Weekly Email Update 3.6.23
"Shouting down and intimidating someone from speaking their mind is not exactly a Vermont town meeting value, nor should it be an American town meeting value."
A reminder, from our own Senator Bernie Sanders, I-VT
Happy Town Meeting Day to one and all! This Tuesday, March 7th, 2023, is Vermont's official Town Meeting Day (though dates may vary across the state) and we encourage you to take part in this year's elections and discourse--there has never been a better time than the present to be present and get involved.
If you need more information, please go to any of the sites listed below, in the entry marked "Town Meeting Day". If you have the means, please consider offering rides to polling stations to friends and family, neighbors and coworkers. If you are in need of a ride, please ask your community for assistance! Facebook groups and Front Porch Forum are good places to start and you are always welcome to email us here at WeCAN at [email protected] for assistance.
Now, there's LOTS to get to this week--so grab your calendar and let's get planning. We'll see you at an event or meeting soon!
Reminders: Group leaders and organizational reps: please continue to send in your Spring events to [email protected] We are happy to post your events through May right now. We are also actively taking suggestions for "1 Minute Actions" and "5 Minute Actions" that are meant to invoke movement and solidarity among our community members. Any group can submit an action, but it must be for the benefit of a large amount of people with relatively little effort and resources.
We would also like to remind our readers that the Editors of WeCAN do not necessarily agree or endorse the meetings or events that are posted in these weekly newsletters. We are an informational hub and try to be fair and balanced, while focusing on justice in Windham County and those who are marginalized within VT. If you have an issue with a group or post, please contact them directly. WeCAN will not respond to emails or comments that are meant to be divisive and inflammatory. Thank you.
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Action Items from Lean Left Vermont
All Eyes on Wisconsin:
Contact Lean Left for more information and/or technical support
GOTV with Center for Common Ground/Reclaim Our Vote
We’re calling Black voters in Wisconsin with important election information about the April 4th Wisconsin Supreme Court election. There are several ways to call:
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Join a National Guided Phone Bank every Tuesday 6 to 8 pm ET.
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Sign up for a phone bank event hosted by an ROV partner.
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Call on your own every day between 10 am and 8 pm.
Learn more and sign up to make calls HERE.
Voter Protection Calls
Help recruit poll observers for the state Supreme Court election in April. Poll observers are the eyes and ears at polling locations, and Wisconsin needs our help to recruit them so that voters can safely and easily cast their ballots this spring. These are some of the easiest and most rewarding calls you can make! All you need is your phone and a computer (laptop or desktop, not a tablet). Organizers offer training and provide the script at every phonebank on Zoom! You will receive a Zoom link in the confirmation email. Sign up HERE (NOTE: all times are Central time).
Postcards
We are writing to Wisconsin voters with Reclaim Our Vote/Center for Common Ground. All the details of this drive—including how to sign up to receive addresses, messaging, and more— can be found here.
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HAPPENING TODAY,
SUNDAY, MARCH 5th, 2023
Can We Trust the People When It Comes to Reproductive Rights?
presented by Meg Mott, Constitution Wrangler and UVM’s Brattleboro Area Osher Lifelong Learning Institute-OLLI
Sunday, March 5th, 2023
Sunday, March 12th, 2023
Sunday, March 19th, 2023 at Next State Arts Project (15 Kimball Hill, Putney, VT). 2pm-4pm.
Directions: Next Stage is located at 15 Kimball Hill Road* in the village center in Putney, VT, directly across the street from the Putney General Store; 15 minutes north of Brattleboro, just off Exit 4 of Interstate 91. From the exit, follow the signs for the village, proceeding north on Route 5 (Main Street) until you see the Putney General Store. You may park on Main Street, and there is ample free parking located just north of the Putney General Store in the Basketville/Putney Mountain Winery lot.**
*GPS USERS BEWARE: If you are using GPS to get to 15 Kimball Hill Rd., Putney, be aware that some units may erroneously direct you to another village. To avoid this, you may wish to use 133 Main Street, Putney, VT as your GPS destination. **Please refrain from parking in front of the Putney General Store or in The Gleanery Restaurant parking lot as these parking spaces are needed for their patrons.**
NEW REGISTRATION PROCESS! We can no longer take any payments at the door/onsite. All attendees/members must pre-register prior to the start of the program.
Semester Membership: Sign up as a member and attend the full 3-part series for $20! Individual lecture fee is $8 each.
To register, visit learn.uvm.edu/OLLI/brattleboro and click on the “REGISTER NOW” button and you will be brought to our online system where you can register using your credit card for the semester membership ($20) or for individual lecture(s) ($8 each).
Prefer to pay over the phone? Just call our UVMOLLI office at 802-656-5817 during regular business hours to register with your credit card.
QUESTIONS: For questions about the program or Brattleboro Area Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, please call Ruby McAdoo at 802-387-5593, or e-mail [email protected]
This 3-part course examines the history and strategy of securing reproductive rights in the United States. If the Courts can’t resolve the abortion issue, maybe the People can do a better job. With the Dobbs decision, the Supreme Court passed the baton back to the states. Surely, a democratic society can reach a better decision than one imposed by the Courts. But are we ready? This series considers the judicial history of reproductive rights, the best arguments on both sides, and the work we need to do to govern ourselves in a pluralist society.
Sunday, March 5, 2023: The Supreme Court’s role in reproductive freedom
The rulings in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey may have delivered victories to the pro-choice movement but the decisions themselves galvanized the opposition. We’ll consider the pros and cons of using the federal courts to enact progressive legislation and what 50 years of judicial rule did to our democratic muscles.
Sunday, March 12, 2023: What are the People saying about abortion?
The Supreme Court tried to resolve the abortion debate using novel constitutional reasoning. On the streets, the political arguments were couched in terms like “freedom” and “murder.” In between those two realms, a lot of people were thinking hard about abortion policy. We’ll consider the best arguments on both sides from the perspectives of libertarians, progressives, and conservatives (Yes, that will include prolife progressive arguments and prochoice conservative arguments.)
Sunday, March 19, 2023: What Do We Need to Deliberate Well?
For this final presentation, we’ll consider two case studies. The first from Boston, circa 1990, when women on both sides of the abortion debate met to build trust after the assassinations at two abortion clinics. The second from Ireland where a predominantly Catholic country legalized abortion through citizen assemblies. We will consider what these two cases tell us about the capacities needed to co-exist vigorously.
Presenter Information: After twenty years of teaching political theory and constitutional law to undergraduates at Marlboro College, Meg Mott has taken her love of argument to the general public. Her award-winning series Debating Our Rights on the first ten amendments brings civil discussions on contentious issues to public libraries and colleges. Meg’s mission (found on www.megmott.com) states that “(a)ll of our most contentious politics eventually end up before the Supreme Court. Whether it is abortion, gun control, capital punishment, gay marriage, or the rights of corporations, the debate is eventually framed using explicit passages and implicit principles from the Constitution. My goal is to teach ordinary citizens how to think through the various constitutional issues in a specific controversy.”
Health & Safety: UVM sponsored non-credit functions/activities/offerings, whether held at UVM or at a non-UVM facility or location, are governed by the same health and safety policies. As such, UVM expects event participants, visitors and guests will be vaccinated. Masks are optional and welcomed. If the event is taking place at a non-UVM venue, consideration must be given to the requirements of the host site and the more stringent requirements will apply.
In case of inclement weather, please listen to 96.7 WTSA-FM or consult www.wtsa.net, or visit our Facebook page (Brattleboro Area Osher Lifelong Learning Institute-OLLI).
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Community Conversation with Brattleboro State Representatives
Saturday, March 5th, 2023 at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 6pm-7:15pm.
Representatives Emilie Kornheiser, Mollie Burke, and Tristan Toleno, along with State Senators Wendy Harrison and Nader Hashim, discuss legislative opportunities and community priorities. All are welcome to come join the conversation.
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HAPPENING THIS WEEK:
MONDAY MARCH 6th, 2023-SUNDAY, MARCH 12th, 2023
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: 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.
Monday, March 6th, 2023
Monday, March 20th, 2023
Monday, April 3rd, 2023
Monday, April 17th, 2023
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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Better Eviction Control: A Plan for Brattleboro Representative Town Meeting and After
Monday, March 6th, 2023, Online. 12pm-1pm.
To join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89714925598
For more info, contact [email protected] or go to brmse.org.
To want an endless lease while homeless people wait in the snow is self-interest. To preach it as compassion is to deny the existence of homeless people.
In a severe housing shortage, if someone moves out, someone moves in. The number of homeless is unchanged. JCE does not prevent homelessness .
The endless lease section is legally dubious. It will be rejected by the legislative counsel and be a setback to the tenants rights movement. We need an alternative.
Vote NO on Prop 2 and promote the BCS Just Cause amendment. Meet with your neighbors to promote the BCS Just Cause amendment, which BCS first started in late 2020. (The town selectboard resisted BCS emergency ordinance then, but a new board may be more receptive). An amendment can be proposed with equal weight at Representative Town Meeting, or by petition. This is not a town resolution under Article III and can be done any time of year.
Section B of the RAD Just Cause amendment (proposition 2) demands for tenants the privilege of an endless lease. To demand an endless lease while homeless people endlessly wait is not compassion, it is self-interest. To preach it as compassion shows no thought even of the existence of homeless people. Whereas section B seeks to establish a permanent class of landed tenants, we ask our state legislators to consider the original BCS Just Cause amendment, that is: without section B.
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Get Out the Vote!: Just Cause Eviction Brattleboro
Monday, March 6th, 2023 at The Collective Lounge and Bar (55 Elliot Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 5pm-8pm.
Let's gather to GET OUT THE VOTE for Just Cause Eviction! There will be information on what JCE is and why you should vote for it, and information on how to vote on Tuesday, March 7 in Brattleboro!
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Vote Yes on Article 2 in Support of Just Cause Eviction in Brattleboro
endorsed by RADVT
Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 at your American Legion (32 Linden Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7am-7pm.
To vote by mail, request an Absentee Ballot by calling the Town Clerk at 802-251-8157. Same day voter registration is available with proper ID. For more information on the Just Cause Eviction Initiative, please go to www.justcausevt.org/brattleboro.
Read this perspective from Vermont Digger: Kiah Morris: It’s time to establish meaningful protections for Vermont renters
Brattleboro voters, renters, and anyone interested in volunteering in support of Just Cause Eviction Brattleboro
Current state laws allow landlords to evict tenants for no reason with as little as 30 days notice. Brattleboro tenants need real protections now to avoid no cause evictions.
1 min action: Tell your friends, family, neighbors to support just cause eviction, share just cause eviction social media posts
5 min action: Learn more, sign up to volunteer, donate at justcausevt.org/brattleboro
Please take a moment to watch the video below and get a sense of what renting Vermonters go through each and every day (click on the video below to be redirected outside of WeCAN).
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Town Meeting Day, Statewide
Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 at Your Local Polling Location. 7am-7pm. (Actual date and polling hours may vary
List of Town Meeting Polling Places: Click for a list of Town Meeting Polling Places
Vermont League of Cities and Towns Town Meeting Informational Website for 2023: https://www.vlct.org/municipal-assistance/municipal-topics/town-meeting
2023 Vermont Meeting Day Preview: https://www.vlct.org/sites/default/files/news-items/TM2023_Preview.pdf
VT Secretary of State Town Meetings and Local Elections Website: https://sos.vermont.gov/elections/election-info-resources/town-meeting-local-elections/
From WAMC Public Radio: WAMC Town Meeting Day in Vermont brings local issues, tradition
From VT Public Radio "Your Guide to Vermont's Town Meeting Day" (now with Bingo!): https://www.vermontpublic.org/local-news/2023-02-27/vermonts-town-meeting-day-2023-guide-introduction-how-to-vote-faq-bingo
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Planning Session to Create Housing in Recreational Vehicles
Tuesday, March 7th, 2023, Online. 12pm-1pm.
Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89714925598
For more information please email [email protected] or go to brmse.org.
BCS is offering Emergency Housing in RVs (EHRV) and developing rules so that people can rent out space for RVs on private land in Brattleboro (and anywhere else). Property owners can donate space or get extra income. We have one RV that is suited as a police substation.
On February 7 Brattleboro officials came to inspect three "RVs" that are being used as emergency homeless shelters at BCS headquarters. Taking their leave, the health inspector said that homeless people would be safer sleeping in the snow, and the zoning administrator threatened to confiscate the RVs and demanded we remove them to comply with town ordinances. We said we would not comply, and that the inspector's judgement of safety was absurd. In THIS VIDEO he openly plans to create evidence against us.
In the inspection report he says there is human waste throughout the yard and that this means the whole shelter is unsanitary and dangerous. The report is biased, malicious, and false in many ways.
It's not illegal, but will the town also prosecute people for putting used diapers or dog poop in the trash?
The town prevented our testimony at their hearing February 21. We proposed the ideas to the selectboard several times since early 2020, and the board did nothing. Now suddenly it's an emergency to prosecute us on the basis of this faulty prejudiced inspection report. The refugees are safe and living with some privacy and dignity in their funky RVs. Help us promote this and the other uses of RVs to alleviate the housing crisis. We could use blankets, electric blankets, heavy wood planks, and help with legal expenses, mechanical repairs, and organizing.
Join Brattleboro Common Sense for a Zoom meeting with your neighbors from 12pm-1pm on Tuesday, March 7th, 2023.
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GRRRLS to the Front: Women Belong in the Booth Production Workshops
Tuesday, March 7th, 2023 at The Stone Church (210 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 6pm-8pm and
Tuesday, March 14th, 2023
Tuesday, March 21st, 2023
Tuesday, March 28th, 2023
Free, sponsored by the Vermont Women’s Fund and hosted by The Stone Church.
Classes led by lead engineer Dan Richardson.
No experience or registration is required. Light refreshments will be offered.
In the spirit of Women’s History Month, we are turning the spotlight on women (our definition of women is inclusive of cis and trans women and girls, as well as non-binary people affected by gender oppression). For the entire month of March we have booked almost entirely women-fronted bands. We’ve also created a curriculum and workshop, free and exclusively for women, about the production side of live music. In the music industry, women have historically been grossly under-represented. We are passionate and committed to keeping a lens on inclusion and representation.
This will be a four week course. Every Tuesday in March from 6-8pm, our lead engineer Dan Richardson will lead a two hour class. The Vermont Women's Fund has graciously sponsored this program so classes are FREE. The VWF funds structural change to advance gender equity and justice in Vermont.
Week 1: Fundamentals. What is sound, really? How do microphones and speakers work? And the most important skill, how do you correctly wrap a microphone cable?
Week 2: Meet the mixing desk. Gain structure, EQ, stage monitors, feedback.
Week 3: Hands-on, mix a band. Mic a drum set, vocals, electric and acoustic guitars.
Week 4: Advanced topics such as recording, mic types, iPad remote mixing, room acoustics, or anything else people want to touch on.
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Two-Eyed Seeing Speaker Series: A Deep Presence and a More Inclusive History
Tuesday, March 7th, 2023, Online. 7pm.
presented by Vermont Abenaki Artists Association (VAAA)
Admission is free, and donations are welcome. Registration at www.Abenakiart.org. Follow us on Facebook: abenakiart and Instagram: @abenakiart.
In honor of World Water Day, the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association (VAAA) is pleased to present Kwanitekw (Connecticut River): The Sustainer of Life. On March 22 at 7pm, a panel of Indigenous citizens and environmental scientists share multiple perspectives on living in relationship with the Connecticut River watershed.
Panelists include Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation) Education Director of the Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS) and Traditional Native American Storyteller; Vera Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki Tribe) and Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Abenaki Arts & Education Center; Kathy Urffer, River Steward with the Connecticut River Conservancy; and Matt Devine, Fisheries Biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Gabriel Benjamin, Public Historian and IAIS Museum Educator serves as Moderator.
This event is the final program in the VAAA’s winter 2023 Two-Eyed Seeing Speaker Series. The term “Two-Eyed seeing,” coined by Mi’kmaw Nation Elder Albert Marshall, describes the experience of seeing the strength of Indigenous knowledge with one eye and the strength of Western knowledge with the other.
This program is presented on Zoom, thanks to support from the Vermont Humanities, Vermont Arts Council, and program partners Abenaki Arts and Education Center, the Institute for American Indian Studies, the Connecticut River Conservancy, and the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
The mission of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association (VAAA) is to promote awareness of state-recognized Abenaki artists and their art, to provide an organized central place to share creative ideas, and to have a method for the public to find and engage state-recognized Abenaki artists.
VAAA is grateful for the support for this Speaker Series from the Vermont Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Vermont Humanities.
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Medicaid & Health Resource Drop-in Hours
hosted by the Vermont Workers' Center
Wednesday, March 8th, 2023 at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in the 2nd Floor Meeting Room. 2pm-4pm.
For more information, or if you can’t make those times, contact [email protected] or (802) 257-4436. This space is handicapped accessible.
Stop in for information about the upcoming Medicaid redeterminations, who will be affected, what your rights are in this process, and how to be sure that you aren’t cut off for bureaucratic reasons. People who are not on Medicaid and have questions about health care access are also welcome, as there will be other health care resources available. Hosted by Vermont Workers’ Center.
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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, 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.
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Workshops for BIPOC Jobseekers
hosted by Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VTPoC)
Wednesday, March 8th, 2023, Online. 6pm-8pm.
For etickets and registration, please go to: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/workshops-for-bipoc-job-seekers-tickets-545311610707
VT PoC is excited to offer workshops for job seekers ahead of our inaugural BIPOC Job Fair!
Three introductory workshops will be offered and led by facilitators:
Resume Building: Redesigning Your Resume
Interview Building: Telling Your Story
Tips & Tricks Breaking Barriers: How to Enter Careers from the Ground Floor
Facilitators will repeat their workshop back-to-back with up to 30 participants each.
This event is open to BIPOC-identified job seekers to highlight opportunities available to people living in Vermont in the soulful and celebratory way that only our BIPOC community can. We welcome employers of all identities to contribute to this event.
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Guilford Cares Food Pantry (NEW LOCATION)
Thursday, March 9th, 2023 at the Broad Brook Community Center (3940 Guilford Center Road, 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]. For more information, please go to https://www.guilfordcares.com/pantry.
Guilford Cares Food Pantry has moved! We are now back at the newly renovated Broad Brook Community Center and no longer at the Guilford Fairgrounds.
Guilford Cares welcomes anyone in need of supplemental food for themselves or their families. Our pantry, with the help of state agencies, local businesses, and individual donations, provides a wide variety of fresh, frozen, canned and packaged food items. Guilford Cares also makes extra food available to students at the Guilford Central School.
Guilford Cares started with a health-based mission. The founders of the organization wanted to make sure that their neighbors did not "fall through the cracks" in our healthcare system. It did not take long to recognize that our community had other needs, perhaps as crucial. "Food Insecurity" constitutes a constant challenge across Vermont and at our doorstep as well. Pat Haine leading a dedicated squad of enthusiastic volunteers, operates The Guilford Cares Food Pantry. They feed a significant number of families who experience difficulties putting enough food on the table despite working multiple jobs. The citizens of our community generously donate to allow Guilford Cares to help out. The State of Vermont provides support. Hannaford Supermarket supports the Pantry consistently.
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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Medicaid & Health Resource Drop-in Hours
hosted by the Vermont Workers' Center
Friday, March 10th, 2023 at Rockingham Free Public Library (65 Westminster St, Bellows Falls, VT 05101), 2nd Floor. 2pm-4pm.
For more information, or if you can’t make those times, contact [email protected] or (802) 257-4436. This space is handicapped accessible.
Stop in for information about the upcoming Medicaid redeterminations, who will be affected, what your rights are in this process, and how to be sure that you aren’t cut off for bureaucratic reasons. People who are not on Medicaid and have questions about health care access are also welcome, as there will be other health care resources available. Hosted by Vermont Workers’ Center.
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Brattleboro Winter Farmers’ Market
a project of Post Oil Solutions
Saturday, March 11th, 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!
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Democracy Forum: “Our Slow-Motion Judicial Coup"
Monday, March 13th, 2023 at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301) and Online. 6pm-8pm.
For Zoom access, please go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86267219136?pwd=L28xNlJrRXB4ZTdPWU1YY3VxME92dz09
A political activist for over fifty years and a history and political science teacher for thirty-nine, Tim Kipp will spell out the historically steady incursion of reactionary social, corporate, and political forces that have pushed America’s judiciary to the ultra-conservative right. The fifty-year assault on legal abortion that culminated last year in the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v Jackson decision is but one objective in a far-reaching revanchist strategy to recast America. Understanding the wide sweep of that strategy and its diverse factions is critical to fathoming the direction of contemporary America. Join Tim, in person or by Zoom, for this timely presentation on March 13th, 2023.
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Medicaid & Health Resource Drop-in Hours
hosted by the Vermont Workers' Center
Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023
Wednesday, April 5th, 2023
Wednesday, April 19th, 2023, all at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in the 2nd Floor Meeting Room. 2pm-4pm.
For more information, or if you can’t make those times, contact [email protected] or (802) 257-4436. This space is handicapped accessible.
Stop in for information about the upcoming Medicaid redeterminations, who will be affected, what your rights are in this process, and how to be sure that you aren’t cut off for bureaucratic reasons. People who are not on Medicaid and have questions about health care access are also welcome, as there will be other health care resources available. Hosted by Vermont Workers’ Center.
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Teaching People’s History: Reconstruction
for educators, by the Zinn Education Project
Saturday, March 25th, 2023 at Epsilon Spires (190 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 11:30am-5:30pm.
Cost: $35. For tickets: www.epsilonspires.org/event-info/teaching-peoples-history-reconstruction.
This will be an all-day, participatory workshop facilitated by Dr. Tiffany Mitchell Patterson and Nataliya Braginsky of the Zinn Education Project for educators interested in learning and teaching more about the era following the Civil War and emancipation, known as Reconstruction, an era full of stories that help us see the possibility of a future defined by racial equity.
Participants will engage in a series of classroom-friendly activities that both uncover the under recognized, bottom-up history of this era and ask how the unfulfilled promises of of Reconstruction might shape our politics and curriculum moving forward.
Included in the Workshop fee: all participants will receive a copy of the Rethinking Schools book, A People's History of Abolition and the Civil War, and Lunch sourced from a local farm-to-table restaurant will be provided. This event was made possible through generous support from Sparkplug Foundation.
Why Is It Important To Teach Reconstruction?
Reconstruction was a period where the impossible suddenly became possible, the achievements of this era are too often overshadowed by the violent white supremacist backlash. Too often the story of this grand experiment in interracial democracy is skipped or rushed through in classrooms across the country. Today — in a moment where activists are struggling to make Black lives matter — every student should probe the relevance of Reconstruction. This project aims to help teachers and schools uncover the hidden, bottom-up history of this era.
We offer lessons for middle and high school, a national report, a student campaign to make Reconstruction history visible in their communities, and an annotated list of recommended teaching guides, student friendly books, primary document collections, and films. This campaign is informed by teachers who have used our lessons and a team of Reconstruction scholars.
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Revolution in Our Time
hosted by Vermont Humanities, Brooks Memorial Library, and the Town Of Brattleboro
Wednesday, April 5th, 2023 at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7pm.
In this free in-person presentation, National Book Award finalist Kekla Magoon discusses her award-winning nonfiction book, "Revolution in Our Time: The Black Panther Party’s Promise to the People." The Vermont author also considers the importance of reading as a tool for social change, and our individual and collective power to transform our communities.
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We Are All Fast Food Workers Now
hosted by Vermont Humanities, Brooks Memorial Library, and the Town of Brattleboro
Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at Brooks Memorial Library (224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7pm.
In this free in-person presentation, labor historian Annelise Orleck provides a close look at globalization and its costs from the perspective of low-wage workers themselves—berry pickers, fast food servers, garment workers, cashiers, hotel housekeepers, home health care aides, and even adjunct professors—who are fighting for respect, safety, and a living wage.
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Storytelling Roundtable
Thursday, May 4th, 2023 at Brattleboro Museum and Art Center (10 Vernon Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 7pm.
This is an in-person event.
Free, registration optional, walk-ins welcome.
In collaboration with Vermont Folklife, multi-media artist Juan Hinojosa will lead an evening of storytelling on the theme of newcomers and immigration. After a short tour of the exhibition Juan Hinojosa: Paradise City, visitors will be invited to share their family histories and make mini collages on the theme of “home.”
Hinojosa, the child of immigrants, makes complex collage-drawings constructed from found objects that intimately challenge greed, obsessive consumption, and the social stratification of American culture. In his art and in this event, he explores what it means to be a Vermonter and what it means to be “from” a place. Through community engagement and storytelling, Hinojosa aims to reveal the many shared experiences we all have as Americans.
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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. 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. 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!
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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...
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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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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.
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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)
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.
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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.
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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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WHEW! That was one heck of an email! Thanks for sticking it out with us, friends. Until next time...
With many thanks,
Your Friendly WeCAN Editor,
Joanna
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