Category Archives: How To Use FPF
NEW: Regional Disaster Response Boards
FPF just launched an emergency feature to facilitate mutual aid among Vermonters and help communities support each other in recovering from the July 2023 floods.
View your region’s Disaster Response Board.
The board brings together in one place all disaster-related postings in a given county (or group of counties). Members have access to any county or counties where they currently have an FPF account.
To add a posting to this board, simply post to your local Forum. If your posting is related to disaster response, it will appear on the board shortly.
Who wants to deal with a broken kitchen sink?
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!
- In Middlebury… “A valve malfunction shut down my kitchen sink and Shawn Frost, previously recommended here on FPF, went above and beyond in his efforts to get me out of my quandary the very same day at no small inconvenience to him and his plans. He is very experienced across the board in all things related to plumbing, pleasant, efficient, and professional, so I too am happy to recommend him.”
- In South Burlington… “We want to let everyone know that we had a great experience finding a handy person on FPF this week and would like to recommend him. Do not hesitate to contact Craig Bujold for any of your home projects. He’s a super nice person that works in Human Services and can tackle projects with competence and a smile.”
- In St. Johnsbury… “Several weeks ago I found a listing here on FPF for a handyman and I reached out to Isaac Poe. Now I am back to tell you what a positive experience it is to work with him. He was very responsive, on time, reasonably priced but most of all he did a high quality job. I could not be happier with the work he did for me. I highly recommend him.”
A pleasant way to sell a bike…
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.”
Want a Response? Try Front Porch Forum!
Members get an amazing response when they post on Front Porch Forum. Check out these examples just in the first week of June!
- “Thank you to the over 2 dozen neighbors who wrote with suggestions about my hose leak! Turns out I needed to replace the anti-siphon valve. Multiple people sent helpful notes that walked me thru the process, and voila! No more geyser shooting out the top of the spigot and around the hose! Shout out to Martins for having the inexpensive part in stock. Gratitude to all of you who wrote, to Martin’s Hardware, and to Front Porch Forum!“
• Porter in Bristol
- “I want to express my thanks to those individuals who replied to my recent FPF posting requesting pressure washing help. I had nearly 30 replies (!) either offering to provide the service or making a recommendation.“
• Lee Ann in Salisbury
- “Wow, within minutes we had four offers of people willing to lend us their tampers for our patio project. And more offers still coming in! What a great community! And what a great resource Front Porch Forum is!”
• Doug and Renee in East Montpelier
Local Meet Ups
People make great use of their local Front Porch Forum every day. Check out this recent posting from a mother on the Wallingford Forum:
- “As nicer weather comes, I’m wondering if anyone would be interested in joining a semi-official playground meetup? I have an almost-3-year-old who loves swinging and 9-month-old who loves hanging out.”
And another from a neighbor in the Wimington forum:
- “Wow! I received so many recommendations for local in-person book clubs! I plan to attend most of them. The support of this Forum is really wonderful. Thank you so much!”
Here’s to more real in-person connections in our increasingly online lives!
Tips for a Better Yard Sale
Summer begins, and, along with it, YARD SALES! People are filling up FPF‘s local Forums and Community Calendars with sale announcements. Not only do members write in to advertise the details of their yard sales, they also use FPF to ask neighbors advice on how to have a better yard sale!
- “I’m a rookie at yard sales, and earlier this spring I sent out a request for Tips for a Better Yard Sale. The neighborly response was great — useful, friendly, and often amusing. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet some of you at our Sale this spring? Do you think I should leave extra time for socializing?”
•Vance in Randolph
In response, people posted great tips — make signs, start early, use bins and tables to separate items by price, have a free pile, wash items before selling — and… “Advertise on Front Porch Forum“
Dog runs away. Dog comes home!
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…
- “A small white brown dog was seen about 11:15 on Mountain Rd in Monkton near the steep rise half way down. It was trailing what appeared a leash. It disappeared rather quickly.”
- “Foster dog escaped about 11. Smallish 6 mo. white and brown with orange leash. Dogs name is Rutger. He’s very timid.”
- “The escape artist has been found safe and sound! Many thanks to Moe from Homeward Bound and next door neighbor dog, Lucy! And thanks to everyone else I called or accosted on the road. And a big thank you to FPF for getting the word out FAST!”
“We’ve been googling but I trust my neighbors’ thoughts more…”
The internet is an amazing tool, but sometimes you just want advice from the folks who live in your community! Here’s 2 recent of examples of members turning to Front Porch Forum instead of Big Tech:
- “We had a new 8’x10′ shed installed on our property this fall. We erroneously assumed it would remain level if set on some cinderblocks and wood on gravel. The beginning of mud season has shown us otherwise! If you step one foot into the shed the whole thing rocks forward because the mud has sucked the back corner in so deep. What should we do? How do we fix this? We’ve been googling but I trust my neighbors’ thoughts more. Open to any and all suggestions! Thank you!” • Molly in Middlesex
- “We had our third or fourth dogsitter move out-of-state, so we are looking for someone else to watch our tribe (four dogs of different shapes, sizes, and ages – all healthy!) We are looking for someone who is very experienced with dogs/ does this for a living. … If this sounds like you or someone you know, please be in touch! I have had way more luck on here than through any app like Rover, so I appreciate the help!“ • Erin in Moretown
Neighbors Get Organized
Everyday across Vermont, neighbors come together to fix problems, have fun, talk, and share. Increasingly, they use their local Front Porch Forum to get the conversation started. Here are some recent examples…
In Essex Town and Essex Junction this week, neighbors are meeting at the local police station to organize neighborhood watches in response to property crime incidents. Notices for this meeting reached 10,377 FPF members out of the 9,310 households in these communities!
In Charlotte, folks there are using their FPF to organize a backgammon league. The member’s posting below reached 4,037 FPF members in a town with 1,499 households!
- “Yahoo!…FPF is terrific for connecting with neighbors. So far we have 23 people on the list of backgammon players eager to launch a league at the Charlotte Senior Center!” – Sally
In Morrisville, one neighbor is looking to find a local running group. Shannon’s posting reached 4,852 FPF members in a town with 2,810 households!
- “Hello! I am new to Morrisville, and am looking to connect with other runners. Are there any established running groups in the area?” – Shannon
How about in your town or neighborhood? Any new hobbies or meetups popping up? If you’re trying to get people together, Join FPF (if you don’t already have a free account)! Click compose and post your message to nearby neighbors.
Happy organizing!
Use FPF to Recommend Local Businesses
Front Porch Forum takes our members’ privacy seriously. When members post to their Forum, they know that what they write will be visible only to the members of their own FPF and of immediate neighboring Forums. This allows members to engage freely in conversation about local issues, which is central to FPF’s community-building mission.
There are a few situations, though, where it might make sense for members’ postings to be more broadly visible. One of these is when a member recommends a local business or nonprofit on their Forum. Recommendations on FPF are an important resource for our members, and making them more broadly available helps support the nearly 12,000 local businesses and nonprofits that are members of FPF.
With this in mind, FPF recently launched a new feature: Recommendation postings for businesses or nonprofits now show up on the business or nonprofit’s listing in FPF’s Community Directory! Those postings are visible to any FPF member who views that listing, even if they aren’t a member of the Forum where the recommendation originated.
So if you are a business owner or nonprofit leader, ask your customers and supporters to post a recommendation for you on their Forum. (While you’re at it, ask them to “favorite” your listing as well!) When it shows up on your Directory listing, FPF’s 220,000 members all over Vermont will be able to see how much FPF members value what you do!
About Blog
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
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