Category Archives: social capital
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!
Neighborly Needs and Quandaries
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!
“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
The Coat That Became a Bear
Sheila posted on her Greensboro FPF to see if anyone in town could turn her grandmother’s old fur coat into a Teddy Bear.
Journalist and podcaster, Erica Heilman, picked up the story and aired it on her podcast, Rumble Strip.
Fun fact… “Rumble Strip was named #1 Podcast of 2022 by The New Yorker and among the top 10 podcasts of 2022 by The New York Times.”
Sweet and Simply Put…
This posting from a member in Hardwick just came in and warmed our hearts.
“I am so grateful for FPF for the sense of community and support; any time I post, I am overwhelmed with responses that leave me feeling cared for and with a sense of belonging.” – Lisa, Hardwick
Neighborly Discussions about Difficult Local Issues
Neighbors engage in productive, meaningful discussions every day on Front Porch Forum in communities all across Vermont. In addition to finding lost dogs, selling used bikes, and recommending mechanics, FPF is a popular place to tackle local issues in respectful and neighborly ways.
For example, Connie shared on her Williston Forum this week…
“I am very grateful to FPF for allowing all of us the opportunity to vent mutual concerns and come together as a group to discuss potential ways to resolve these shared concerns. Thank you FPF!!! I now don’t feel alone in my discontent and I have learned new ways to address the USPS issues. Our shared concerns matter. Let’s keep communicating!”
Add your voice to your local Forum. Join and post at FrontPorchForum.com!
Fixing Digital Public Spaces
Leslie Stebbins was quoted in a recent Salon article, “Our digital public spaces aren’t so healthy… Can we fix that?” (read full article here) that…
“Tech companies maintain that they cannot moderate online communities because that would jeopardize our right to free speech and because there is simply too much content flying across these networks to track. Both these issues are false flags. We now know that the core infrastructure of these platforms is intentionally designed to amplify vitriol and misinformation because this increases engagement, keeps us online longer, and provides tech companies with billions of dollars from ad revenue. It doesn’t have to be this way.“
Further, Stebbins adds, “We should focus on creating new spaces that have explicit civic goals and are designed for equity and social cohesion. Real-world communities need to be involved in intentionally designing their own local digital public spaces rather than leaving this work to global tech companies.”
Front Porch Forum gets a nice spotlight in the article…
“Front Porch Forum […] focuses on real world community building. It is the antithesis of Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter. Rather than try to keep users online, it strives to get people offline and more connected to their local Vermont neighbors. Most people spend five or ten minutes a day online to get news that their neighbors have posted: lost dogs, bake sales and announcements of upcoming school board meetings. It is funded by donations and local ads based on where someone lives, but it does not track user behavior and advertising does not drive platform design.“
“Independent research on Front Porch [Forum] shows that it builds social cohesion and is improving the resilience of local Vermont communities. Building stronger community cohesion produces many intangible benefits such as high civic engagement, more instances of neighbors helping neighbors, and lower crime rates.“
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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