Windham County Action Network (WeCAN)

"Did you know unions are what brought races and genders together more than any other type of organization, including government? We’re all brothers and sisters in the union. And we don’t have to be forced into this unity. In the common struggle for a better life, a decent income and respectable retirement, the divisions fade away."
-Loren Adams, Arkansas Postal Workers Union Editor, The Arkansas Postal Worker; 2018.

     Thank you so much for your patience while we sorted out technical difficulties this past week, WeCAN family. Our apologies, too, to anyone that submitted an event that did not get listed. We are currently accepting Fall and Winter events right now, so please get them in to [email protected] as soon as possible.
     We hope you have a safe and relaxing Labor Day, friends. We continue to be thankful for those that suffered at their places of employment so that others might be treated more fairly. 

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UPCOMING EVENT:
Vermont Pride Week 2022 / September 9th-18th, 2022, in Burlington and Surrounding Areas
https://www.pridecentervt.org/pride/
The Mission of Pride is to celebrate Vermont for its safe, healthy, empowering community that embraces all of life’s colors. We take Pride in Vermont’s progress towards equality, and want Vermonters to know that being queer in Vermont is something worth celebrating and not only can it continue to get better, it is better.

Pride Week Schedule:
*Untapped: A Night of Burlesque & Drag // Friday, September 9th @ 8pm – 10pm
Pride Hikes: Arms Forest // Saturday, September 10th @ 1pm – 3pm
*Espresso & Eleganza: A Drag Brunch // Sunday, September 11th @ 11am – 1pm
Stowe Cider Tea Dance // Sunday, September 11th @ 2:30pm – 6pm
Dyke Night: Pride Edition // Monday, September 12th @ 7pm – 10pm
Pride Trivia Night // Tuesday, September 13th @ 7:30pm – 9pm
GLAM Pizza Party // Wednesday, September 14th @ 6:30pm – 8pm
*Pop-Up Happy Hour at Lincoln’s // Wednesday, September 14th @ 5:30pm – 7pm
*Queer Ecstatic Dance // Wednesday, September 14th @ 7pm – 9pm
LGBTQIA+ Health Provider Panel // Thursday, September 15th @ 6pm – 7:30pm
*Interfaith Pride Service // Thursday, September 15th @ 7pm – 8pm
Laugh with Alec Mapa // Friday, September 16th @ 7pm – 9pm
*PRIDE BALL 2022 // Friday, September 16th @ 9pm – 12am
*Women Who Bird: Pratt Refuge // Saturday, September 17th @ 8am – 10am
Pride Dog Park Takeover // Saturday, September 17th @ 10am – 11:30 am
*Flow With Pride // Saturday, September 17th @ 10am – 11:00 am
Queer Causeway Bike Ride // Saturday, September 17th @ 11am – 1pm
*Winooski Pride 2022 // Saturday, September 17th @ 5pm – 8pm
*Titties & Tokens: #LoveWins // Saturday, September 17th @ 8pm – 10pm

Parade
Sunday, September 18th, Morning. 
Since 1983, LGBTQ+ Vermonters have been marching the streets of Burlington to expand LGBTQ+ visibility, highlight the continued fight for equal rights and treatment, and celebrate the love that we have for each other and our community overall. Connected to our theme of ‘Metamorphosis’ this year’s festivities feature a new parade route and festival venue, as well. Our parade will start in the same location it always has — the Hood Plant — then make its way up Church St, then turn onto Bank St, and come back down on St. Paul Street past the newly erected 1983 Pride March Historical Marker. But in keeping with tradition, feel free to join the end of the parade as we make our way down Main St to the Burlington Waterfront Park for our fabulous Pride Festival and celebration. ALL AGES. Featuring surprise guests, great food and fabulous entertainment fitting for Vermont’s biggest LGBTQ celebration! Expanded family-friendly area, queer youth tent and vendors!

Festival
Sunday, September 18th, 1pm–5pm
Pride Festival at Waterfront Park // Sunday, September 18th @ 1pm – 5pm
Join us on the Watefront for performances, food & beverage vendors, activities, and celebration.

 
click the image to download the 2022 Pride Guide

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Lean Left Action of the Week

New Hampshire

Write Postcards to Flip the Executive Council! This five-member-governmental body is powerful and little understood. The Council determines state spending, approves state contracts, and confirms all state agency heads. It recently rejected $27 million in federal funds for Covid vacines, defunded Planned Parenthood, and confirmed an education Commissioner who wants to use public tax dollars for private schools. 

• Our goal is 10,000 postcards, so we need all hands (literally) on deck for this effort. Flipping the 4 to 1 GOP majority would help Granite Staters have an Executive Council that cares about public health, reproductive rights, and education. SIGN UP HERE.

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The Vermont for Reproductive Liberty Campaign Now Has Lawn Signs! 
Contactless pick up for lawn signs is available right near downtown Brattleboro. 
Email Tracy at [email protected]. Learn more about the proposed amendment by visiting the campaign website: reprolibertyvt.org.
You can sign up to volunteer HERE.

Our signs display this text: 
VOTE YES
REPRODUCTIVE LIBERTY AMENDMENT
Article 22

Openly displaying support for our campaign will help to educate those who are still unaware of the RLA. These signs will also help educate those who are not yet aware yet that the amendment formerly known as Prop 5, has finally made it as an article for us to vote on the general ballot this November after a four year process. If or once voted in, this amendment to the Vermont state constitution will protect the reproductive freedom we already have in this state, but at a higher level which makes it more secure for our future.

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HAPPENING TODAY,
SUNDAY,SEPTEMBER 4th, 2022

Share the Harvest Stand
brought to you by Edible Brattleboro
Sunday, August 28th, 2022 at the Corner of Elm Street and Frost Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301. 11am-1pm.
Questions or need a different time to drop off veggies? Email Marilyn at [email protected].
Pick up fresh, local veggies for free! 
Do you have extra veggies from your garden? Drop them off at the stand between 10:30am-11:30am to share with your community!
Vegan/GF Everyone Eats! meals will be available as well, first come, first served.

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HAPPENING THIS WEEK:
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 5th, 2022-SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11th, 2022

Vermont Food Bank’s Veggie Van Go Upcoming Schedule
The First and Third Mondays of Every Month in the parking lot across the street from the main entrance to Brattleboro Union High School (131 Fairground Road, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 10am-11am. 
Please, no early birds. 
Questions? Call 1-800-585-2265 or email [email protected] 
Veggie Van Go is a program through the Vermont Foodbank that gives out free produce and local food for people to take home.
ATTENTION: Starting in May, the VT Foodbank asks that participants arrive at the Brattleboro Union High School no earlier than 9:45am. Cars that arrive early will be turned away until the start of the event. 
September 5th, 2022 (Unfortunately, we at WeCAN were not able to confirm time or dates for this week's Veggie Van Go. Please call the number above to see if a schedule has been updated. Thank you.)
September 19th, 2022
Important information:

• Drive through model- please stay in your vehicles
• If you are walking there: see a Vermont Foodbank associate but please make sure to stay 6 feet back.
• There are no income requirements, registration or paperwork to participate
• You do not need to be present to get food: you may ask someone to pick up on your family's behalf.

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A Silent Vigil of Loving Kindness 
Monday, September 5th, 2022 at Well 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 every other Monday, 4:30-5:30, @ 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, or on one of the stone benches circling the Fountain.

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Guilford Cares Food Pantry
Thursday, September 8th, 2022 at the Guilford Fairgrounds (163 Fairground Rd, Guilford, VT 05301). 3pm-4pm. 
If you have questions, concerns or would like to donate groceries or monetary gifts please contact Pat Haine 802-257-0626. For additional questions or more information call 802 579 1350 or email [email protected]. 
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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Share the Harvest Stand
brought to you by Edible Brattleboro
Sunday, September 11, 2022 at the Corner of Elm Street and Frost Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301. 11am-1pm.
Questions or need a different time to drop off veggies? Email Marilyn at [email protected].
Pick up fresh, local veggies for free! 
Do you have extra veggies from your garden? Drop them off at the stand between 10:30-11:30 to share with your community!
Vegan/GF Everyone Eats! meals will be available as well, first come, first served.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

High Street Mural: Meet the Artists Party
Friday, September 16th, 2022 at Epsilon Spires (190 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 6pm-8pm.
To RSVP: https://www.epsilonspires.org/event-info/high-street-mural-meet-the-artists. Inspired refreshments will be provided!
Epsilon Spires invites the Brattleboro community to join us in transforming the dilapidated wall on High Street with beautiful public art that sparks local pride, supports cultural tourism in our region, and inspires a sense of community co-ownership of our public spaces. To create a mural that is authentically representative of our town, Epsilon Spires is hosting an event where the community can meet the artists and provide feedback on proposed designs! With your support, together we will reimagine this neglected area of our downtown and revitalize it with a vibrant representation of our exceptional community.

Where Will the Mural Be?
As a main artery connecting downtown with route 91, the High Street wall is a visual entry point to many of the central businesses on Main Street. For visitors, it is often the first thing they see when driving into our town. Over the years, it has been repeatedly been defaced with graffiti. By reclaiming this space with a community mural, we will create a beautiful and welcoming atmosphere that encourages visitors to explore everything our downtown has to offer, increasing foot traffic to local businesses and elevating their overall experience in Brattleboro. For locals, the mural will be a beautiful reminder of our town’s creative local culture and vibrancy, and we hope it will continue to inspire pride for years to come.
We hope that by demonstrating the power of creative placemaking, this project will inspire the Brattleboro community to apply their ideas to uplift other underutilized spaces in our town. All it takes is one moment of inspiration and creative solutions to envision a new future for our shared public spaces!

About the Artists:
ArtLords
Established in 2014, ArtLords is a grassroots movement of artists and volunteers motivated by the desire to pave the way for social transformation and behavioral change through employing the soft power of art and culture as a non-intrusive approach. Based in Kabul, Afghanistan, they have painted more than 2,100 murals and gained international recognition, including from the United Nations. Recently, a group of Afghani refugees participating in the ArtLords movement resettled in Brattleboro (they will remain nameless for legal protections). This group of artists is bringing their expertise to the project as they help design and paint the final mural.
Daniel Chiaccio is a Vermont based artist and printmaker who currently owns and operates First Proof Press, a community based printmaking studio in the heart of Downtown Brattleboro. Over the years Daniel has worked on various art projects including art installations, murals, solo gallery shows, live printmaking demonstrations and more. Currently Daniel spends his time running First Proof Press, which involves working directly with other artists, instructing art for people of all ages and skill levels, partners with Youth Services to provide free instruction and access to the studio, engages with the community during open hours and Gallery Walk and provides a space for artists to create and sell their work.
Calvin Laituri is a multidisciplinary artist, graphic designer, and illustrator living in Vernon, Vermont. His work evokes the imagination as time becomes uncertain. His surreal use of scale creates imaginative scenes that suggest alternate realities or not so distant futures. His imagination blossoms in more ways than one as he redesigns architectural styling of the past with that of his own imagination, offering us something both familiar and new. A focus on the extraordinary details and great sense of movement take center stage. An interesting continuation of the artist's exploration as each stroke, simple and small in its form, gives birth to a grand and complex subject. A reminder perhaps, of the beauty found in both that is simple, and that is which is complex.

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New Community Food Initiatives

Have You Heard of Farm Stand Together?
Find more info and apply here: https://www.farmstandtogethervt.org/
Delicious Food on your Terms in your Community! From their site: 
"We believe that everyone should have access to the delicious foods Vermont farmers are growing and making. 
The Farm Stand Together mutual food aid program will be providing gift cards for use at a small selection of farm stands across Vermont. The program is in trial and access in this first round will be limited. 
Gift cards will work like regular credit cards at participating farm stands, and can be used to purchase any items at the stand. They can be spent all at once or over time."
Buy what you want and need – there are no strings attached to your gift card. Shop at the location that's most accessible to you.
Use your Farm Stand Together gift card to reduce the cost of buying local food.
Buy food grown and produced thoughtfully to provide nutritious – and delicious – food.
Keep Vermont money in the Vermont community. Shop for your groceries from farmers and producers in your own area.

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ONGOING EVENTS

Recovery Families
hosted by Turning Point
Fridays at Turning Point of Windham County Recovery Center (39 Elm Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301). 10am-11am. 
Young children welcome!
Join other caregivers for connection and support of your own recovery journey or that of someone you love. 

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Taking Steps Brattleboro, a program of Brattleboro Area Hospice is offering Advance Care Planning Weekly Zoom Information Sessions on Wednesdays from 10am-11am.
If you are interested in attending the Zoom info session, or want more information about Advance Care Planning, please contact Ruth Nangeroni, Advance Care Planning Program Coordinator at 802-257-0775 ext 101 or [email protected]
Advance care planning ensures that your loved ones and health professionals know what you  want in a medical emergency when you are unable to speak for yourself. It’s a process of creating a written health care plan(advance directive) that tells others what you would want if you couldn’t tell them yourself.
Advance Care Planning includes discussing choices about end-of-life (EOL) care with your medical provider, family and others. It involves choosing and educating your Health Care Agent and making informed decisions to complete an Advance Directive. Join us and learn more. Find out if adding a COVID-19 or Dementia provision would be beneficial to include or add to a previously completed Advance Directive.
Brattleboro Area Hospice (BAH) is an independent, non-profit organization that provides non-medical support to dying and grieving community members and volunteer-staffed assistance with Advance Care Planning. BAH is 100% locally funded, and provides services free of charge. Services are available to anyone living in southeastern Vermont or bordering New Hampshire towns.
Advance Care Planning: It’s how people care for one another.

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COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESOURCES

Winter Farmers' Market: Call for Vendors
Vendor applications are now being accepted for the 17th season of the Brattleboro Winter Farmers' Market. Our mission is to support sustainable agriculture by providing a viable winter-season direct market outlet for local community-based farms while building community and promoting regional sustainability.  
The Winter Market will open for the 2022-23 season on Saturday November 5th and will operate through March 25, 2023.  Weekly market hours are 10 am to 2 pm.  
A wide array of products are typically offered including locally grown and produced fruits, vegetables, meats, eggs, baked goods, handcrafted items such as clothing, jewelry, pottery, soaps, lunch menus and more.  Preference is given to regional agricultural vendors, particularly those bringing new unduplicated products to market. 
This is a juried market.  New vendors or returning vendors with new craft, prepared food or value-added products will need to complete a jury process.
The Market’s sustainability mission places an emphasis on local sourcing for prepared foods sold at the market meaning that our prepared food vendors are expected to feature ingredients sourced from local and regional growers and producers. 
The Brattleboro Winter Farmers' Market is a project of Post Oil Solutions, a grassroots citizen sustainability group based in Windham County, VT.  Our goal is to raise awareness about sustainable practices for our homes, neighborhoods, and larger communities, and help create the infrastructure needed in our region as we deal with our changing climate.  The creation of a community-based food system is a critical component of that infrastructure.
If you are interested in the upcoming Winter Farmers' Market season, we urge you to send in an application soon.  The application and market policy information can be found at www.brattleborowinterfarmersmarket.org.  For more information call Sherry at (802) 275-2835 or send an email to f[email protected].
Sherry Maher
Co-Manager
Brattleboro Winter Farmers' Market 
802-275-2835
a project of
Post Oil Solutions
www.postoilsolutions.org

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Endorse Vermont’s Reproductive Liberty Amendment
Have questions? Please contact Charlie Gliserman, Policy & Prop 5 Campaign Manager at [email protected] or (802) 338-6811.
The Reproductive Liberty Amendment, previously Prop 5, will be a ballot measure in Vermont's 2022 General Election. If passed, it would amend Vermont's constitution to protect every person's right to make their own reproductive decisions, like whether and when to become pregnant, use temporary or permanent birth control, or seek abortion care. 
An endorsement is a public statement of support for the Reproductive Liberty Amendment, which may be featured on the Vermont for Reproductive Liberty website (reprolibertyvt.org) and its campaign communications. 
An endorsement is a powerful way to show Vermont that you or your organization is proud to support the Reproductive Liberty Amendment. Join us in this campaign, powered by and for Vermonters, to protect reproductive freedom for all.
You can find the endorsement form HERE.

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The Village Closet
on the Wintson Prouty Campus (60 Austine Drive, Brattleboro, VT, 05301), in Croker Hall.
Open Wednesdays from 4pm-6pm and Saturdays from 10am-12pm, or
by appointment. For more information, please email [email protected]
Your source for free baby, children, and pregnancy clothing/items. Donations of gently used items accepted. We are collecting new and "like new" children's coats and winter gear for our Kids in Coats partnership with United Way of Windham County.  If you have items to donate, please stop by today if you are able!
On Wednesdays, Everyone Eats will be distributing free dinners on campus from 3:30pm-4:30pm.

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FREE HEALTHY AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD IN WINDHAM COUNTY

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

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

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

Foodworks, the food shelf program of the Groundworks Collaborative https://groundworksvt.org (802) 490-2412, [email protected] 
Foodworks has open hours for curbside pickup on Mondays 11am-4pm, Wednesdays 1pm-6pm, Fridays 12pm-4pm, last Saturday of each month from 9am-12pm. Deliveries are available onTuesdays across Windham county. Please email [email protected] or call 802-490-2412 with any questions!
Households in need of food are asked to call or email to coordinate delivery. There is an urgent need for volunteers, and Foodworks has set up protocols to keep staff, volunteers, and clients as safe as possible. Please email us at [email protected] if you are able to help.

Marlboro Community Food Share
hosted by the Marlboro Community Center
Wednesday 10am-2pm; Thursday 10am-5pm; Friday 10am-12pm; Saturday 10am-12pm at the Marlboro Community Center (524 South Road, Marlboro, VT, 05344). 
The Marlboro Community Center invites you to fill a bag with non-perishable grocery items. Food is set up in the main space and is available during our open hours. Eggs and produce on Thursdays as available. No registration or eligibility required. Deliveries can be made through Marlboro Cares for those needing assistance. Please call Marlboro Cares at 258-3030 in advance to arrange a delivery.
To donate food:
Leave non-perishable food in the donation box at the Marlboro Post Office. It will be collected on a weekly-basis. (Please note that this box previously supplied the Deerfield Valley Food Pantry, which is now distributing food exclusively from VT Food Pantry) 
Gardeners and farmers are welcome to donate produce. Wear masks and wash hands when harvesting and handling food. Fresh produce can be dropped off at the Community Center on Thursday between 1pm and 4pm. (Any leftover produce will be taken to FoodWorks the following morning)

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.

Putney Foodshelf Weekly Open Hours 
Fridays at Christian Square, Putney, VT, 05346. 1:30pm-3:30pm.
Saturdays at Christian Square, Putney, VT, 05346. 9am-10:30am. (NEW HOURS!)
We also have a food drop at the Putney Meadows parking lot every 4th Thursday, from 9am-9:45am.
Message us on our FB page HERE, call 802.387.8551, or email [email protected] with questions. www.putneyfoodshelf.org
Curbside Open Hours. All are welcome - we just ask you to provide your town of residence and number in household for our data tracking purposes.
Stay in your car, please. Volunteers will take your order and bring out boxes of food, including nonperishable items, fresh produce, paper goods, meat, and dairy products.

Everyone Eats continues, including grab-and-go meals at these times and locations: 

• There is no longer an Everyone Eats distribution at Turning Point on Sundays, as Edible Brattleboro is dormant in the winter.
• The meals at Retreat Farm are stocked in their farm stand for pick up anytime, first come first serve. We are planning to stock on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Folks receiving services through Foodworks, Loaves and Fishes, and the Brattleboro Community Justice Center can obtain free meals through those organizations.
You can also order Everyone Eats! meals directly from participating restaurants using the Localvore App.

Our Place Drop-In Center at 4 Island Street, Bellows Falls, VT, 05101. Call us at 802-463-2217 for assistance. Email at [email protected] Please wear a mask to keep our employees and yourself safe.
Hours of Operation:
Monday-Wednesday: 8:30am-4pm
Thursday: 8:30am-1pm
Friday: 8:30am-4pm
Saturday and Sunday: Closed
Our Place Drop-In Center operates a food pantry and meal site where they serve breakfast with to-go meals that are ready for pickup by 9am. Lunch is ready by 11:30am. 
Everyone is welcome to stop by to get a meal. At this time we are allowing only employees in the building.

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ADDITIONAL COVID 19 RESOURCES CAN BE FOUND AT THEIR PERMANENT HOME ON OUR WEBSITE, HERE: https://www.wecantogether.net/covid19_resources

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RESOURCE FOR WeCAN

Rapid Response Text Alert System

When WeCAN began, Song & Solidarity set up a Rapid Response Text Alert System for WeCAN Groups. Directions for signing up are on WeCAN's website, here: https://www.wecantogether.net/rapid_response. We are grateful to Song and Solidarity for providing this service.

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ONGOING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING 

Indigo Radio
Sundays at 1pm on Brattleboro Community Radio 107.7FM. To stream live, visit: www.wvew.org 
Indigo Radio, deepening understanding and making connections! IndigoRadio is a group of area educators seeking to learn through engaging with others in our community and throughout the world. We will be talking about educational and social issues both globally and locally and connecting them to our lives and Brattleboro community. Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/indigoradiowvew/. For archive recordings of past shows: https://soundcloud.com/user-654648353. 

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Once again, thank you for your activism and solidarity. We here at WeCAN are so grateful for you! 

Your Friendly WeCAN Editor,

Joanna