Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

"One spoon of soup in need has more value than a pot of soup when we have an abundance of food."
Anonymous Proverb

     This week's Weekly Email Update includes a BBQ fundraiser, a fried chicken dinner, and free veggies for all....it must be August abundance in Vermont, WeCAN readers! As we look froward to the end of Summer and start of Fall, we would like to remind group leaders, activists, and event planners to submit their upcoming late August/September/October events to [email protected] as soon as you are able; the longer events run in the Weekly Email Update, the more opportunities fellow activists have to see your listing and join you in your endeavors. Thank you, stay safe & healthy, and enjoy your week! 

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HAPPENING TODAY, SUNDAY, AUGUST 8th, 2021

Curtis’ BBQ Fundraiser
Sunday, August 8th, 2021 at Curtis’ BBQ (7 Putney Landing Rd, Putney, VT 05346). 11am until they are sold out!
Cash only, limited menu. Donations welcome and encouraged.
As many of you know, Curtis’ BBQ, a BI&POC led business in Putney, was repeatedly vandalized this Summer.
Come spend the day with Curtis' BBQ this Sunday August 8th for a fundraiser event! 
We will be firing up the pits once again while our friends from Marks BBQ (Essex VT) will be setting up shop and working along side us to help serve up our signature plates of Ribs, Chicken, and of course Curtis’ award winning BBQ sauce. 
Event is for one day only starting at 11am-sold out! 
Limited menu, cash only!
See you there!!!

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HAPPENING THIS WEEK: MONDAY, AUGUST 9th, 2021-SUNDAY, AUGUST 15th, 2021

Summer Music Camp: Lyrics, Songs, Poems, and the World
hosted by Spark Teacher Education Institute
Monday, August 9th, 2021- Friday, August 13th, 2021 in Putney, VT.
$10 per day, sliding scale. Activities will take place outside under tents, 6 feet apart. To sign up please visit Spark Teacher Education Institute on Facebook, call 802.451.0291, or email us at [email protected]
Children ages 11yrs-17yrs are invited to participate in singing, song and poetry writing, accompanied by music with licensed teachers.

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County Conversations: Jamaica, Stratton, and Windham
hosted by Windham County Democrats
Tuesday, August 10th, 2021, Online. 6:30pm.
Please join us for this conversation on Zoom by registering HERE.
The Windham County Democratic Committee invites you to participate in a listening session to discuss improvements for our local Democratic party. If you identify as or tend to vote Democratic, we invite you to attend and to share the issues and values that are important to you. We also want to hear your perspectives on our party’s organization. This session is one in a series of listening sessions that Democratic Committee is holding around the county this summer. If you are interested in other dates and locations, you can visit the webpage at https://windhamcountyvtdemocrats.org.

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A Silent Vigil of Loving Kindness
Wednesday, August 11th, 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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Palestine: Learning History to Address the Present
presented by Brattleboro Solidarity
Wednesday, August 11th, 2021
In person or via Zoom. 6pm.
Email [email protected] to sign up.
Join us in our study of Palestinian History from the 1800s-present day. We will discuss the implications of US military aid to Israel and continue to find ways to work in solidarity with Palestinian people. Selected readings, videos, movies, and speakers will inform our study! Sign up today! 

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Marlboro Community Food Share
hosted by the Marlboro Community Center
Thursday, August 12th, 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 12th, 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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Fried Chicken Fundraiser
hosted by the Windham County Democrats
Saturday, August 14th, 2021 at 673 South St. Brattleboro, VT. 5pm.
More details and tickets are available at this website or email us at [email protected] to be added to the guest list. The requested donation is $50 per adult with all proceeds going to support Democratic candidates for the Vermont House of Representatives.
Welcome to the social event of year! It still feels wild to be reemerging into public life, and we are very excited to share this opportunity for spending time together. On Saturday, August 14, come enjoy a delicious outdoor fried chicken dinner while helping raise money for the Democrat’s House Campaign Committee. There will be swing music and dancing by Zara Bode’s Big Band, signature cocktails and drinks, yard games for the kids, and plenty of great dinner guests to socialize with including special guests - Speaker of the House Jill Krowinski and Senate Pro Temp Becca Balint. A warm summer evening in Brattleboro, delicious food, good company, and great music. This is the summer social event to come out for!
Help us maintain the Democratic majority that serves all Vermonters.  
It’s been over a year since many of us have been able to meet in person.  We look forward to coming together on this wonderful evening. 

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Share the Harvest Stand
a project of Edible Brattleboro
Sunday, August 15th, 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 Saturdays between 3 and 3:45pm, or Sundays between 10:30 and 11:15am, or by appointment (call or text 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

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
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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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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“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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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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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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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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COMMUNITY SUPPORT OPPORTUNITIES

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, folks 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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Seeking Names for an Open Letter to Support Our County's Public Schools 
Deadline is Thursday, August 12th, 2021.
Recently we have seen nationwide efforts to censor public schools and prohibit the critical examination of American history. Here in Windham County, this attack arrived under the guise of information sessions about Critical Race Theory that use vague language, innuendo, and distortion to attack our public schools and the teachers who serve our children. We cannot ignore these extremist attacks on our communities’ schools and on our neighbors who serve there. 
As communities across Windham County, we need to come together to affirm our shared values concerning public schools. The following open letter, An Open Letter in Support of our Public Schools, will be posted to the local papers and we need individual and organizational signatures. 
Please help us with the following actions (deadline: August 12):

1. Review the Letter and then email Diana Wahle ([email protected]) with your name and town.

2. Present this letter in organizations to which you belong or business that you know to get their names added to the letter.

3.  Share this letter with friends, family, and neighbors around the county and ask them to submit their names to Diana.

Together, we can make a difference in helping others to reject the fear based rhetoric that seeks to destroy trust in our communities. 

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JOB LISTING

Director, Multicultural Community Center in Brattleboro, VT
Full time / Reports to the Ethiopian Community Development Council, VA
For more details, a complete job description, and to apply: please go to https://www.ecdcus.org/wp-content/uploads/Job-Announcement_Director-ECDC-MCC-Brattleboro.pdf. Thank you. 

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Covid 19 Pop-Up Testing

Testing is available for all. 
If you need testing, there are a variety of options available to you: your primary care provider, pop-up test sites and pharmacies. The Test Site Finder below can help you find other testing near you.
HEALTH DEPARTMENT POP-UP TESTING LOCATIONS
Here are the steps to set up a testing appointment at a pop-up testing site:

• Register to get an account
• Receive an email with your patient ID and use that to confirm your account (check your spam folder if you don't see the email)
• Log in with your patient ID
• Set up an appointment

Register for Pop-Up Testing Here

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FREE HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD IN WINDHAM COUNTY

Brigid’s Kitchen, St. Michael’s Church, 47 Walnut Street, Brattleboro 802-254-6800 or 802-558-6072 
Grab-and-go lunches and fruit/nuts on Mon, Weds, Thus, and Sat, 11:30am-12:20pm.

Loaves and Fishes, Centre Congregational Church 193 Main Street, Brattleboro (802) 254-4730
Grab-and-go lunches on Tuesdays and Fridays at 12pm.

VT Foodbank and Veggie Van Go will be at Brattleboro Union High School (Fairground Ave, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in the parking lot, on the 1st and 3rd Monday of the month, from 10am-11:30am. Drive up, touchless pickup. Walkers welcome, too. Call VT 211 for more information. 

Foodworks, the food shelf program of the Groundworks Collaborative https://groundworksvt.org (802) 490-2412, [email protected] 
Households in need of food are asked to call or email to coordinate delivery. There is an urgent need for volunteers, and Foodworks has set up protocols to keep staff, volunteers, and clients as safe as possible. Please email us at [email protected] if you are able to help.

Guilford Food Pantry 
Every Thursday at the 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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     Thank you for your continuing support, WeCANners! Please remain vigilant against the Delta strain of Covid that is now the prevalent strain in VT and mask up as appropriate. 

Your Friendly WeCAN Editor,

Joanna