Weekly Email Update 4.12.21
“…(W)e owe deeper consideration to those for whom the costs of menstruation go beyond dollars and cents, but also extend to their safety—such as transgender people, those in police custody, and domestic violence survivors. Many people who need support exist outside the societal safety nets where menstrual products are currently made available. While doing so, activists and lawmakers alike should use gender-neutral language as the default in order to be inclusive of trans and nonbinary individuals when advocating for and advancing menstrual policies...It is due time for change. Menstrual equity is essential to creating a fair and just society for all. ”
Jennifer Weiss-Wolf
Founder, Period Equity and VP of the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law
We hope this lovely Spring weather has you itching to get some work done, WeCAN Friends...and we have the perfect 5 minute social justice action to help you get your week started!
By the end of 2020, 13 states, including MA and CT, had officially renounced their taxes on menstrual items and at least a dozen more states have legislation awaiting debate that specifically addresses the luxury tax placed on tampons, pads, cups, and other sanitary items. In January of this year, the UK officially abolished the so-called "Tampon Tax" entirely....and it's time Vermont does as well.
Here's what you can to do help: grab your preferred device for emailing and take 5 minutes to send your State Representatives a quick note. Ask them to please Vote YES and Exempt Menstrual Products from Sales Taxes.
Menstrual products are a necessity, not a luxury. These products are not subject to a unique or special tax, but are classified as luxury items along with other goods that are not exempted. The effects of this tax are devastating, placing menstruating individuals in situations where they cannot afford or obtain basic necessitates. Vermont’s House Ways & Means Committee is currently considering S.53 (H.53), a bill that would exempt menstrual products from the Vermont Sales and Use Tax. Do you have an opinion about whether menstrual supplies should be exempt from or subject to sales tax? Make your voice heard by contacting the committee & your representatives.
Don't know who to contact? Start here: https://legislature.vermont.gov/people/.
Learn more about the issue from the @vtwomen one-page info sheet, available at women.vermont.gov/help/publications and shown below. For more information please check out: https://www.periodequity.org.
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HAPPENING TODAY, SUNDAY, APRIL 11th, 2021
Community Conversations with Representative Emilie Kornheiser
Sunday, April 11th, 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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Coffee with Coffey
hosted by Sara Coffey, VT State Representative, Windham-1 district
Sunday, April 11th, 2021, Online. 3pm-4pm.
The Zoom link can be accessed HERE.
Please join me for one my monthly Coffee with Coffey hours. This is a great way to connect with neighbors and discuss the issues. During the session I will share updates, answer questions and hear about your priorities.
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HAPPENING THIS WEEK, MONDAY, APRIL 12th, 2021-SUNDAY, APRIL 18th, 2021
Everyone Eats!
Monday, April 12th, 2021-Thursday, April 15th, 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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Blues Legacies and Black Feminism: Gertrude “Ma” Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holliday by Angela Y. Davis
presented by the Pioneer Valley Project Racial Justice Book Group
Monday April 12th, 2021, Online. 7pm-8:30pm.
Monday, April 26th, 2021, Online. 7pm-8:30pm.
The book group is free for PVP members. We request a $25 donation (or other amount that works for you) from non-members. Please register here: https://forms.gle/ihScrVQ3Ydjh5ZNm6.
We invite you to join this multi-racial and anti-racist, liberty filled space to learn, share and build community. "From one of this country's most important intellectuals comes a brilliant analysis of the blues tradition that examines the careers of three crucial black women blues singers through a feminist lens. Angela Davis provides the historical, social, and political contexts with which to reinterpret the performances and lyrics of Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Billie Holiday as powerful articulations of an alternative consciousness profoundly at odds with mainstream American culture."
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Online Forum: Healthcare for Profit or a Human Right?
hosted by the Vermont Workers’ Center
Wednesday, April 14th, 2021, Online. 6pm-7:30pm.
Click here to RSVP for the Zoom link: https://www.workerscenter.org/calendar/2021/04/14/online-forum-healthcare-for-profit-or-a-human-right
Join the Vermont Workers' Center for an online forum to discuss:
+ What did we already know about how our healthcare system works before the pandemic?
+ A year in, what more are we learning about our for-profit healthcare system?
+ Who is making big bucks and who is suffering?
We’ll look at health insurance, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies - and of course the human lives at stake.
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Marlboro Community Food Share
hosted by the Marlboro Community Center
Thursday, April 15th, 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 15th, 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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I Am…2021: The Business of Creativity: Getting Our Work Into the World
Thursday, April 15th, 2021, Online. 7pm. Please register for this event HERE. For more information and to pre-register, visit vermontartscouncil.org/iam2021. Closed captioning will be provided for these events. We invite you to contact us with specific accommodations you need to facilitate your participation in the workshop. We will make every effort to honor your requests when they are made two weeks prior to the event. Contact Michele Bailey, 504/ADA coordinator at [email protected]
Five featured artists discuss how they bring business and strategy to their creativity. Left brain meets right brain in this conversation about the partnership between art and the business of making art.
Nineteen artists from the I am a Vermont Artist series will exhibit work in our new online gallery from Feb. 16 through April 30, and on the third Thursday of each month we will host a Zoom gathering so that audiences can engage with the artists directly.
The virtual exhibit will consist of a group gallery with select work from each featured artist and individual galleries with up to five pieces from an artist.
Part of the Vermont Art Council’s mission is to expand access to the arts for all people, regardless of background. Vermont is not often thought of as a diverse state, but people of every stripe call this place home, and the different experiences they bring make our communities rich and vibrant.
To celebrate Vermont’s diversity and deepen our state’s creative identity, the Council began publishing the I am a Vermont Artist interview series in early 2019. Two years on from the series’ launch, the Council has published over 30 interviews with artists, exploring how their creative expressions reflect their experiences of ethnicity, gender identity, religion, disability, or age—and the group continues to grow.
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"Rated XR" Series Episode 2: The Climate Consensus
hosted by Extinction Rebellion VT
Thursday, April 15th, 2021, Online. 7pm-8pm.
Click Here to Register
We can’t return to business as usual, because business as usual=death.
As we begin to peek out from under the twin shrouds of a dark Vermont winter and a debilitating pandemic, Extinction Rebellion Vermont is presenting the Rated XR media series, which will highlight how Vermonters are resisting a return to "business as usual" and attempting to preserve a livable future.
In this series, planned for release in the weeks around Earth Day 2021, we'll meet Vermonters who have used the spirit of rebellion, in ways big and small, to challenge the mindset that threatens our very survival. Through it all, we'll discuss ways that XR Vermont and its climate partners are poised to make a dramatic and impactful return to activism in 2021.
In Episode 2, Dr. Janel Hanrahan, Associate Professor and Chair of Atmospheric Sciences at Northern Vermont University-Lyndon, will present "The Climate Consensus – Creating a Multi-Institution Outreach Network."
Climate change is bearing down on us and the consequences are dire. Despite this, public belief in and understanding of the climate crisis is mixed, and generally does not correspond to the latest climate science. Dr. Hanrahan will present on the disconnect and will describe recent efforts to close this gap in understanding through the creation of a climate action network. Public support of this effort will be critical for its success. The presentation will therefore be followed by an open discussion about what we can all do to help.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Click Here to Register
About Our Presenter
Dr. Janel Hanrahan earned her M.S. and PhD in Mathematics at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Alberta, she researched extreme rainfall and climate change. Her current research aims to understand how human-caused climate change influences extreme weather. As the founder and director of The Climate Consensus, Dr. Hanrahan works with students to improve climate change literacy among the general public by promoting effective dialog between these groups.
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State House 101: Your Practical Guide to Navigating the Vermont State Legislature
sponsored by the Windham County Democratic Committee
Thursday, April 15th, 2021, Online. 7pm-8:30pm.
Register at: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvfuCvrjopH9L-bT_rNYXjN_3T3XzcHQuP
If you have ever gotten lost on the Vermont Legislature’s website while trying to find a bill, a committee hearing, or a legislator, then this workshop is for you! With her years of advocacy work, there is no one better than Brenda Siegel to guide you through the legislative website and the legislative process. Sponsored by the Windham County Democratic Committee, this workshop is the ultimate layperson’s guide to the Vermont legislature. The best 90 minutes you will spend on Zoom all year.
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Putney Foodshelf Weekly Open Hours
Saturday, April 17th, 2021, at 10 Christian Square, Putney, VT, 05346. 9am-11am.
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.
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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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For the Love of Baskets: Spring Fundraiser for the United Way of Windham County
Sunday, April 18th, 2021-Sunday, April 25th, 2021, Online at www.32auctions.com/fortheloveofbaskets.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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-11:30am.
Veggie Van Go is a program through the Vermont Foodbank that gives out free produce and local food for people to take home.
Monday, April 19th, 2021
Monday, May 3rd, 2021
Monday, May 17th, 2021
Monday, June 7th, 2021
Monday, June 21st, 2021
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.
For questions, please contact the WSESU VVG Program Coordinator:
Kira Sawyer-Hartigan, WSESU
53 Green Street
Brattleboro, VT
[email protected]
(802)254-3730
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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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Just Transition in Vermont
hosted by 350 Vermont
Thursday, April 22nd, 2021, Online. 6pm-8pm.
You can access the Zoom chat HERE.
Transition is inevitable. Justice is not. Join 350VT for an Earth Day workshop about the idea of a Just Transition and collectively imagine what it would look like in Vermont and what it would take to get us there. Plus hear about the rest of our Spring Asynchronous Mobilization and how it is building the world we need, and sign up for a tree planting, workshop, action, or event in the coming weeks.
What is a Just Transition? It involves shifting from dirty energy to energy democracy, from funding highways to expanding public transit, from incinerators and landfills to zero waste, from industrial food systems to food sovereignty, from gentrification to community land rights, and from rampant development to ecosystem restoration. Workers and communities impacted first and worst must lead the transition to ensure it is just. We are indebted to the Climate Justice Alliance and Movement Generation for providing us with this framework.
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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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Building Power Happy Hour: Building a Strong Democracy 2021-2022 Kick-Off
hosted by Lean Left Vermont
Wednesday, April 28th, Online. 4:30pm-6pm.
Join Lean Left Vermont for a Happy Hour kick-off to 2021/2022. Together, we’ll share our thoughts about our work in 2020, and the Lean Left Team will lay out the 2021/2022 strategy for building power and strengthening our democracy.
Bring your favorite beverage and join us on zoom for a toast to YOUR work!
Make your reservation here!
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Green Up Day Brattleboro
Saturday, May 1st, 2021. 8am-12pm.
A Vermont tradition. All are welcome! Please wear masks and gloves. Please practice social distancing.
Bags are available at:
Brattleboro Food Coop (2 Main St)
Brattleboro Suburu (Putney Rd)
Turning Point (Elm and Flat St)
West Brattleboro Fire Station (16 South Street)
Brown and Roberts (Main St)
Chamber of Commerce (Main St)
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Singalong Concert with Annie Patterson and Peter Blood to Benefit the Community Asylum Seekers Project (CASP)
Saturday, May 8th, 2021, Online. 7pm. Admission is by freewill offering, with suggested donations of $10, $20 (supporter) or $50 (patron). Concertgoers can register on line at https://www.riseupandsing.org/events/repairing-breach-brattleboro and will be sent a Zoom link and a song sheet to sing along with Patterson and Blood. Further information about the concert is available by contacting Ursula Nadolny at [email protected]
BRATTLEBORO – Songs to repair the breach and support asylum seekers is the focus of an online singalong concert by Annie Patterson and Peter Blood Saturday, May 8 at 7p.m.
The benefit concert will support the work of the Windham county-based Community Asylum Seekers Project (CASP) and is part of a tour that encourages the pursuit of social justice and charity within communities. A song sheet will be provided to participants so that they can sing along with performers from home. Tickets can be purchased at www.riseupandsing.org/events.
According to Patterson and Blood, Repairing the Breach, Songs for the Journey is inspired by the Rev. Dr. William Barber II and the Poor People’s Campaign and will focus on the specific theme of immigrants and asylum seekers among us, using music as a path to justice, spreading hope and putting a spotlight on the value of working together for a better world.
Patterson is an accomplished folk performer, recording artist and jazz vocalist, and a member of the swing band Girls from Mars. She performs regularly with The O-Tones and at folk venues in the U.S. and abroad. She carries with her a suitcase of incredible song knowledge and a repertoire that includes more than 2400 songs from many genres, including Americana, contemporary folk, ballads, gospel, country and jazz. She is a master song interpreter, accompanying herself on guitar and banjo.
Blood was publications director of Sing Out, the nonprofit publisher of Sing Out! Magazine, from 1988 to 1993. He edited Pete Seeger’s autobiography, Where Have All the Flowers Gone: A Singalong Memoir. He currently divides his time doing songbook, social justice, and interfaith work.
The duo has played a central role in creating a singing movement in North America and abroad with their songbooks Rise Up Singing and Rise Again. Together, have led hundreds of singalong concerts and workshops across North America, New Zealand and the UK, and have made it their lifelong mission to help create change for peace and justice through song. They accompany their songs with guitars, banjo, mandolin, autoharp, African drum and pennywhistle.
CASP provides basic needs and a supportive community for those in the process of seeking asylum in the U.S., including local host homes, financial support, legal aid, and other daily needs. Its largely volunteer-based network assists seekers while they navigate the asylum claim process and make the necessary connections to settle into the community.
More information about CASP is available by contacting them online at caspvt.org or [email protected]
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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, April 2nd, 2021
New cases: 201 (19,755) (up 1000!+ total statewide cases from last week!)
Currently Hospitalized: 35 (+9 in Windham County from last week)
Hospitalized in ICU: 2
Hospitalized Under Investigation: 1
Deaths: 228 (+4 since last week)
Vaccine Data
Total received one dose: 213,656
Total received both doses: 126,761
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Vermonters age 30 and older can make a vaccine appointment starting Monday, April 12th, 2021
Beginning at 8:15 a.m. Monday, April 12, Vermonters age 30 and older will be able to make an appointment to receive 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.
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The next groups’ eligibility dates are:
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April 12: age 30+
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April 19: age 16+
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.
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 In-Home Covid19 Testing
sponsored by United Way of Windham County
People who are in need of a covid test and do not have transportation should call VT Public Transit at 802-442-0629 or toll free at 1-833-387-7200. VT Transit will contact your provider to confirm and get necessary info. They are using an ambulance service thru VT Department of Health which will do FREE IN-HOME testing and then transport your specimen to a local lab. VT Transit takes initial info and contacts the local EMS and VDH.
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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 continued commitment to your community, Friends. Until next week...
Your Friendly WeCAN Admins,
Joanna and Sam
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