Weekly Email Update 8.16.21

Weekly Email Update 8.16.21

"Homeless (people) exist because billionaires exist. In polarity, there is extreme poverty and extreme wealth. Bridge the gap between the two and you will find balance and an Earth that will survive the threat of humanity’s self-imposed climate change, among other existential threats. Earth is a reflection of humanity."
Deborah Bravandt,
author, metaphysician, and neurolinguistics programmer

     We'd like to start this week by celebrating a fantastic accomplishment in our local area, readers: The 24-Hour Shelter at Groundworks Drop-In Center will be open starting this Monday, August 16th, 2021! Here's some more information from their website, https://groundworksvt.org: 

 

 

 

   "In an effort to provide overnight shelter for a number of individuals currently living outdoors in the Brattleboro area, we plan to open the new Drop-In Center for 24-hour shelter, seven days a week, starting Monday, August 16th.
The new South Main Street Drop-In Center can provide shelter for up to 34 (!) people per night. The program (formerly known as the Seasonal Overflow Shelter or “SOS”) will launch with the hope that funding will allow the shelter to remain open for overnights year-round. Increased funds were available this year from the Vermont Agency of Human Services’ Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO)—extending the duration of the shelter season. However, an ongoing funding gap will need to be filled in order to prevent the shelter’s closing in future warmer months. We remain hopeful that we can fill that gap and keep the shelter open around the clock next summer.
The 24-Hour Shelter at Groundworks Drop-In Center provides food, overnight and daytime shelter, showers, laundry, and supportive services such as Case Management and a Representative Payee service. While we are maximizing meal support from Loaves & Fishes, Brigid’s Kitchen, and Everyone Eats, we plan to re-engage the program in which volunteer Meal Teams provide dinners for shelter guests; starting with three nights each week (Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays). If you are interested in providing meals, you can email [email protected] for more information."

     Congratulations to all the staff, crew, volunteers, and legislators who made this happen. Temporary shelter housing is a vital step to permanent housing and has been shown to be effective in preventing homelessness. To get involved, check out the listing for the 12th Annual Load the Latchis in the email below and bring your donation to the Latchis Theater in Brattleboro on Thursday, August 19th, 2021! We will see you there! 

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FIVE MINUTE 📲 CALL TO ACTION 📲 

Line 3 Activists (https://www.stopline3.org) are asking everyone to call the Army Corps of Engineers (202-761-5903 or 202-761-1878) and tell them to pull Enbridge's 404 water permit. There have already been too many permit violations, as it is, to trust the Minnesota State government to continue overseeing this project. Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline is a threat to our climate, water, and violates treaty rights. 

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HAPPENING THIS WEEK: MONDAY, AUGUST 16th, 2021-SUNDAY, AUGUST 22nd, 2021

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, August 16th, 2021
Monday, September 6th, 2021
Monday, September 20th, 2021
Monday, October 4th, 2021
Monday, October 18th, 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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Running on Empty: Understanding the Impact of Compassion Fatigue
hosted by Turning Point of Windham County
Monday, August 16th, 2021, Online. 1pm-4pm.
You can register HERE. This workshop is not only for health care, social services, and recovery workers, but anyone who is affected by the "cost of caring" -- for parents, children, and family members of those who are struggling.
What is Compassion Fatigue? Compassion fatigue has been described as the “cost of caring” for others in emotional pain (Figley, 1982).
The helping field has gradually begun to recognize that workers are profoundly affected by the work they do. Whether it is by direct exposure to traumatic events (for example, working as a paramedic, police officer, emergency hospital worker); secondary exposure (hearing clients talk about trauma they have experienced, helping people who have just been victimized, working as child protection workers); or the full gamut in between (such as working with clients who are chronically in despair, witnessing people’s inability to improve their very difficult life circumstances or feeling helpless in the face of poverty and emotional anguish).

The work of helping requires professionals to open their hearts and minds to their clients and patients – unfortunately, this very process of empathy is what makes helpers vulnerable to being profoundly affected and even possibly damaged by their work.

How do we deal with it? This 3-hour training will give you an introduction to why recognizing and understanding compassion fatigue is so important as well as strategies we can use to work with it. Do you want to:

  • Reignite your purpose and serve at your highest level without burning out?
  • Lead with love without getting taken advantage of?
  • Show up fully without people-pleasing, fixing, or over-giving?
  • Create healthy boundaries without compromising connection?

If you feel like you might be experiencing symptoms of compassion fatigue or if you want to prevent them, this workshop is for you. Simple shifts will help to begin the journey back to balance and joy. Don’t let the “cost of caring” take away from the life you deserve. The workshop will be held online Monday August 16th from 1pm to 4pm and will be facilitated by master trainers Don Cuerdon and Hannah Rose, also director of Impact Coaching.

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A New Set of Glasses: Understanding Trauma and Trauma Informed Care
hosted by Turning Point of Windham County
Wednesday, August 18th, 2021, Online. 1pm-4pm.

Register HERE.
The Zoom link will be provided to registrants prior to the training.
Trauma is one of the leading causes of substance use disorder.. Learn how trauma affects our brains, what it means to be trauma informed, and why it is so important to understand when providing care and treatment to those suffering from it.

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12th Annual Load the Latchis
Thursday, August 19th, 2021 at the Latchis Theater (50 Main St, Brattleboro, VT 05301). 9am-4pm.
Help us fill every seat in the historic Latchis Theatre by dropping off one or more bags of groceries—at the Flat Street side door—to stock the shelves at Foodworks!, a program of Groundworks Collaborative. 
You can make a donation to fill a seat!  Every $20 we raise fills a seat in the theatre and allows Foodworks to provide a two-week box of food for a family of four!
The kind folks at REWIND 92.7 (formerly 92.7 Bratt FM) will be collecting food and donations at the Flat Street side door outside the Latchis Theatre in downtown Brattleboro from 9am – 4pm on Thursday, August 19th.
If you can’t make it that day or would rather offer a monetary donation—which the team at Foodworks knows how to stretch much further than your dollar spent at a grocery store—you can make a secure online donation here or mail a check to:  Groundworks Collaborative, PO Box 370, Brattleboro, VT 05302.  Please put Load the Latchis in the memo line to ensure your gift goes directly to Foodworks!

 

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Marlboro Community Food Share
hosted by the Marlboro Community Center
Thursday, August 19th, 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
Thursday, August 19th, 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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Solidarity Fridays
Friday, August 20th, 2021, Pliny Park (corner of High Street and Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 5pm-6pm. Please observe Covid 19 safety protocols and social distancing. Brattleboro Coalition contact: [email protected]
You may have seen the Solidarity Friday demonstrations on the Pliny Park corner that began last Summer and continued into the Fall. In-person actions were paused due to COVID restrictions, but we continued meeting via Zoom, learning about our shared concerns and building our coalition. In the ongoing work to gain more participation in and deepen the understanding of our actions, the involved organizations wanted to explain our purpose for Solidarity Fridays in preparation for starting again. 
Four Brattleboro-based organizations - Brattleboro Solidarity, The Root Social Justice Center, Lost River Racial Justice, and The Tenants Union of Brattleboro came together last summer during the Black Lives Matter uprisings. Later, we were joined by 350 Brattleboro, the VT Debt Collective, Youth 4 Change, and Out in the Open (supporting remotely). Together, we recognized that, while we were witnessing the streets come alive across the country against police brutality, the streets must stay alive in order to enact the level of broad changes across struggles that are urgently needed - for humans, animals, and the planet. 
The coalition acts with these shared principles:  

  1. Everyone should have what they need. 
  2. People’s lives over profit. 
  3. All of our struggles are tied together. 

We believe that the basic necessities for a healthy life are non-negotiable. There is no excuse for hunger, homelessness, or death from curable diseases anywhere in the world. All of our struggles are tied together. We believe that the struggle for Black liberation and against police brutality and racism is also a struggle against the exploitation of poor working people. We see how those with power benefit from the divisions that they sow amongst us. We acknowledge and address our diverse struggles while we assert that we have more commonalities than differences. We are stronger together.
We are on the street on Fridays because we believe that being united in our struggles is important in paving a new path forward. We choose not to fight against or react to those who disagree with us, but rather invite them to talk with us so that we may find our common interests and beliefs. Being on the streets together raises our spirits, breaks isolation, and helps build a network of people who want to do this work together. We invite you to join us weekly on Fridays to make connections - both with other people and between struggles! - and to take a stand for a more just world.

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Putney Foodshelf Weekly Open Hours
Saturday, August 21st, 2021, at 10 Christian Square, Putney, VT, 05346. 9am-10:30am.
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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Share the Harvest Stand
a project of Edible Brattleboro
Sunday, August 22nd, 2021 and every Sunday until October 31st, 2021 in the garden at Turning Point Recovery Center (corner of Frost Street and Elm Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 11am-1pm.
Fresh produce available at no cost thanks to local farmers, VT Foodbank and local gardeners. Donations accepted with gratitude. If you have surplus from your garden, please drop them off on Sundays between 10:30 and 11:15am, or by appointment (call or text Marilyn 516-298-9119).

Edible Brattleboro’s Share the Harvest Stand Needs Volunteers
Sign-up here:
https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/245496458026/false#/invitation
Please consider offering the gift of your time. Time Traders, Brattleboro Food Co-op shareholders, and students can log their hours for community service credit.
We always pair up a new volunteer with an experienced one, so if you have never volunteered, don't worry. You will have guidance from an experienced person and detailed written instructions. If you value this service, I urge you to please sign up for a time slot (or two or three) so we can continue to offer fresh free produce to our neighbors through October. More on how to volunteer below.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

“Takeover”: Online Screening & Discussion
hosted by the VT Workers’ Center, the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, and the National Union of Homeless Organizers
Wednesday, August 25th, 2021, Online. 6pm-7:30pm.
Register to receive the Zoom link: https://forms.gle/k15yXadufuJfhnJr5
On May 1st, 1990, homeless people led a simultaneous takeover of empty government (HUD) houses in cities across the United States. Skylight Pictures followed the takeovers with 12 crews in the eight cities, documenting the secret planning, the illegal occupations, and the hopeful aftermath of this bold endeavor. “Takeover" tells their story.
Join the Vermont Workers' Center, the Nonviolent Medicaid Army, and National Union of the Homeless Organizers for this film and discussion. Event ends at 7:30, with an option to stay for another half hour for those who want to continue the discussion.

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Public Meeting: Public Transit on the Route 30 Corridor
Brattleboro to Stratton Mountain and Surrounding Towns Needs Assessment Study

hosted by VT Trans, MOOver, and local planning partners
Thursday, August 26th, 2021 at NewBrook (Newfane/Brookline) Fire Hall (698 Route 30, Newfane, VT, 05345). 4pm-6pm.
Masks will be required to help reduce the spread of Covid 19. Thank you.
Zoom link can be found HERE.
Study link can be found
HERE.
We are exploring the possibilities of transit service along Route 30 from Brattleboro to Stratton and seeking input from people living in communities in the local area about how public transportation service on Route 30 would impact the area.
Would it improve your access to employment? Would it be an alternative to driving yourself? Would it help you get to shopping areas or recreational activities? Please complete the survey linked above. We look forward to your input! 

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A Silent Vigil of Loving Kindness
Wednesday, August 26th, 2021 at Wells Fountain (298-250 VT-30, Brattleboro, VT 05301). 4:30pm-5:30pm.
For further information and to be on the mailing list for future vigils, please contact Tim Stevenson, [email protected]
Under a banner that reads, “Holding a Space of Loving Kindness for All Living Beings,” we conduct a silent vigil on alternating Wednesdays and Thursdays, every other week, 4:30pm-5:30pm, @ Wells Fountain across from Brooks Library and the Municipal Building, downtown Brattleboro.
Our purpose is to serve as a living reminder of the inherent goodness of each of us, as well as our inextricable connection with one another.
For a few minutes or the entire hour, all are welcome to join us in extending sentiments of loving kindness to all living beings: to family and friends, neighbors and strangers, kindred spirits and adversaries, human and non-human beings, alike. And to ourselves, as well. People may choose to stand, kneel, or sit in a chair they bring (there are stone benches circling the Fountain).

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Red Cross Blood Drive at the Winston Prouty Campus
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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Talk About Our Democracy: The Power Paradox, A Book Reading and Discussion
organized by wecelebratedemocracycivilrightsforall.org
Monday, August 30th, 2021, Online. 6:30pm.
Copies of The Power Paradox by UC Berkley psychologist Dacher Keltner are available to participants at a 10 % discount from Everyone's Books in Brattleboro. Thank you to Everyone's Books.
For info contact Woody: 802 258 7045, [email protected].
Take a deep look at power. 
So often we gain power through our most creative and compassionate acts, but once feeling powerful we act in an arrogant and unethical fashion, This is the power paradox.... People who enjoy elevated power are more likely to eat impulsively and have sexual affairs, to violate the rules of the road, to lie and cheat, to shoplift, to take candy from children, and to communicate in rude, profane, and disrespectful ways. 

Read the book and join me on Zoom for discussion. 
Woody Bernhard is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: The Power Paradox
Time: Aug 30, 2021 06:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
To join the Zoom Meeting copy this URL into your search bar:
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Meeting ID: 810 0148 6902
Passcode: 156944
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Meeting ID: 810 0148 6902
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Call for Democracy
Sunday, September 5th, 2021 at Pliny Park (Corner of High Street and Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 5:30pm.

Rain date will be Monday, September 6th, 2021. 
Contact: [email protected] or 802 258 7045
People who take part in this meeting agree to be nonviolent in word, in thought, and in deed.
We don't have democracy but we want it. Musicians will play. I will have signs. A pa system. A table. The banner will be up over Main Street. Curtiss Reed will speak. Please let me know if you would like to speak.  Or if you would like to sing or lead us in a song. All are welcome to speak.
wecelebratedemocracycivilrightsforall.org is dedicated to positive nonviolent, nonprofit, public action for democracy and civil rights for all people.

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Course for Educators: Presenting Abenaki Culture in the Classroom
Tuesday, September 7th, 2021-Friday, December 17th, 2021. Online, with Zoom and Moodle. 1pm-4pm.
Class will meet via Zoom on Sunday afternoons from 1–4 PM, from September 13 through November 22, 2021. Registration opens August 2021. 
There is no class on the following Sundays: September 7, October 10, November 28, December 5, and December 12.
3 credits available through Castleton University. Tuition: $950 standard, $1400 with credit. For more information please contact Vera Sheehan at [email protected] or Elizabeth Lee at [email protected]
Course Description:
Music, history and archaeology, weaving, social justice issues, and heirloom plants . . .
Through a combination of lectures and experiential learning, Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Abenaki Arts & Education Center scholars, historians, and culture bearers will present this vibrant regional culture that reaches back nearly 13,000 years and continues today.
The fifth annual Presenting Abenaki Culture in the Classroom course will provide teachers and homeschool educators with a deeper understanding of how Indigenous culture continues into the 21st century. Sessions will include history and stereotypes; new resources being developed for use in classrooms and online; age-appropriate activities; and how teachers can better support Abenaki and other Native students while presenting American history and additional academic content areas. The program includes a virtual exploration of the exhibition Nebizun: Water is Life. This rich learning experience will provide educators in all settings with new resources and techniques to help students learn about Abenaki culture, and a forum to discuss the “Flexible Pathways” initiative.
Presented through a partnership between the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, Abenaki Arts & Education Center, and Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
There is a required group reading and reflection that prepares participants for the first virtual meeting.

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Brattleboro Democracy Forum: “Is the United States a Democracy?” with Tim Kipp
organized by We Celebrate Democracy Civil Rights For All
Tuesday, September 7th, 2021, Online. 6:30pm.
Contact: [email protected]   802 258 7045
The forum will be recorded and will air on BCTV and WVEW.
Tim's synopsis:
The US was founded on undemocratic principles; Plymouth and Jamestown were built on religious intolerance, imperialism, systemic racism and Genocide. How could it be democratic when people were driven from the land; slaughtered; or enslaved as animals? The Native population in Northern America went from c.10-20 million in1500 to 250,000 in 1900. Africans were captured and made slaves for nearly 250 years, reaching a peak of 4 million in bondage by the time of the Civil War. This country is still confronted with the consequences of this legacy of oppression.
During the horrendous Regime of Trump, political analysts, mainstream media, and conventional historians conjured the decline of, the erosion of, the assault on, the undermining of, the twilight of, or the pending end days of our democracy. 
This presentation posits that we are not a democracy. While there have been magnificent and significant episodes of true struggles for democracy- they have only come as a reaction to the absence of democracy. It is the victims of this political and economic system who have led the struggle for real democracy. 
Real democracy in the United States happens when the people fight back: the Civil Rights, Women’s, Peace, Labor, Gender Identity and Environmental Rights movements, etc. 
The founders created a rhetorical and historical trap for themselves and us- as the story goes, we are a nation founded on an idea, the promise of democracy. 
And when, at those times when the people try to cash that promissory note demanding the country live up to its articulated ideas, the people are most often met with government intransigence, opposition and or class and white backlash.
The Trump Regime was not an aberration. It was a logical consequence of an undemocratic system.
I will explore the undemocratic nature of our system from an historical and structural perspective by examining key aspects of the Constitution; Federalism; the Representative System; the Party System; and the Supreme Court. And time permitting, offer a vision of what real democracy looks like.

Tim Kipp is a retired history and political science teacher for 39 years and a political activist since the 1960s.
We Celebrate Democracy Civil Rights For All, is dedicated to positive nonviolent, nonprofit, public action for democracy and civil rights for all people.      

To join the Zoom Meeting copy this URL into your search bar:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84509560179?pwd=SEppeEo5Z25VMThSMVdRajdPQkJIZz09
Meeting ID: 845 0956 0179
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Meeting ID: 845 0956 0179
Passcode: 150977
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kp8p6n8Ct

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Queer Dance Party and Cabaret
hosted by The Stone Church and Brattleboro Queer Dance Parties
Friday, September 17th, 2021 at The Stone Church (Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 9pm-1am.
Tickets are now available on a sliding scale from $5-$15. Please go here https://stonechurchvt.com/#/events?event_id=43126 to purchase tickets.
More info to come! 

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HOUSING AVAILABLE

Housing Offered for Activists with Brattleboro Common Sense
Room and board are offered as a STIPEND for an internship with BCS. (See BrattleboroCommonSense.org, a small philanthropic organization.  501c-3)  Advance new rent control legislation and police disarmament with us as we transition to an activist half-way house.  We will soon rev up our campaign to restore petition rights that were restricted in the 2012 Brattleboro town charter.
Work is very flexible part time: talking, petitioning, fund-raising, survey-taking, social media communications, research, writing and promoting a climate emergency declaration. Our declaration is for all humans: church-goers, soldiers, farmers, Republicans, not just liberals and climate activists.  Our work is unique and aggressive. We aim to make a difference across the nation.
In 2010 BCS won a court order ending censorship of petitions by town government, so that Brattleboro people and other organizations can act locally on global issues. BCS has acted on nuclear power, renewable energy, election reform and climate rescue. Who joins BCS ?; our directors, who separately started significant actions like the Bush Indictment Resolution, which was reported around the world; a plastic bag ban, which became state law, town offices of the future and sustainability, and the Youth Vote amendment, to bring the voice of youth to these and local issues and which was recently approved by the VT House of Representatives. Our S.A.F.E. Limited Police Disarmament plan may win approval in August and steer the national debate on police reform.  These things follow the conscience of Brattleboro. Join Brattleboro Common Sense: together our voice goes far.
Right now there are five other people, a bird a cat and two dogs sharing the house and getting along well.  Two work for BCS; one is an intern.  Most of the house is furnished.  It's a pretty big house, a flexible situation.   It's two floors of an old wood-frame house, with trees and a big yard.  The downstairs conference room and parlor occasionally used (hardly used at all since COVID) by BCS.  The matters of more pets, laundry, and start date are negotiable. Send a resume including activism if you’re interested, and we will respond quickly to [email protected].

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COMMUNITY SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES

VT Temporary Broadband Subsidy Program
The New Vermont Temporary Broadband Subsidy Program that provides eligible Vermont households with up to a $40 monthly credit March through December 2021 to assist with Internet service subscriptions, has opened.  Applicants must have an active broadband account and self-attest to one of the following COVID-19 economic hardships:

  • Laid off from employment 
  • Salary or hourly reduction of 20%
  • In need of assistance with childcare duties or home care due to closures of childcare facility or assisted facility or infirmity of household or family member
  • Closure of schools
  • COVID-19 health related impacts to self, a member of the household, or family member requiring quarantine, hospital assistance, or hospice care by the utility service account holder

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Rural QTBIPOC/LGBTQ+ Mutual Aid Fund Available Through August
Out in the Open has reopened our Rural QTBIPOC/LGBTQ+ Mutual Aid Fund to support our rural LGBTQ+ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer, +) community, prioritizing applicants who are QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous, People of Color) in rural Northern New England.
Through August, f
olks can request up to $250 for: Groceries, supplies, housing support, medical support, and other thriving and survival needs. 
Request funds, want more information, or want to donate to support the fund? Visit: weareoutintheopen.org/mutual-aid-fund
100% of your funds will be distributed to rural QTBIPOC/LGBTQ+ community members experiencing hardship in this time. 
We all need each other to thrive. Mutual aid allows us to support each other, knowing that asking for support can also mean you can give support in other ways. 

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

Full Plates VT 
Please click this link to confirm availability and to register up to 3 households: 
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/full-plates-vt-tickets-151480705869
The program is currently scheduled to run from June – September, 2021.
To keep wait times to a minimum, reservations will be required for the distributions. New dates will be added to the registration website every two weeks. To register and see the dates and locations, please visit vtfoodbank.org/gethelp or call 833-670-2254 for assistance. 
Each household must register for their own food box and self-certify that they meet the income guidelines. You will not be asked for proof of income.

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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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     Please remember to mask up when attending in person events in Windham County and I look forward to seeing your masked faces at an event or meeting soon! 

Your Friendly WeCAN Editor,

Joanna

 

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