BRATTLEBORO — As the waters of tropical storm Irene receded last week, much was revealed: the mud and destruction brought about by the rushing waters, and the amazing spirit of people in this community.
At Brattleboro Area Hospice, we had been planning a Sept. 1 volunteer appreciation party for months. The question on Monday morning was whether to cancel Thursday's gathering, as both staff and volunteers would be needed to clean up Experienced Goods. We decided to go ahead with the party as a way to gather people to share news and to offer support to one another.
Because of the donations that we had received for the party, we were able to hold a very sweet event for those who could attend. Carol Lolatte at the Parks and Recreation Department agreed to donate use of the Kiwanis Shelter at Living Memorial Park. Taylor for Flowers provided us with four beautiful table arrangements, while Walter Slowinski and Bill Conley treated us to upbeat music on clarinet and guitar.
We had food from Amy's Bakery Arts Café, the Vermont Country Deli, Sharon Myers Catering, the Brattleboro Food Co-op, Price Chopper, and Hannaford. A selection of beverages was given by Dana Sprague at North Country Natural.
We at Brattleboro Area Hospice thank these people and local businesses for their generous support. Because of your willingness to help us, we were able to honor our hard-working and dedicated volunteers.