Yearly Archives: 2026

Best of FPF: A Fruitful Idea

Amy reached out to her Burlington Forum with a proposal. We thought it was well worth a share:

“You may know my house as the Pear House because in my front yard there’s a pear tree that, except for this year, has prolifically shared with the neighborhood and beyond. That tree has done mighty work. It’s made the neighborhood sweeter. It’s fostered community. It’s fed people. And it’s given me an idea.

“I would love to gather with anyone interested in exploring the possibility of planting some additional fruit trees in various front yards, sort of a tiny-house version of an orchard. Imagine an apple tree here, a juneberry there, and fruit! Community makes almost everything better (and easier, and more fun) — so if you, too, would like to explore the hows and whats of adding a fruit tree to some of our yards, please reach out, and we can gather to talk about it. Don’t let cost, labor, or a yard that can’t take a fruit tree turn you away at this point. See, I’ve also found that community makes more things possible than we often imagine.

“The time to order affordable trees is coming (now through Feb), which means the time to brainstorm and consider is now. So, if you’re interested in having a conversation about this, please reach out. Thanks!”

Best of FPF: Joy in the Company of Others

Cindy shared this announcement in the Woodbury Forum. We thought it “served up” some great inspiration for community connection and was well worth a share:

“During the winter months, on the 3rd Tuesday at 5:30 pm, come to the warm Woodbury Town Hall to enjoy a community potluck meal. Bring a dish to share and your own table service (plate, cup, utensils). Some of you are renowned for making your own special dish, and this is your chance to shine!

“We gather together monthly to seek joy in the company of others on dark, cold winter nights, to make supper easy, and to share what we have with our community during times of food insecurity. If bringing a dish of food is a hardship for you, please do not let that keep you from coming. All are welcome.”

Best of FPF: Good Neighbors

Danielle shared the following appreciation in the Braintree Forum. We thought it was well worth a share:

“We ran into vehicle issues in the parking lot at Walmart tonight, and after hours of trying to fix everything ourselves, the most wonderful man came over to help us out. Turns out he and his wife live in Brookfield, just a couple of miles from us, and they genuinely saved us hundreds of dollars and weeks of stress.

“They didn’t have to stop and help. They didn’t have to bring the kids and me home so we wouldn’t be cold and wet while THEIR people fixed everything for us. They didn’t have to take my husband back to the truck so we could get it home. They didn’t have to take time out of their night to help us at all, but they did, and I will forever be grateful for good neighbors who go out of their way to help other people for nothing other than they’re just good humans with beautiful souls.

“I will never forget everything you did for us. Thank you.”

Best of FPF: A Stranger’s Kindness

In late December, Susan shared this story in the Middlebury Forum. We thought it was well worth a share:

“I am a volunteer at the Neat Repeats thrift shop in Middlebury, and the store has been busy with holiday shoppers these past few weeks. Yesterday, a young customer came in, purchased a few items, and after he paid for them, he handed me some cash, saying, “Please use this to help the next customer who needs it.”

And not more than 5 minutes later, a mother and her young daughter came into the store, and it was clear to me that the mother was very carefully adding up the cost of the items that she had selected. She then (sadly) told her daughter to put back a few things because she didn’t have enough money. But thanks to a stranger’s kindness, I was able to give this woman the money she needed to pay for those few items she could not afford to buy.

Needless to say, this lady was overwhelmed with gratitude, and she left the store in tears. Actually, there wasn’t a dry eye in our staff workroom after this incident. So, I want to express our thanks to the wonderful young man who just made one local family’s Christmas that much better. By any measure, this is a beautiful example of the holiday spirit in our community, and I am grateful to be a part of it.”