Category Archives: Vermont
Fight hunger in Vermont at the Point to Point!
Join Front Porch Forum and help support the Vermont Foodbank in the Point to Point, powered by VSECU, on Aug. 11. Since 2002 this cycling and running event helps to raise funds and awareness for the Vermont Foodbank’s mission to end the growing problem of hunger in Vermont. Help a neighbor in need and have fun doing it!
Choose from 3 road bike or 2 mountain bike rides, or a trail run. Join the P2P Festival with kids’ activities, music, food trucks, and Harpoon beer. Ride, run, or volunteer to fight hunger! Learn more and register at http://www.thepointtopoint.org/
FPF is a proud sponsor of this event.
Boosting attendance at local events
Event organizers find using FPF for promotion increases attendance:
“The turnout was the best yet. We asked a lot of the attendees as they were leaving where they heard about the show and many said Front Porch Forum. Thanks for you support and sponsorship, it did really help us get the people through the door.” • John with Made in Vermont Marketplace
“2017’s Open Farm Week event saw increased reach through partnership marketing with the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing and Front Porch Forum, drawing visitors from Vermont and beyond to the many participating farms throughout the state.” • Reported in the Bennington Banner
Post your event on FPF or contact us to learn how to broaden your reach at localbiz@frontporchforum.com!
Vermont’s bright and confident future generation of women!
Front Porch Forum believes in supporting important community causes, and nothing is more important to us than the health and well-being of the next generation.
We are excited to once again partner with Girls on the Run Vermont for their 2018 season! As proud supporters, we are helping girls in our community become Vermont’s bright and confident future generation of women!
The 5K community celebrations across the state mark the successful completion of a 10-week Girls on the Run Spring program and is unlike any other running event.
FPF is so proud to support our Vermont girls on their journey to self-confidence. Since 1999, Girls on the Run Vermont has inspired over 44,000 girls at more than 160 sites in 13 Vermont counties. This year alone, over 3,000 girls are participating in the 10-week, after-school program. Interactive lessons that integrate physical fitness help girls to effectively problem solve and remain strong during adolescence. Topics include self-image and the media, resisting peer-pressure, making healthy decisions and contributing to the community.
Our support of the Girls on the Run 5K helps further the mission of the Vermont council, an organization that encourages the young women in our community to grow up with confidence, compassion, and character. We are invested in growing the next generation of strong, skilled, and healthy leaders ““ the future role models in communities all over Vermont.
Learn more about Girls on the Run Vermont by visiting gotrvt.org.
A matter of trust
A recent article from the Times Argus highlights findings from FPF survey work done in 2017.
“Members of Front Porch Forum, who are not anonymous and make a commitment to be part of the online community, are comforted by the engagement of others. Perhaps at a time when contention is rampant, the sense of community, even online, is enough of a connection for members to feel a level of comfort and trust.
Community building takes various forms, whether that be public suppers, music, theater or meetings and discussion groups. Vermonters have always taken great pride in being good neighbors. Now we can take stock in knowing that being part of the community, even online, has merits that go far beyond chasing down lost dogs or finding a place to stay for a friend. It still means we connect.”
To read more, visit https://www.timesargus.com/articles/a-matter-of-trust/
Curling to support the Howard Center
Front Porch Forum is participating in Howard Center’s 2018 Curling Challenge to help raise money for the many Howard Center programs and services that support people in our community. Some of these include:
• 24/7/365 Crisis services
• Residential programs
• Specialized schools
• Street outreach
• Substance use treatment & recovery
• Suicide prevention
• Therapeutic camps
By contributing to our fundraising efforts on behalf of Howard Center, you will be making a real and lasting difference within our community. Follow This Link to donate now and help in our efforts to support Howard Center!
Uplifting moments after fires destroy homes
Recent fires, while tragic, also remind us how generous our communities can be helping those in need. FPF members respond:
“The fire at my home took almost everything from me. Despite my losses, I will be able to remember it as one of the most uplifting moments as well due to the outpouring of generosity, kindness, and love from the Montpelier Community. Never have I felt more cared for, or supported.” • Lauren in Montpelier
“Big Thanks to all the folks who worked their frozen fingers to the bone making it possible to save our store, library and community. If you see or know a Fire department Volunteer, please share your gratitude for keeping our town/village intact. This includes our Village and town employees as well. Thanks to all of you who reached out, stepped up, and pitched in; it’s what makes our town resilient and a place we want to live.” • Kim in Johnson
Front Porch Forum members respond to a call for help for a family who’s house was completely destroyed:
“I would like to thank everyone for the tremendous generosity and support. Knowing the love and support the community has shown is greatly helping them through this tragic time. Let us use this as a reminder to always reach out and help our neighbors.”
• Heidi in Monkton
Vermonters gear up for lively discussion at Town Meeting day
Front Porch Forum members make good use of their local FPF for upcoming Town Meeting Day.
“Several years ago, at a Town Meeting, I remember a very lively discussion among folks who had had enough of the high vehicle repair bills. A decision was made to instruct the town to pay for better quality gravel, with the slimy silt washed out of it. The Road crew embarked on a multi-year project of rebuilding our roads and now we can travel in the spring without worry of sinking into the muck and mire.
I love Town Meeting for just this reason. We can get together as a group and make recommendations to the town. I know that not everyone can come every year, but it points out how important it can be to show up at least once in a while when there is an issue that is really important.
See you at Town Meeting next Tuesday. If you can’t come, make sure you read the Town Report and if you have comments or questions, go to the Selectboard meeting.” • Marie in Richmond
Post and look to your local FPF for info on articles for discussion at Town Meeting Day! And remember to vote!
Invite People You Know to Join FPF… Win an iPad!
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:
- Go to https://FrontPorchForum.com and click LOGIN (if not already logged in)
- Click MY ACCOUNT
- Click INVITE FRIENDS TODAY under “Pitch In”
- Enter one legitimate email address of a person you know in each row.
- 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.)
- 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
Giving thanks for donuts, dinner and pretty lights
Stories of generosity abound on Front Porch Forum….
“My husband, baby and I were eating dinner tonight and when our check came the waitress said it had already been paid for. Thank you so much to the couple who bought our dinner and wished us a Merry Christmas on the way out!” • Nicole in South Burlington
“I went to the drive through window this morning and ordered coffee. When I drove around to pay, the young lady at the window told me a gentleman had left a bunch of money to pay for the next few cars’ orders until the money ran out! “ • Mary in Northfield
“The village looks so pretty at night now with all the lit Christmas trees. Thanks to the church and everyone who contributed to this lovely Christmas scenery. I don’t know who you are, but it sure is appreciated.” • Amanda in Cabot
Our disconnects in values, relationships and social fabric
danah boyd was quoted on Wired yesterday…
“[W]e have a cultural problem, one that is shaped by disconnects in values, relationships, and social fabric. Our media, our tools, and our politics are being leveraged to help breed polarization by countless actors who can leverage these systems for personal, economic, and ideological gain.”
She went on to state “How do you reknit society? Society is produced by the social connections that are knit together. The stronger those networks, the stronger the society. We have to make a concerted effort to create social ties, social relationships, social networks in the classic sense that allow for strategic bridges across the polis so that people can see themselves as one.”
“Part of what is really collapsing here is that the networks have become too fragmented and too polarized. Technology doesn’t help; it simply magnifies the poles. This is dangerous and cyclical. Polarization leads to distrust and tribalism which leads to more polarization. So for me, the path forward, which requires business and the public sector and civil society working together, is about reconstructing the networks of America.”
In our own small way, this is Front Porch Forum‘s work… helping neighbors connect and build community… reconstructing networks of neighbors across political, class, racial and other boundaries.
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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