Members love reporting wildlife sightings on Front Porch Forum. Recently, hummingbirds took over the Mad River Valley Forum after one member shared a project tracking the August-September migration through Vermont. Dozens of responses came in (and counting!) over the last four days. Here are just a few…
Further, these hummingbird sightings have spawned an interest in Monarch butterflies too…
Thousands of Vermonters get assistance and advice from neighbors through Front Porch Forum every week all across Vermont. Calais Forum member, Ginny, found exactly what she was looking for:
“Hello FPF world, I am planning my first ever backpack hiking trip for 3 days and 2 nights later this month. Does anyone have a very lightweight, one person backpacking tent I could borrow? Or, if need be, purchase? Did I mention lightweight?”
2 days later…
“Once again, what an amazing tool Front Porch Forum is, giving all of us a way to receive and give to our neighbors! Multiple people stepped forward with backpack tent options for me, and I am so grateful! Yay!!”
It’s easy to get the impression on Front Porch Forum that many Vermonters are hobby gardeners. Members offer produce generously across FPF – it feels like an online farmer’s market this month!
And this member put it well in a poem…
Lock the doors
and turn out
the lights.
Pull the shades,
close the blinds
and draw the curtains.
Hide the kids
in the tub,
do not breathe
and be very,
very, quiet.
Up the steps
comes a neighbor
with a brown
paper bag…
Zucchini… By Charlie in Marshfield
If you have garden beds overflowing, consider sharing the love on your FPF!
On another note… This year has been especially challenging for farmers due to the torrential rains and floods of July, plus a severe frost back in May. Many of Vermont’s farms and orchards are suffering crop loss. In the spirit of eating locally, growing food and offering it to your neighbors, please go out and support your local farmers any way you can!
Check out this romantic way to use Front Porch Forum. It’s too delightful not to share. Read this episode from RumbleStrip, a Vermont-made podcast that is top-ranked by The New Yorker and The New York Times, here.
Or listen to the episode on Spotify, here.
“A couple weeks ago on Hardwick’s Front Porch Forum, someone called Tiana asked if there was anyone who could help her with her hair and makeup for an important date with her boyfriend“… read more.
The 2023 floods brought much devastation to Vermont. The recovery will be long and difficult, but not without signs of hope. Here are some snapshots of inspiring stories we’ve seen of neighbors coming together…
Check out FPF’s new emergency feature: the Regional Disaster Response Board. It’s designed to facilitate mutual aid across communities and share vital updates. Just post to your local Forum, and any disaster-response-related postings will show up on your region’s board.
If you’re looking for ways to support neighbors, check out the Regional Disaster Response Board today. You’ll see requests for assistance (along with many updates) from all the Forums across your county.
These handy-people recommended on FPF do! Many members turn to FPF to ask neighbors who they use to fix faucets, screen doors, broken heaters, you name it… Then, members share their positive experience back on FPF. See these success stories below.
What do you have that needs professional fixing? Ask for recommendations on your FPF, and check out FPF’s Community Directory with over 13,000 listings of local businesses in all categories!
A sweet note from Sheryl in Waterbury:
“It has been many years since I have used Front Porch Forum and I have had the best experience selling my bicycle today! Friendly emails and very nice people! I am grateful for this community service.”
Members get an amazing response when they post on Front Porch Forum. Check out these examples just in the first week of June!
FPF helps many get the word out about run away pets. We really want those pets to make it home! See how this story in Monkton, VT unfolds…
Front Porch Forum staff work seven days a week to review the flow of postings submitted by members across Vermont. While challenging content appears occasionally, the vast majority of submissions are simple exchanges among neighbors. And many times each day we see gems that leave a smile. Here’s what yesterday’s shift looked like to one FPF staffer…
“Lost pets and wallets reunited with owners, snow shoveling and mud season angels, and tires for sale are all commonplace on FPF. We’re used to that. Then, you come across these really interesting postings… Like today, I saw ones about bat sightings as a sign of spring, someone trying to figure out what to do with a WWII uniform, and a story about losing a peacock (which — no joke — also happened to a different member last week!). I’m constantly surprised at what’s going on out there.”
When you give folks a place to communicate their neighborly needs and quandaries, they can really deliver!
Ghost of Midnight is an online journal about fostering community within neighborhoods, with a special focus on Front Porch Forum (FPF). My wife, Valerie, and I founded FPF in 2006... read more