Ghost of Midnight

… about neighbors, community and Front Porch Forum

The next best thing to sitting around a pot-belly stove….

Posted on Monday, October 15, 2018 by No comments yet

Times may change, but Front Porch Forum is happy to provide a gathering place for neighbors across the state.

“Front Porch Forum is the next best thing to sitting around a pot-belly stove in the town general store. Neighbors meet neighbors, exchange ideas, ask and make recommendations, sell and buy useful items, publicize local events, find missing pets, and much, much more. We’re here for one another in the old-fashioned way. Let’s keep this Forum flourishing with a critical donation, no matter how large or small.” – Gretchen B. in Morrisville

If you value the free service that Front Porch Forum provides to your community, consider making a supporting member contribution today: https://frontporchforum.com/supporting-members.

Do you appreciate Front Porch Forum?

Posted on Thursday, October 4, 2018 by No comments yet

Need a recommendation? Having a yard sale? Looking for your lost pet?  Front Porch Forum is used by Vermonters for many different reasons. But one thing that’s true for its members is that FPF connects us to one another.

If you appreciate the way Front Porch Forum helps us stay connected as a community, please consider donating to FPF’s Supporting Member Campaign this month! Track our progress with this fun leaf bag help us fill it up by the end of the month!

“I am continually amazed by the kindness of strangers and the strength of our community.  Last winter, I wrote a posting on Front Porch Forum to request help digging out after a large snow storm. I’m disabled and can’t do it.  Less than an hour after the FPF issue was sent out, I received TEN offers from folks wanting to help!  I am so grateful and happy to live in an amazing community like this.  Without FPF, I might still be snowed in. ;-)”
• Cara in Winooski

Your support allows FPF to reach even more people and continue to bring our free service to every town in Vermont. Together we’re connecting neighbors and building community.

Let’s pick for our neighbors this apple harvest season

Posted on Thursday, September 27, 2018 by No comments yet

The Vermont Foodbank reminds us to visit one of Vermont’s orchards this season and Pick for Your Neighbor!   Front Porch Forum is pleased to sponsor this yearly initiative to help our neighbors.  So let’s work together to help increase the amount of fresh produce available for Vermonter’s facing hunger and support our local orchards.  To see a list of participating orchards visit https://www.vtfoodbank.org/event/pickforyourneighbor

Postings which generate response

Posted on Tuesday, September 25, 2018 by No comments yet

From small businesses to larger non-profits and ad agencies, many agree that Front Porch Forum gets results.
“Our response has been HUGE! Thank you so much for helping us meet our recruitment goals!” • Dana at UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

“The response rate of people who have said they saw the ad on FPF has been notable! So all good news!”  • Nilda with Kerr Advertising

“Where do you advertise for your Burlington business? Front Porch Forum is a free, easy way to advertise.”  Alignable member, Kate, shared her thoughts under “Coffee Shop Buzz”

 

Better Informed Communities

Posted on Friday, September 14, 2018 by No comments yet

Front Porch Forum Members Trust Their Neighbors.

 “When it comes to informing neighbors, was there really life before FPF?”  “Our community garden is thriving in its 4th season, largely because gardeners and supportive community members heard about it on Front Porch Forum. On FPF, we learn what our neighbors are thinking and doing. We participate in offerings we wouldn’t otherwise have known about. We avoid hazards we might have stumbled into if uninformed. We sell, buy, and give all manner of goods and services. I look forward to reading every issue. My responses range among curious, amused, concerned, angry, delighted, relieved, gobsmacked, inspired, and more. It takes a lot of worthy content to stimulate so much response repeatedly over time.”  • Sheryl in Montpelier

Connecting with neighbors and building local community begins with being better informed. FPF stimulates that in spades. Neighbors who use Front Porch Forum to communicate are more aware of who lives around them, stay better informed about what’s happening in their communities, and are more prepared to face challenges and times of crisis.

“FPF exists to help communities become more resilient,“ says FPF co-founder, Michael Wood-Lewis. “Neighbors who know each other and communicate about what’s happening locally are far more likely to be better prepared to face tough times.”

You’ve got to know that a local issue is bubbling up if you’re going to be involved. For many Vermonters, that starts on their neighborhood or town FPF. Even knowing about the weekend’s yard sales or school sporting events via FPF leads people to getting more face-to-face time with neighbors.This leads to more connection and more involvement. Get on the local grapevine. Sign up for your local FPF. Read, and then share your perspective in a posting to neighbors.

Bree, librarian at the Westford Public Library, uses Front Porch Forum regularly to reach their patrons. From updates, special event notices and library closings, she finds FPF “reliable and easy to use. FPF is the social media outlet that reaches different generations of patrons – appealing to the whole town rather than a certain demographic or “friend” group.”

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funded an independent third-party, Network Impact, to design, implement and analyze an online survey of 132,188 Front Porch Forum members in March 2017. 13,086 Vermonters completed this 20-minute survey. With a 99% confidence level, the survey results represent the full FPF membership.

IRS Scam Calls

Posted on Wednesday, September 12, 2018 by 1 comment

A local police department warns neighbors and provides tips on Front Porch Forum.

“We have received several calls from elderly citizens recently regarding fraudulent “robo calls” (recorded automated phone calls) from someone claiming the recipients of the calls have not paid their taxes. They threaten police action if a payment is not made immediately.

Neither the Internal Revenue Service nor the Vermont Department of Taxes will make contact by phone and demand immediate payment for unpaid taxes. Local police, sheriff’s departments, and state police are not involved in enforcing payments of federal or state taxes.

Should you receive a call like this, do not confirm or give out personal information, simply hang up and make a report to the Vermont Attorney General’s Office at the Consumer Assistance Program site below:

http://ago.vermont.gov/cap/

You can sign up for scam alerts from the Vermont Attorney General’s Office at this site:

http://ago.vermont.gov/consumer-assistant-program-scam-alerts/

Information on this specific scam from the Internal Revenue Service:

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-urges-public-to-stay-alert-for-scam-phone-calls

Please contact your elderly friends and family members and inform them of this scam.
• 
Michael with the Montpelier Police Department

Share this info on your own FPF!

The Great Monday Night Dog Chase

Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 by No comments yet

It’s not uncommon to hear wild tales of animal chases and gracious shout outs on Front Porch Forum, but it never gets old!

“Thank you to everyone who helped, offered to assist, pointed us in the right direction, or simply wished us luck as we chased the very fast and wily “Rolo the dog” all over our fair city after he escaped while we were dog-sitting. His jaunt included most of North Street (twice), Spring Street, all of Weaver Street, the Winooski Circle, the Casavant trail, and ended on Platt Street.

A special thanks to Ben for assisting with our pursuit on his moped; to all of the folks who donned headlamps and searched on foot; to the kind couple on Platt Street who found one very exhausted pup in their driveway and called the Winooski PD; and to the Winooski Police Department for their kindness and prompt attention. And lastly, our sincere apologies to anyone who was offended by a silver Subaru that was driving in a less-than-courteous manner as we tried to keep Rolo the Escapee in our sights.

Rolo is home safe and sound, and we are grateful for such a caring community! ” – Charlotte A. & Chris in Winooski

Appreciation for the splendor around us

Posted on Monday, August 27, 2018 by No comments yet

A neighbor shares his love of a local trail on Front Porch Forum.

“I took my first ride under forest canopy, between wildflower meadows in full bloom with our native species, flushed out flocks of Goldfinch, travelled past pond and wildlife on paths in excellent condition. See vineyard and mountain peaks colored by the sunset and get away from it all right here!” • Larry in Charlotte

Thanks for the reminder to get out and explore where we live!

Thankful to live in such a cool place

Posted on Friday, August 24, 2018 by No comments yet

Witnessing good deeds from neighbors happens often on Front Porch Forum:

“Thank you to the mysterious neighbor who patched my flat tire while I was out of town. I moved to Vermont in the last year and have met a lot of very nice people, but this goes above and beyond what I would expect out of my neighbors. I will honor your good deed by doing a good deed for someone else in need in the future.  • Kevin in Winooski

“I drove into the gas station on fumes, parked in front of the pump, and noticed that I had left my purse at home.  A gentlemen who happened to be in the store simply offered to pay for the gas, saying “It makes me happy if I can help.” Such generosity is rare and hope will be repaid to you in kindness many times over!”  • Isa in Greensboro

“Thank you to the kind person who turned in my debit card, dropped on the trail, to our bank. I appreciate it very much and hope to come across you on the path to thank you in person very soon.” • Hillary in Shelburne

Is there someone in your town you want to thank? Post it on FPF!

Best of social media

Posted on Thursday, August 23, 2018 by No comments yet

VPR correspondent, Stephanie Green, shared her FPF experience on the radio this morning. Looking to her neighbors for recommendations on a good plumber, she was “astounded to get 13 useful replies in 24 hours…. I had no idea so many people read these posts so closely – or felt so passionately about their plumbers. And the re-connection to my neighbors was heartening. This, I think, is social media at its best, and it’s a relief when we’re daily buffeted by national headlines about social media at its very worst.”

Read or listen to her commentary at http://digital.vpr.net/post/greene-best-social-media