Category Archives: Front Porch Forum

Invite People You Know to Join FPF… Win an iPad!

Posted on Monday, January 29, 2018 by No comments yet

People join Front Porch Forum when they hear about it from someone they know. Spread the word to your Vermont and Washington County, NY contacts now through mid-day Friday, and you could win a new iPad!

Use FPF’s “Invite Neighbors” feature to invite as many people as you like (FPF is available in every town and neighborhood in Vermont, as well as in Cambridge, Jackson, White Creek and Argyle, NY). You’ll be entered into the raffle one time for each person you invite this way who actually signs up for a new FPF account by Groundhog Day, Feb. 2.

Invite more people to increase your odds of winning a new iPad! Try people from any walk of life… work, school, community, church, family, friends, social media, clubs and more. If your local FPF is already loaded with active members, think about people you know in other parts of Vermont and upstate NY who would be interested.

People tend to love their local FPF… so share FPF and give the gift of community. Thanks much!

Details:

Any current FPF member may enter by using the “Invite Neighbor” feature starting Sunday, Jan. 28, 2018, and ending noon ET, Friday, Feb. 2, 2018. Every new member that registers by the deadline due to your “Invite Neighbor” invitation will enter you one time in the iPad random drawing. Multiple entries per person are encouraged.

To enter:

  1. Go to https://FrontPorchForum.com and click LOGIN (if not already logged in)
  2. Click MY ACCOUNT
  3. Click INVITE FRIENDS TODAY under “Pitch In”
  4. Enter one legitimate email address of a person you know in each row.
  5. Click ADD ANOTHER if you want to enter more than three email addresses. (Don’t worry if you’re not sure whether your friend is already an FPF member… our system will NOT send invitations to email addresses already used by FPF accounts.)
  6. Click SEND INVITE to finish.

The winner of the random drawing will be presented with a gift certificate to Small Dog Electronics with sufficient funds to purchase a new iPad 9.7-inch 32GB Wi-Fi.

We will verify that the iPad winner adhered to the letter and the spirit of this contest (so please play nice!). It’s all about spreading the word about Front Porch Forum to more local folks — helping neighbors connect and build community.

Other ways to stir up interest in your FPF are located here: https://frontporchforum.com/about-us/pitch-in

Strike a difference for Rutland county youth

Posted on Friday, January 19, 2018 by No comments yet

Join us as we team up with the Mentor Connector to #STRIKEADIFFERENCE at the 11th Annual Mentor Bowl on Jan. 27, 2018! 100% of the money raised directly supports mentoring for Rutland County youth, and Front Porch Forum is proud to be a sponsor.  Create a team and join the fun today!

The January Posting Flurry is OVER and the Lucky Winner is…

Posted on Friday, January 12, 2018 by No comments yet

Front Porch Forum members submitted hundreds of clever entries into FPF‘s January Posting Flurry, all wearing their earmuffs! Thanks to those who entered, and to all who enjoyed this bit of fun. Entries received before 1 pm on January 12 were entered in the random drawing. Please DO keep posting to your local FPF as the spirit moves… but the contest is done at this point.

Without further ado, the winning entry of this year’s random drawing for an iPad is
“Hello all neighboring beekeepers! Just wondering how everyone’s bee hives have been fairing through this cold spell?  Anyone thought of designing some sort of miniature bee earmuffs for the poor creatures? Hive a good day.” • Sarah in Tinmouth

Kudos, Sarah! In addition to her clever post, we received some other noteworthy posts shared here:

“Thank you to everyone who has helped us as my husband Jim recovers from a shattered wrist. Small tasks such as bundling up to go out in the frigid temps over the last 2 weeks can be daunting. An old pair of earmuffs have been invaluable as they are easy on and off so we would also like to posthumously thank Chester Greenwood of Farmington, Maine who invented the thermal earmuff in 1873, at the age of 15 reportedly coming up with the idea while ice skating. Chester was awarded patent #188,292 on March 13, 1877 for his design and provided jobs making earmuffs for people in the Farmington, Maine area, for nearly 60 years. Yet another clever New Englander!” • Sherri in Passumpsic

“Anyone have an unwanted simple record player? I am up to my earmuffs in good LPs and have nothing to play them with.” • Manfried in Newport

“Just a note to say that I so appreciate our community and the opportunity we have to connect and support each other through FPF. I gave up social media (except for FPF) after the election last year because I was appalled by the way I got sucked into a negative headspace during that time of such horrible mudslinging from all sides. (ALL sides!) I feel much lighter now – not that I am advocating everyone giving up social media, it definitely has its plus side. I am so happy that I have FPF as a way to witness my community and help out when I can. And ask for help as well! Thank you all and don’t forget to wear your earmuffs!”
• Lava in Randolph

“Redford is a Bloodhound who searches for lost pets, but when it’s so supercold out, I can’t let him go on a trail because he doesn’t have any earmuffs to keep his superlong ears from getting frostbitten.”
• Lisa in Albany

“I would like to shout out a huge Thank you to all those that helped with hats, coats, mittens and earmuffs this season to keep our neighbors warm!” • Jan in Johnson

“A huge shout-out to the Shelburne road crew during the recent snows and frigid temperatures! Living at the end of a cul-de-sac, the side of our driveway (understandably so) gets the big pile of snow from the street. This year, in particular, the drivers have done a terrific job keeping our driveway cleared more than usual. Thank you, Shelburne Road crew!! (I hope the trucks are cozy warm, so you don’t have to wear earmuffs!)”
• Patty in Shelburne

“I took my earmuffs off today
In honor of the sun;
I leashed my dog, without delay,
And frolicked just for fun.
My nose still froze and dripped with chill,
But oh the pleasure and the thrill!
It’s warm, I told my freezing toes –
Enjoy before that North wind blows!” • Martha in Middlebury

Warm Up with FPF’s January Posting Flurry… and Win an iPad!

Posted on Tuesday, January 9, 2018 by 4 comments

Brrrr It’s been cold! And we’re looking to heat things up a bit on Front Porch Forum. So, we’re running a simple contest through 1 PM, Friday, Jan. 12, 2018. Submit a posting on a topic of your choosing (“desk for sale,” “seeking plumber,” “ode to the cold”… you choose) and include the contest word “earmuffs” anywhere in your posting and you will be automatically entered. We’ll randomly draw a winner this Friday, Jan. 12. That’s it!

So, if you’ve been meaning to post a question, concern, announcement, offer, observation, advice, etc… do it now and you might win a new iPad!

Details:
1. Any current FPF member may enter by submitting a posting to their local FPF before 1 PM on Jan. 12, 2018. The posting must include the word “earmuffs.”
2. To be entered in the contest, postings should reflect a genuine effort to communicate, in the spirit of our mission “to help neighbors connect and build community.” The idea of the contest is to encourage legitimate postings, so please curb the impulse to post nonsense messages.
3. Limit one entry per day per member account.
4. The winner of the random drawing will be presented with a gift certificate to Small Dog Electronics with sufficient funds to purchase a new iPad 9.7-inch 32GB Wi-Fi.

To submit your posting:
Go to https://frontporchforum.com and click “Login”, then click “Compose Posting,” enter your message, and click “Submit Posting.”

 

Suggestions beyond your own neighborhood

Posted on Monday, January 8, 2018 by No comments yet

Reasons to scroll to the bottom of your FPF newsletter!

“When the first snows came this year I was desperate to find someone to clean our driveway, after 25 years the company that had done it could no longer do it. I got no response from posting it on our Front Porch Forum so I started looking at other neighborhoods. Joe A. from the neighboring neighborhood had someone and was recommending them highly. Joe was so helpful he actually brought the man to our house… I couldn’t help but give Joe a big hug, I had never met Joe! The man Joe suggested turned out to be very good…don’t just read your own forum get to know your surrounding neighborhoods as well.” • Shohreh from South Burlington

Read the “News from Neighboring FPFs”


Lost dogs happily found!

Posted on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 by No comments yet

Lost pet postings get priority treatment from Front Porch Forum staffers

“I am happy to report that all lost dogs are back home. Thank you FPF for pushing the found dog post through and for calling me to see if I had seen it. I am so very grateful. Thank you!”
• Shelly in Huntington

“What great news!! As I read the news I have goose bumps…I prayed Willie would be home by Christmas. The best present of all…..I am so happy for you.” • Jennifer in Middlebury

“Thanks to everyone who helped with the search. Our beautiful golden is under my desk as I write.” • Debby in Middlebury

Read more about how a community came together to find Willie

Delightfully Vermonty and enriching our communities

Posted on Monday, December 18, 2017 by No comments yet

Our members remind us of the value of our mission: Helping Neighbors Connect

“Our Front Porch Forum is delightfully Vermonty AND useful, so we urge you to join up!”  • Roger in Warren

FPF is a wonderful resource and way to stay in touch with what is happening in our community.” • Judy in Barre

“This forum is great – it has helped me find things and answer questions.” • Mary in Bennington

Front Porch Forum is a fun means of staying in touch with my neighborhood and a resource when I want to offer something (usually a freebie) that I do not want to take to the landfill. It makes my life better.” • Sandy in South Burlington

“As a long time user of FPF I have used this forum to sell things,  search for needed items, and even find a tutor.  I am sending a small donation to show my appreciation and gratitude and to personally thank you for starting this forum!!!!” • Anne-Marie in Isle La Motte

Thanks to our FPF Supporting Members across the state! And if you’ve been meaning to make a year-end contribution… now’s the time!

Tales of the Christmas Spirit

Posted on Friday, December 15, 2017 by No comments yet

Tis the season to share on Front Porch Forum…..

“The other day a young man arrived with his son and spotted a book he held reverently in his hands as out loud he wished he had some money to put this book on lay-away. Suddenly there was a small voice added to our conversation. His son asked me if one dollar would be enough to hold the book for his father. The father said to the boy, “This is why I love you so much.” And the bookseller agreed to hold the rare book for one dollar down. The youngster reached into his pocket, pulled out 4 quarters, and we sealed the agreement. If this isn’t a spiritual time of year I don’t know what is…..”

“Eleven folks who read my story came forward and wanted to help this family purchase the books on hold. We have a truly generous and thoughtful community and I am proud to be a part of it.”
• Ben at the Country Bookshop in Plainfield

From the outpouring of generosity in this community of book-lovers an idea developed to generate a fund to help other needy families to purchase books. What tales can you share on FPF that can help others?

Saved from a mountain of marshmallows!

Posted on Thursday, December 14, 2017 by No comments yet

A sweet story to share from the conversations on Front Porch Forum:

“My friend pranked me with bags and bags of marshmallows (don’t ask) but now that the hilarity is over, I have about 20 bags of mini marshmallows. I’m thinking they would be great for making an army of snowmen. Or for the worlds largest cup of cocoa. Or an indoor igloo for the kids? Start your own gingerbread housing development? Or maybe you dreamed of jumping into a pile of marshmallows (I don’t judge). Either way, I’m hoping a kind neighbor will save me from diabetes and take them away soon.”

And FPF neighbors responded!

“Holy roller coasters, Batman! Waterbury loves marshmallows! Thank you all who responded–I had an avalanche of interested folks, so I apologize if I didn’t answer you directly. The marshmallows are re-homed, and my pancreas thanks you for saving me from diabetes.”   • Zarin in Waterbury