discuss local and state-wide social justice initiatives and happenings.

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Marlboro Community Food Share
hosted by the Marlboro Community Center
Thursday, April 1st, 2021, and every Thursday, at the Marlboro Community Center (524 South Road, Marlboro, VT, 05344). 4:30pm-5:30pm.
Every Thursday from 4:30pm-5:30pm the Marlboro Community Center invites you to fill a grocery bag with non-perishables and fresh local produce. No registration or eligibility required. This weekly opportunity is available for anyone who could use an extra bag of groceries or knows someone who does.
Food will be set up in the entry-way to the Marlboro Community Center. For proper social distancing, please enter one person at a time. Bring a grocery bag or use ours. Masks are required. Deliveries will be made through Marlboro Cares for those needing assistance. Please call Marlboro Cares at 802-258-3030 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)

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Guilford Cares Food Pantry: NEW LOCATION!
Thursday, April 1st, 2021 (and every Thursday) at the Guilford Fairgrounds (163 Fairground Rd, Guilford, VT 05301). 5pm-6pm. 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.

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Traditional Abenaki Sugaring and Stories
hosted by the VT Land Trust
Thursday, April 1st, 2021, Online. 7pm-8pm.
Register here: https://vlt.org/.../traditional-abenaki-sugaring-and-stories. Free.
Call us biased, but we think the world’s best maple syrup is made in Vermont. Using technology ranging from buckets to tubing, the top of a woodstove to a high-tech reverse osmosis machine, sugarmakers condense sap from the maple tree to “liquid gold”.
The Abenaki people, who lived on the land we now call Vermont for thousands of years, are an essential part of the sugaring story.
They developed methods of tapping trees and using sap that they later taught to white colonists.
Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk – Abenaki Nation will share the maple syrup story and ancient Abenaki sugaring traditions.
In a conversation between Chief Don and VLT forester and sugarmaker Caitlin Cusack, we’ll explore the Abenaki relationship to the land and how the maple story is alive today in Abenaki-owned sugaring operations.

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Outside of Windham County
Art Build for World Health Day at the Rally for the Right to Health: Montpelier
hosted by the Vermont Workers’ Center
Friday, April 2nd, 2021, Online. 5pm.
Please register using this link: https://forms.gle/bnnTEzPDJHWG5X5v5.
Join us for an online art build as we get ready for an action for World Health Day: Rally for the Right to Health on April 7 in Montpelier. 
We will share ideas for songs, slogans, and signs! We'll be working on some art together on the call, so come ready with supplies!
Here are some suggested materials:
Sign material: paper, cardboard, back of posters or other sheet material, plywood, fabric.
To make your image and words:
● Pencils, pens, markers (even with smaller markers, pens or pencils with a little time and filling in, you can make a strong sign.)
● Pastels, chalk, crayons, charcoal..
● Paint: house paint (avoid solvent based because it’s not good to breathe indoors and needs paint thinner for clean up), acrylic paint, water colors, tempera, etc.
● Collage: colored paper, magazines or newspapers, any paper with color on it. And glue and scissors to cut it out and glue it down.
● Fabric: painting, embroidery, quilting, or applique (cutting out fabric images or words and sewing, gluing or ironing onto fabric signs). 

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Putney Food Shelf
Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 (this is the last weekend until further notice) at 10 Christian Square (Putney, VT, 05346). 9am-11am.
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.

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Rally to Demand Student Debt Cancellation with the Vermont Branch of The Debt Collective
hosted by The Debt Collective
Saturday, April 3rd, 2021 at Pliny Park (corner of High Street and Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 2pm. Masks are required (and will be available to those who need them) and social distancing measures will be observed!
This is a protest and rally to demand that Joe Biden utilize his executive authority to cancel all federal student loan debt in the first 100 days of his presidency
The Vermont Debt Collective will host an event at Pliny Park in Downtown Brattleboro as part of a National Week of Action to call on Joe Biden to cancel all federally held student loan debt in his first 100 days in office.
The Debt Collective is a debtors union which is campaigning for full student debt abolition and free public college for all with the Biden Jubilee 100 Student Debt Strike. President Biden can cancel student debt through a power called “Compromise and Settlement” - the same mechanism that is currently being used to place a moratorium on student debt payments. We are calling on him to take this action because it is a substantial step towards closing the racial wealth gap and creating a more just and equitable higher education system. 
Vermont has one of the highest debt burdens of any state. 73,000 Vermonters hold a total of $2.7 billion in student debt, with the average personal burden being $36,700. Vermonters are in urgent need of relief, and cancelling student debt would keep $2.7 billion dollars in the pockets of Vermonters to invest in their local economies and communities.

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Community Building and Reconciliation Circles for Putney, VT: Community Restoration in 2021 and Healing from National Trauma
hosted by Restorative Justice of Southern VT
Saturday, April 3rd, 2021, Online. 3pm-5pm.
Saturday, April 10th, 2021, Online. 3pm-5pm.
In April, we plan to facilitate a series of four circles, all free, each addressing different aspects of community, both in Putney and in the United States as a whole. We invite anyone who is interested in having these conversations to join us every Saturday in April and talk about how to strengthen communities in times of trauma and unrest. Dates and descriptions for these circles are provided below. Please message us on Facebook or email [email protected] if you are interested and we will be happy to provide you with the Zoom link and any relevant resources for the circles!
Recently, conversation abounds as to whether 2021 will be a "better" year than 2020. We at RCJSVT believe that there are steps individuals and communities can take to ensure that 2021 is, if not "better," more restorative than 2020. Although we are only a month into 2021, already tensions are running high, perhaps in part due to the expectations many people hold for this year. We want to hear your voices, sit in circle, and engage in a dialogue about what we can all do to respond to issues that arise this year in ways that heal rather than harm. In the first circle, we will think about questions like, "How can we uphold our values in the face of crises?" and "How can we promote social healing without overlooking our own health?" In the second circle, we will focus specifically on the impacts on the nation of the trauma we have shared in the past few years due to COVID-19, political unrest, and other events. Let's talk about how to find balance, accountability, healing, and more.
All circles will be facilitated by Dan DeWalt, Laurie Rabut, and/or Claire Summers. We hope you will join us and feel free to reach out with any questions!

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Community Conversations with Representative Emilie Kornheiser
Sunday, April 4th, 2021, Online. 11am.
Please register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtce-grD4rGNxo9FEE3R8zKpRSj_qBTz03 . After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Emilie Kornheiser, State Representative for Windham 2-1, invites you to join her weekly office hours: Sundays at 11am. We’ll talk about what’s happening in the legislature and in our town. Open conversation format-- come for the full hour or just stop by for a few minutes to share a particular concern or question. 

Red Cross Blood Drive at the Winston Prouty Campus
Saturday, April 17th, 2021
Saturday, May 22nd, 2021
Saturday, June 26th, 2021
Saturday, July 24th, 2021
Saturday, August 28th, 2021
Saturday, September 25th, 2021
Saturday, October 23rd, 2021
Saturday, November 27th, 2021
Saturday, December 18th, 2021 at the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development (Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 9am-3pm. To help make these events possible by volunteering, please contact Lisa Whitney at [email protected]
Winston Prouty and the American Red Cross are hosting monthly blood drives throughout 2021.The Red Cross has over 135 years of experience providing humanitarian aid including more than 75 years of supplying blood to those in need. Each pint of blood we collect can help save up to three lives and will touch the lives of so many more. What a great way to pay it forward and make an impact on people in our community and across the country.
You can participate by donating blood or by volunteering to help support the event (set-up/clean-up, registration, parking, etc).
Sign up to DONATE blood here:
https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/drive-results?zipSponsor=

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Community Building and Reconciliation Circles for Putney, VT:
Community Reconciliation
hosted by Restorative Justice of Southern VT
Saturday, April 17th, 2021, Online. 3pm-5pm.
Saturday, April 24th, 2021, Online. 3pm-5pm.
In April, we plan to facilitate a series of four circles, all free, each addressing different aspects of community, both in Putney and in the United States as a whole. We invite anyone who is interested in having these conversations to join us every Saturday in April and talk about how to strengthen communities in times of trauma and unrest. Dates and descriptions for these circles are provided below. Please message us on Facebook or email [email protected] if you are interested and we will be happy to provide you with the Zoom link and any relevant resources for the circles!
- Do current tensions in the community make you uneasy?
- Do you have ideas and/or experiences regarding Black Lives Matter, Antifa, White Supremacy, or Donald Trump and his adherents which make it difficult to trust your neighbors' intentions or fear their actions?
- Are you willing to participate in a restorative process that will allow you to articulate your feelings in a way that others can hear, and to hear the concerns and feelings of others?
Join RCJSVT for one or both of our community reconciliation circles, in which we can work through these challenging tensions in a safe and constructive manner, intended to help communication and respect flourish even where there is disagreement.
For these circles, we will ask you to confirm your participation in advance, so that you can have an "intake" or individual conversation with an RCJSVT facilitator prior to the circle. This helps to ensure that all participants are well prepared to express themselves and to actively listen to others in the circle.
Any outcome of these circles will be determined by the collective wisdom of the participants. RCJSVT will be there to ensure that the process is safe, equitable, and focused on the issues and relationships at hand.
Participation in our first two community circles is not required to attend these reconciliation circles, but it is strongly encouraged, especially for those without prior experience sitting in circle.
All circles will be facilitated by Dan DeWalt, Laurie Rabut, and/or Claire Summers. We hope you will join us and feel free to reach out with any questions!

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Vermont Food Bank Food Drop
hosted by the Putney Foodshelf
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021
Thursday, May 27th, 2021
Thursday, June 24th, 2021 at Putney Meadows (17 Carol Brown Way, Putney, VT 05346). 9:30am-10:15am. Everyone is welcome. No questions asked!
The Vermont Foodbank will be bringing food to Putney. There will be lots of produce along with other nonperishable food. The Vermont Foodbank truck will park on the side of the road in the big U (Alice Holway Drive).
Drivers: Shoppers will stay in their cars until called. Until further notice, shoppers can pick up for no more than two households.
Walkers: Stay tuned for instructions.
If you have never participated in this before, volunteers will be available to explain how it works!

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Pop-Up Book Club: All We Can Save: Truth, Courage, and Solutions for the Climate Crisis by Ayana Johnson
with Southern Vermont Young Professionals
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021, Online. 7pm.
Please register for the event HERE.
We will be discussing the first four chapters of All We Can Save by Ayana Johnson. The book is a provocative collection of essays and poems from women who are at the forefront of the climate movement. We hope this will be an engaging and inspiring discussion about the climate crisis and how we can help actively move humanity forward.
We have five hardcover copies available for free to YP members. Registrants should email [email protected] to receive pick-up instructions. The book is also available in audio and e-book formats. 

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2nd Annual Windham County NAACP Virtual Freedom Fund Dinner
Friday, April 23rd, 2021, Online. 7pm-8:30pm.
Tickets can be purchased online at the following link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2nd-annual-freedom-fund-dinner-tickets-143866022145. For questions, please email: [email protected] 
This year’s Freedom Fund Dinner will be a very special evening, which includes a keynote address by Vermont State Senator Kesha Ram, the first woman of color and the youngest woman in history to serve in the Vermont State Senate.  Special music will be provided by St. Louis Songstress Olivia Neal whose voice is described as “A sound that is mixed with soul and inspiration.” Also, the poem, “The African American Challenge” will be read by its author, Wylene Branton Wood, and the Windham County NAACP Branch will present its annual Unsung Hero Award.

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Putney Anti-Racism Book Group: Stamped
hosted by the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library
Sunday, April 25th, 2021, Online. 7pm-9pm.
For zoom info to join or for more information, contact [email protected] or 603.504.2906 -- you can also send a message through FB messenger.
Please join the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library for a continuation of an anti-racism book group for all Putney families and community members.
Join us for a discussion of Stamped-Racism, Antiracism and You, written by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi

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Seeing and Disrupting Racism
hosted by the Peace and Justice Center
Monday, April 26th, 2021, Online. 6pm-8pm.
Registration is required https://secure.lglforms.com/form.../s/S5zjD8Rln--4uAQXGUgFxg
Suggested donation $25 for residents of Vermont, $30 for those outside of Vermont, no one turned away for lack of funds. Not sure if you should pay less, nothing, or more? Check our Sliding Scale document for guidance. If you cannot donate, put 0. If you have any questions please contact Arima Minard [email protected] or 802.863.2345 x105.
This introductory-level workshop defines racism and white fragility, explores how white fragility perpetuates racism and its harmful impacts on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and challenges participants to consider what steps they can take to disrupt racism at every level. This workshop was developed for predominantly white audiences, but all are welcome and encouraged to attend. Space is limited, registration is required (register below). These workshops are not recorded.

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Putney Anti-Racism Book Group: White Rage
hosted by the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library
Sunday, May 23rd, 2021, Online. 7pm-9pm.
For Zoom info to join or for more information, contact [email protected] or 603.504.2906 -- you can also send a message through FB messenger.
Please join the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library for a continuation of an anti-racism book group for all Putney families and community members.
Join us for a discussion of White Rage-The unspoken truth of our racial divide, written by Carol Anderson.

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Putney Anti-Racism Book Group: Caste
hosted by the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library
Sunday, June 20th, 2021, Online. 7pm-9pm.
For Zoom info to join or for more information, contact [email protected] or 603.504.2906 -- you can also send a message through FB messenger.
Please join the Putney Central School Leadership Council and the Putney Public Library for a continuation of an anti-racism book group for all Putney families and community members.
Join us for a discussion of Caste-The Origins of Our Discontents, written by Isabel Wilkerson.

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COMMUNITY SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES

Susu CSA Sign Up
Our BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) CSA (community supported agriculture) sign up is live! You can find the links to our sign up form in 4 different languages here: https://www.susucommunityfarm.org/bipoc-csa
CSA Details:
Pick up time: pick up or drop off on Wednesdays from 4-6pm
Dates: June 2nd-October 13th 
Cost: Free
Eligibility: Must live in Windham county within a 20 minute radius of Brattleboro, VT. 
Boxes available: We are happy to provide 30 boxes this year
The SUSU CSA Box of resilience is a 20 week free box of organically grown, culturally relevant veggies, medicinal herbs and other goodies from local VT businesses. You will also have access to free cooking, harvesting, medicine making classes and commUNITY gardening rituals.
These boxes are no cost to you...but this isn't a gift or some charity. This is your birthright. We believe that food and housing should be considered birth rights and not something that you work for. 
This year we will be growing Afroindigenous, culturally relevant veggies ourselves. This is our first year growing food with the earth so we ask for your patience with us in recognizing that the earth provides abundantly..and sometimes not in the way that we were envisioning. This is a process of leaning into trust and being led by the earth and sharing what they provide for us, even if it’s not exactly what we expected.
With that being said, we will also be supplementing our boxes with staple veggies and other items from local farmers. 
"There's nothing that heals the soul more than a home-cooked meal made with ingredients you are familiar with, and prepared by the hands of people who look like you."
-Paul O. Mims

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From the Vermont Racial Justice Alliance:
Your Vermont State Legislators need to hear from YOU on the following Bills and Resolutions:
1) Racism is a Public Health Emergency (Joint Resolution)
2) Abolish Slavery (PR.2)
3) Healthy Equity (H.210)
4) Economic Equity (H.406)
5) Land and Home Equity (H.273)
6) Cannabis Market Equity (H.414)
7) Reparations Task Force (H.387)
Please click HERE to find out more information and to email your representatives! Thank you. 

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Vermont Prison System Vaccinations
1 minute action to make a difference: Please call Governor Scott at (802) 828 3333 and ask that Prisoners in Vermont's system get vaccinated NOW. These folks are in a congregate system, many have underlying conditions with little to no control over their environment. Save a life today and make the call please. You can also email him HERE. 

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COVID 19 RESOURCES: VERMONT

CURRENT COVID19 CASE INFORMATION as of 12pm, March 26th, 2021

New cases: 251 (18,498 total) (up 100+ cases from last week!)
Currently Hospitalized: 26
Hospitalized in ICU: 4
Hospitalized Under Investigation: 0
Deaths: 224 (+7 since last week)

Vaccine Data
Total received one dose: 189,0454
Total received both doses: 103,779

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Gov. Scott Announces Vermonters 50 and Older are Eligible 

Vermonters age 50 and older can make a vaccine appointment starting Monday. Beginning at 8:15 a.m. on Monday, March 29, Vermonters age 50 and older will be able to make an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine.
Going online to healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine is the fastest way to make an appointment, and there are enough slots at sites throughout Vermont for everyone who is eligible.
Click on the “Make an appointment” button to use the Health Department registration system. If you prefer to make your COVID-19 vaccine appointment through a participating pharmacy, you can find links on the same page to Kinney Drugs, CVS and Walgreens.
Anyone who is unable to make their appointment online, or who needs to speak with someone in a language other than English can call 855-722-7878.
Vaccination sites are available around the state, and people can choose a nearby location when making their appointment.
Dr. Levine urges caution amid high case counts, upcoming holidays
Health Commissioner Mark Levine said at Friday’s press conference that we are meeting our primary public health goal of reducing the number of deaths and severe illness, and protecting those among us who are most vulnerable.
He said, however, that the high number of 251 new cases reported today is concerning, and yet another reminder that we still must do everything we can to keep this virus from spreading.
“This is especially important among younger Vermonters who will be the last age groups eligible for the virus,” Dr. Levine said. “You may want to have ‘the COVID talk’ ahead of any gathering, to make sure everyone is comfortable with the plans to stay safe,” Dr. Levine said. The CDC is still urging people to avoid non-essential travel right now, but if you do travel and are not vaccinated, be sure to quarantine for 14 days, or seven days with a negative test result and no symptoms. “As always, remember that testing is available around the state, and this is a key tool for preventing further spread of the virus,” Dr. Levine added.

He also cautioned Vermonters planning to celebrate upcoming holidays, beginning this weekend with Passover, followed by Easter and Ramadan soon after. “Though people are likely looking forward to spending time with family and friends, please follow the current gathering guidance,” Dr. Levine said.

See the remaining groups below:

When a new group of people is eligible, they can register online at healthvermont.gov/MyVaccine or by calling 855-722-7878. Vermonters are encouraged to create an account ahead of time so it will be easier to log in when it’s time to make an appointment.
The length of the entire process will vary, but Vermonters can expect it to take approximately two months from the time you register to the time you are considered fully vaccinated. This includes the anticipated time between registration and an appointment, the time of a first and last dose, and the two weeks needed after a last dose for it to be at maximum effectiveness. The goal is to have Vermonters fully vaccinated by July 1.
“Our age banding approach has allowed us to first protect those at greatest risk of hospitalization and death, which is our top priority, and our approach has been effective. In fact, while we have one of the oldest populations in the country, we have among the highest percentage of people age 65 and older vaccinated,” said Governor Scott. “We continue to believe age banding is the most effective and fastest way to reach all Vermonters who want a vaccine.”
Health Commissioner Mark Levine, MD said the long-awaited reality of people being able to get their vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel. At the same time, he cautioned Vermonters that with variant strains of the highly transmissible virus being identified in Vermont, prevention and testing must still be a priority.
“To really find our way out of this pandemic, along with registering for vaccination as soon as your age band opens, we must all continue to follow the very simple, but critically important guidance of masks, distancing and cautious travel,” said Dr. Levine. “This is the only way to stay ahead in the race. Through prevention, testing and vaccination, we can achieve a level of community immunity that will bring us out of this pandemic. We can cross the ‘public health finish line’ sooner, together.”

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Covid 19 Pop-Up Testing

Testing is available for all. 
If you need testing, there are a variety of options available to you: your primary care provider, pop-up test 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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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-11:30am. 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] 
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.

Guilford Food Pantry 
Every Thursday at the BBCC (3940 Guilford Center Road, Guilford, VT, 05301). 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.

Everyone Eats! at the C.F Building (80 Flat Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 4pm-6pm. Masks required. PLEASE DO NOT ARRIVE EARLY.  If you have any questions visit https://www.brattleboro.com/everyoneeats/ or contact Frances Huntley [email protected]. Organizational ordering information is listed under our Free and Nutritious Food in Windham County section further along in this email. 
Everyone Eats! is a program which will distribute meals from Brattleboro restaurants to anyone in need who lives in Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford, Putney, or Vernon, free of charge, Monday-Thursday through June 2021. 
Pick up for individuals will be at the C.F. Church Building at 80 Flat St in Brattleboro and group/institution orders can be picked up at Mama Sezz in West Brattleboro. All meals are available Monday-Thursday between 4pm and 6pm until supplies run out.
If you have extra produce from your garden, there will be a wheelbarrow you can drop it off in on your way out of the pickup site. Participating restaurants will use the donated produce in making more meals.
The meals are free, but if you would like to make a monetary contribution to help make more meals possible for others, it will be gratefully received. The base cost of each meal is $10 but any amount will be appreciated.
Each restaurant will contribute meals two or more days a week. You will receive one individually packaged cold ready-to-eat or heat & serve dinner for each person you request a meal for. Meals will be distributed cold, so if you are driving a distance, delivering to other households, or distributing through your organization, consider bringing a cooler if you can.

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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 12pm 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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Thank you for your ongoing support, WeCAN Friends. See you next week! 

Your Friendly WeCAN Admins,

Joanna and Sam