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Dear Friend,
This e-news includes news about housing, transportation, local farms, and a film screening that offers vision for ways we can meet humanitarian and economic goals in one stroke.
Registration is now closed for the June 2 Spring Housing Solutions Breakfast, but we will share the presenters' slides on this webpage soon after the event.
With appreciation,
The Vital Communities Staff
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What Utica's Immigrant Story Means to the UV
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From a prosperous manufacturing hub at the start of the 1900s to a blighted and arson-ridden city as the century came to a close, the central New York city of Utica is undergoing a renaissance largely due to the high numbers of international immigrants who have settled there in recent decades. The new documentary film Utica: The Last Refuge tells this story of immigration and inclusivity, how refugees positively impact local economies and crime rates, and the struggles they face. The film directly relates to challenges in the Upper Valley including housing, childcare, transportation, diversity, food security, inclusivity, and more.
Says the film's website: "Utica: The Last Refuge tells the story of how a struggling rustbelt city has rebounded via the major contribution of its refugee population. Given that there are 25 million refugees globally, fewer than 1% of whom are likely to be resettled by current standards, there is a lot to be learned from Utica’s example. We know that resettling refugees is one way we can fulfill our humanitarian obligations. If it can be shown that doing so benefits the communities in which they land, which is well supported by data, ramping the program up makes great sense."
See Utica: The Last Refuge in a free screening on Thursday, June 15, 6:45 pm, at the Briggs Opera House in White River Junction, hosted by Cornerstone Creative Community of Vermont (3CVT) with the support of Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission, Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation, SHARe (Supporting and Helping Asylees and Refugees), and Vital Communities. The screening will be preceded by a community potluck at a TBD location (check here for later details) and followed by a post-film panel discussion. This event is free and open to the public.
Interested in going? Let us know here. The partners strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact masbury@trorc.org.
Stay tuned for a second screening of the film in Randolph in July!
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ROCs Rock and Need Our Support
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On Wednesday, a group of municipal leaders, planners, employers, and housing advocates toured three resident-owned manufactured home communities (ROCs) in the Upper Valley to hear from residents about how their communities function and were formed.
Led by the NH Community Loan Fund, Vital Communities, and the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission, with a grant from New Hampshire Housing, the tour took them to Mascoma Valley Cooperative in Canaan, Pleasant Valley Estates Cooperative in Claremont (at 30 years of age, one of Upper Valley's older ROCs), and Mascoma Meadows Cooperative in Lebanon, where a solar array on church-donated land helps defray community power costs. One takeaway: this highly successful solution for permanently affordable housing is under threat as manufactured home parks change ownership and outside investors snap up properties before residents can form ROCs.
Stay tuned for a video by Junction Arts & Media about the tour and this model of home ownership!
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A New Housing Story: No Way Out of Section 8
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When Sasha first secured an affordable Twin Pines Housing apartment with a voucher 10 years ago, she thought she and her daughter would need that support only for a few years. Now, however, despite completing her education and earning substantially more, nonsubsidized housing is still financially out of reach because housing costs have risen so sharply. She shared her story with Housing and Transportation Team Member Ellen Hender.
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Award Recognizes Innovation in Housing Solutions
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An innovative solution to one of the many challenges causing the housing crisis is the Upper Valley Housing Fund, which was recently awarded the 2023 Partnership for Innovation Award from NH Businesses for Social Responsibility. Bar Harbor Bank, Citizens Bank, Dartmouth College, Dartmouth Health, Hanover Co-op Food Stores, Hypertherm, King Arthur Baking Company, and Mascoma Bank invested almost 9 million dollars into this new loan fund dedicated to building hundreds of units of affordable housing.
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Collaborating with Evernorth, the organizations came together as members of the Vital Communities' Corporate Council, a group of top representatives of locally based employers and social service agencies that gather to listen and respond to the challenges people face. A statement from NHBSR said it also wanted to "spotlight the work Vital Communities has invested in building the trust and engagement of Corporate Council members." NHBSR plans to hold a webinar in the coming months to allow people to learn more about the fund.
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First Upper Valley Juneteenth Celebration!
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Lebanon and Hartford are collaborating on this event marking the federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. This is the fourth year Hartford has held events but the first in which Lebanon has joined in.
Two family-friendly events are being planned, both free and open to all:
- Sat, Jun 17, 2-4:30 pm, Lyman Point Park, White River Junction: Outdoor celebration with speakers and activities (see a video of last year's event)
- Mon, Jun 19, time TBA, SAU 88 Auditorium, West Lebanon: A family movie offering, with snacks - details to come!
“Juneteenth is a chance to gather with our two Upper Valley communities, celebrate our diversity, and remember our history," said Hartford town treasurer and host Joe Major. "We reaffirm that we are stronger as a region because of our diversity. This year’s Juneteenth activities are designed to engage and educate as well as entertain because this holiday is a reminder that we cannot take freedom for granted. We look to the future with great hope and with a renewed commitment to pursuing justice. I urge our residents, and visitors, to join us for this year’s Juneteenth celebration and spend time learning more about this important national holiday.”
"This is an opportunity for all of the Upper Valley to come together and commemorate the true end of slavery in this country. The event will be family-friendly with educational opportunities and inspirational presentations from individuals in our communities,” said Co-Event Organizer and DEI Coordinator for Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital Alisha Robinson. “This is a must-attend program for every community member that will provide an opportunity for increased knowledge, allyship and provide increased visibility and recognition of Juneteenth.”
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Help Advance Transit Plan Its Service Expansion
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Advance Transit, the free bus service for the four-town Upper Valley core plus Enfield and Canaan, plans to add evening and weekend service, making it possible for more Upper Valley residents to rely on it as their primary means of transportation. They want to know people's needs so they can fine-tune the extended service. Learn about the plan and share your responses!
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Jump into the Ways to Go! Super Quest
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Spice up your summer with a Questing challenge that will get you using other ways besides a car to get around the Upper Valley! Register for the Ways to Go! Super Quest - and check out the three Guided Quests for canoes/kayaks, bikes, and public transit. You could win a grand prize drawing!
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Apply to Leadership Upper Valley
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Would you like to have greater impact on local issues? Leadership Upper Valley can help you develop the tools, knowledge, confidence, and network to make a difference. Apply by June 16 to join the 2024 Class! “Leadership Upper Valley has been an incredibly fulfilling experience,” wrote current participant Rebecca Desilets, assistant director of human services for the City of Lebanon. “ I would recommend it to anyone who, like me, loves this place we call home.”
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Businesses, Be a "NH Eats Local Month" Partner!
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Whatever your business, it can be a partner of NH Eats Local, an annual August challenge to promote the wonderful farms and food of the Granite State. Simply share the news with your customers through posters and other promotional materials (signup by June 21) or go further and donate a prize a prize for the Live Free + Eat Local Challenge participants (donate by June 24). NH Eats Local is a project of the NH Food Alliance, which includes Vital Communities.
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Help Ensure Universal School Meals in Vermont
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Vital Communities supports Universal School Meals as a way to ensure that every student is fed well during the school day without stigma as to family income. On May 10, the Vermont legislature has passed, with overwhelming tri-partisan support, H.165, which would make Universal School Meals permanent in Vermont. We hope you will join us in urging Gov. Phil Scott to sign the bill into law. You can:
- Call the Governor: Dial 802-828-3333 and leave your name, town, and ask the Governor to enact H.165
- Email: Go to https://vermontce.my.vermont.gov/s/governor-office-ce and fill out the form with your information, and in the message box, write in support of Universal School Meals and ask the Governor to enact H.165
Follow the bill's progress here. https://legislature.vermont.gov/bill/status/2024/H.165
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Climate Farmer Exhibit Hits the Road in June
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The Climate Farmer Stories exhibit is coming soon to a library near you! See beautiful farmer portraits along with text panels that explain how their farming methods build soil health and reduce greenhouse gases. “Climate farmers can help mitigate climate change by returning to farming practices that strive to support natural systems, as opposed to scaling up with more ‘efficient’ technologies that are denigrating natural ecosystems," said Nancy LaRowe, Vital Communities’ Director of Food & Farm and Economy. "This is the hopeful story that needs to be shared."
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Tidbits: Spring Greens are Here!
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The Harvest of the Month is mixed greens! Find bags of lettuce mixes at a farmer’s market or farmstand near you! These mixes are made up of tender young greens like arugula, leafy lettuces, dandelion, and mustard greens. Eat them raw in salads, cooked, or crushed into pesto. Find recipes here.
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Events From Other Organizations
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Free unless indicated by $; online unless indicated by location
Funding for Farmers: Introduction to Transition to Organic Partnership Program & More | Wed, May 31, 6 - 7 pm | Join NOFA-NH, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and the Farm Service Agency (FSA) for a webinar on emerging opportunities for organic and sustainable farmers in New Hampshire and beyond. Learn about funding and technical support for transitioning to organic, including the Transition to Organic Partnership Program, NRCS Organic Transition Initiative funding, and the Organic Certification Cost Share Program. Plenty of Q & A time. Information & registration
VECAN Spring Summit | Saturday, June 3, 9 am-1 pm | Middlebury College, Middlebury VT | This meeting of Vermont Energy & Climate Action Network - a network of over 100 Vermont town energy committees and the organizations that support them, including Vital Communities - includes opening remarks by climate activist and author Bill McKibben, a panel on funding an equitable transition to cleaner energy, time for networking and small-group topic sessions, and a raffle. Information & registration
SAVE THE DATE: Vermont Open Farm Week 2023 is August 6-13! Details to come!
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More Resources & Opportunities
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VT Maple Creamee Trail: If you are traveling around Vermont this summer, keep this list handy. It includes Silloway Maple in Randolph, which is also part of the Climate Farmer Stories Project. Learn about their climate-friendly sugaring practices!
Find farmers markets in the Valley News' listing of Upper Valley Farmers Markets, including times, locations, and season start and end dates for the markets. Like the Valley News volunteer listing, the farmers market list is in front of the "paywall," so anyone can access it, whether or not they subscribe.
The White River Valley Consortium - a group of 14 Vermont towns working together on regional issues - has wrapped up a year of community engagement and exploration of possible solutions to our housing crisis. Check out their new report about their first year and then a sneak peek at what's coming next!
NOFA-NH is hiring a Transition to Organic Partnership Program coordinator! The Northeast Organic Farming Association of NH (NOFA-NH) is hiring a Transition to Organic Partnership Coordinator to join their team to administer a five-year USDA program that is just beginning to take shape in New Hampshire and across the region. Learn more & apply
BIPOC summer camp. The Education Justice Coalition of Vermont offers its first annual BIPOC Summer Camp at the Common Ground Center in Starksboro, VT. This camp is for youth who are 14-18 years of age; identify as Black, Brown, Indigenous, or a person of color; and live in Vermont outside of Chittenden County. Learn more & apply
Apply by June 12 for VT housing program. The Vermont Housing Finance Agency's Homeowner Assistance Program (VHAP) has made over $29 million in grants for mortgages, utilities, property taxes, and homeowner's association fees on behalf of Vermont households. Due to high demand, the program will no longer accept new applications after Monday, June 12. Make sure you apply before the program closes at vermonthap.vhfa.org or get assistance through their hotline at (833) 221-4208.
Photo contest on housing. Across the United States, small- to mid-sized housing that’s affordable for middle-income households is in short supply. The Vermont Department of Housing and Community Development is teaming up with AARP Vermont and Vermont Natural Resources Council to launch a photo contest to raise awareness of this “missing middle housing,” which includes backyard cottages, attached and detached in-law apartments, duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes and more. Enter by May 31. Information & contest entry
AmeriCorps service opportunities. AmeriCorps VT is conducting interviews through the end of May to fill four AmeriCorps Farm-to-School Coordinator positions. The new cohort will serve from August 21, 2023, through August 2, 2024. AmeriCorps members work within schools in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Information
Fight hunger even though pandemic-era programs have ended. Although Vermont Everyone Eats and Emergency Allotments for SNAP recipients have ended, there is still food assistance available. Everyone has a right to nutritious, abundant food. See this resource list of organizations you can get help from or give to, if you are able. Resource list
Assistance for Farmers: Farming has long been a profession that can be very fulfilling, but just as stressful - especially with such recent challenges as the pandemic, unpredictable weather like droughts or dramatic temperature shifts, and economic turbulence. Both New Hampshire and Vermont offer help including financial assistance, legal assistance, mediation services, mental well-being resources, and peer-to-peer support networks and events. Browse the resources here.
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It might not be as brilliant as Musicalical The Musical, but you, too, can attempt to make a film in 48 hours! It's time for Junction Arts & Media's 48-Hour Film Slam, starting with a launch meeting on Friday, June 2, and culminating in a block party and final outdoor screening on Sunday, June 4.
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