Category Archives: Make It Your Own Awards
Pulled out of a ditch…. and thankful
Across the state, Front Porch Forum members are thankful for their neighbors help.
“A huge thank you to the many neighbors – 5 in 15 minutes! – who stopped this evening to see if I needed help pulling my car out of the ditch. I thank everyone for offering your help. I feel so lucky to live in this town, in this state, where people are truly kind.” • Martha in Shelburne
“Thank you so much to the kind, on-the-spot firefighter who just pulled me out of the ditch on the side of the road! Its dark and cold and you still stopped to offer assistance to someone you didn’t even know. Its people like you that keep our communities going and maintain my faith in the goodness of humanity.” • Charlotte in Hinesburg
“I got stuck in road-edge snow. At least a dozen neighbors stopped to offer help, and at least one called police, who came to stand by while I waited for the AAA tug out. Many thanks to the S Burlington police officer and to the many thoughtful neighbors.” • Mike in Shelburne
“Sliding into a ditch was made much easier thanks to the help of several good neighbors. My daughter and I are so fortunate to live in a place with good neighbors, ready and willing to lend a hand. SO grateful!” • Lesley & Molly in Plainfield
“My husband’s car ended up in the ditch at the bottom of our driveway after the recent storm. Our wonderful neighbor offered to pull us out, which he did successfully. Thank you Bruce for taking the time to stop and assist us. Your help was greatly appreciated!” • Roxanne in Starksboro
When your neighbors come to the rescue, give them a shout-out on FPF!
Young people lend a hand to elderly neighbor
Sharing kindnesses on Front Porch Forum between neighbors!
“Recently, I had a wonderful experience. In the first quarter of my eighty-first year, I was out on my front lawn picking up debris left by the big wind. Two young people on bikes stopped wondering if I needed any help cleaning up. I was stunned. I questioned them and they both said they just wanted to help. They worked steadily and with good cheer. It took the three of us just under an hour to complete a task I estimated at three hours or more. If anyone on FPF knows the family, please let their parents know they should be very proud of these two great young people.” • Carl in Essex Junction
And, in response:
“Thank you so much for the beautiful note, what a lovely surprise. We are so happy to live in a community that appreciates the same values that we do! We are very proud of our kids and made sure to tell them!” • Travis and Crystal
Can you follow your cat into cohousing?
Here’s a beautiful story and poem from a FPF member who lives in Burlington co-housing…
© Sharyl Green
August 10 2017
Burlington VT
FPF now has 140,000 members!
We’re excited to announce that Front Porch Forum now has 140,000 members across Vermont. More than half of the households in the state participate in their local FPFs. Thanks to all who have helped achieve this milestone.
To share FPF with other Vermonters, please send them to FrontPorchForum.com to check it out and sign up.
FPF’s mission is to help neighbors connect and build community. We do that by hosting a statewide network of online neighborhood forums where Vermonters post about lost pets, borrowing ladders, recommending plumbers, sighting moose, reporting break-ins, discussing school budgets, and much more.
Post about national politics on FPF: Yes or no?
“Thank you to the dozen or so neighbors who emailed personal notes of appreciation for my post on last week’s Really Big Thing that happened.
“I take Front Porch Forum literally for its ‘front porch-ness.’ So when a Really Big Thing happens — like a storm, crash, or national tragedy — the first place I want to go is the front porch. To look around the neighborhood and ask, ‘How’re you doing? Everybody in your house okay?’ And if possible, offer any solace or help.
“I understand why some folks wouldn’t want national politics on our local Front Porch Forum. But last Tuesday’s election left many in our community reeling.
“I think it’s important to recognize this and resist the urge to limit what can and cannot be said here. If for no other reason than to support our neighbors who might have been left feeling particularly vulnerable.”
• James, posted on a Burlington neighborhood FPF
How many people use FPF in Burlington?
#BTV #VT – More than 9,600 members are active in Front Porch Forum now in Burlington, out of the 16,000 households that comprise the city. In 2011, they shared 26,000 postings with their nearby neighbors via FPF. Amazingly, HALF of FPF members spoke up and contributed to their FPF neighborhood conversations. In one survey, 93% reported feeling “more civically engaged since joining FPF.” About 100 elected and appointed public officials participate too.
FPF is expanding beyond Burlington… we now serve one-third of Vermont. More than 32,000 members participate in rural areas, suburbs, and cities. Imagine this level of engagement in every part of Vermont and beyond! Let us know if you’d like to help bring FPF to your town (just enter your address on our home page and complete the form).
Three cheers for the tens of thousands FPF members in Vermont… and here’s to vibrant neighborhoods in 2012!
Vermonters Volunteer More than Most
The Burlington Free Press picked up the Vermont angle on the study recently released about volunteerism…
Vermont and the Burlington area rank high in a new national study of volunteering rates, according to the Corporation for National and Community Service.
The state ranks ninth in the percentage of the population that participates in volunteer efforts, according to the CNCS’s Web site, www.volunteeringinAmerica.gov…
In Vermont, 35.6 percent of the population volunteered; the national average is 26.4 percent. The Burlington metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and South Burlington, ranked 11th among the 75 mid-sized cities polled for volunteer rates…
A volunteer coordinator at the United Way of Chittenden County said she is not surprised by Vermont’s high rate of volunteerism. “We have certainly seen the generosity of this community in giving of their volunteer time,” said Holly Reed, director of the United Way of Chittenden County’s volunteer center. “Vermont is a small place, and we are more acutely aware of what the needs are in the community.”…
The study showed 35.6 percent of Vermonters, or about 180,400 people, volunteered in 2008, putting in 20.6 million hours of service, according to the study…
Front Porch Forum is a great catalyst for getting people involved in their local community. Many local nonprofits have told us of increased volunteer rolls due to FPF… what a thrill for FPF to play a role in this important trend.
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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