Area hospitals seek input for annual needs assessment
Brattleboro Memorial Hospital, the Brattleboro Retreat, and Grace Cottage Family Health & Hospital are seeking public input to assess the health needs of our community.
Every three years, these organizations conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA) to learn more about the health concerns and needs of the communities they serve. Based on the information gathered, each healthcare facility will develop an implementation plan to address these needs.
A community survey is for residents and those who receive health care in Windham County and is ready for input at tinyurl.com/WindhamCHNA. The link is open until May 27.
The survey can also be accessed via a QR code on the organizations' websites and Facebook pages and on posters at the three facilities and throughout the county. It is available translated into Dari, Pashto, Spanish, and Tigrinya via the same link and QR code. All answers are anonymous.
These health care organizations also seek input from representatives of groups serving Windham County residents and via focus groups. The Vermont Department of Health and Vermont Agency of Human Services are also participating in the process.
The CHNA process is required for nonprofit hospitals by the federal government every three years. Results of the survey will be publicly available by year's end, and implementation plans will follow.
First Manitou healing walk is May 10
WILLIAMSVILLE - The Manitou Project will hold its first Healing Walk of the season on Friday, May 10, rain or shine, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. The walk will be led by Fred Taylor and will include poems or other readings and chances to share about the experience. Healing walks will be held every second and fourth Friday of each month until October.
The Manitou Project seeks to foster community with Nature on its 235 acre land preserve in Williamsville, located at 300 Sunset Lake Rd. Directions: go 1.4 miles up Sunset Lake Road from Williamsville Village, sign on right. Or approximately 5.6 miles over the top of Sunset Lake Road from Route 9 in West Brattleboro. Meet at the parking lot at 4 p.m. For information, contact Fred at 802-254-2675.
Stamp Out Hunger food drive is May 11
BRATTLEBORO - The annual Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive, always set for the second Saturday in May, is a single-day food drive throughout the United States.
The drive is organized by the National Association of Letter Carriers and supported by other postal unions and the U.S. Postal Service. According to local organizer Viv Woodland, this drive is intentionally set opposite from the winter holidays in the calendar. May is a time when a boost in food donations is needed at local pantries, especially as families prepare to have kids home from school for the summer.
On Saturday, May 11, letter carriers in Brattleboro, Putney, Guilford, Vernon, and Dummerston will be joining carriers across the nation in collecting food to fill local pantries. Neighbors are asked to leave a bag of nonperishable food items by their mailbox.
Letter carriers will pick up the food as they deliver the mail, making it easy to participate.
Woodland said that "canned goods, including fish and meat; nut butters; dry rice, beans, pasta, cereals, and oatmeal; and bottled juice are all great donation items. Please avoid glass containers. Checks for monetary donations, made out to either Vermont Foodbank or the local food shelf of your choice, will also be accepted." For more information, visit bit.ly/764-food.
Tri-Town Collectors host coin and collectables show
BRATTLEBORO - The Tri-Town Collectors Club and other local dealers will hold a coin, paper currency, comic book, Pokémon and sport card, and postcard show on Saturday, May 11, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Holiday Inn Express on Chickering Drive.
Show organizer Joe Fuller says many dealers and collectors from the area will be meeting up for a daylong series of hobby activities packed with all types of collectibles from vintage to the modern eras, including a presentation of vintage baseball cards. There is no admission charge. For more information, contact 802-379-2353 or [email protected].
Putney Farmers' Market opens on Mother's Day
PUTNEY - The Putney Farmers' Market, located across from the Putney Food Co-op, opens for the season on Mother's Day, May 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a free Shiatsu massage for all moms.
The market will have beautiful gifts for Mom, hot lunch and coffee, and freshly pressed drinks. Farmers will bring pastured meats, organic eggs, fresh local fruits and veggies, and Vermont maple, cheese, and dairy products.
Mother's Day Brunch in Guilford
GUILFORD - Broad Brook Grange will present its 24th annual Mother's Day Brunch on Sunday, May 12, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Broad Brook Community Center.
The all-you-can-eat brunch features eggs and the signature item: omelettes, any style, made to order. Also on the menu are pancakes, French toast, sausage, bacon and home fries, with Guilford maple syrup. Treats include home-baked coffee cakes and other baked goods, fresh fruit salad, and bread for toasting. A selection of juices will be available, along with coffee, teas, and milk.
No reservations are necessary for the meal, which is priced at $15 for adults; $12 for seniors, and $5 for ages 2-12. Kids under two enter free. Cash or check welcome.
Broad Brook Community Center is at 3940 Guilford Center Rd., 4 miles west of the Guilford Country Store. The Center is now fully ADA-compliant, with handicapped parking spaces, ramp access to the dining room, and accessible restrooms. For more information, call 802-257-1961.
Putney Friends Meeting seeks peace and healing in Palestine and Israel
PUTNEY - Putney Friends Meeting is hosting two upcoming gatherings to watch livestreams of Isreali-Palestinian joint ceremonies presented by Combatants for Peace, a grassroots movement of Israelis and Palestinians working together to end the occupation and bring peace, equality, and freedom to their homelands.
On Sunday, May 12, at 1:30 p.m., at the meetinghouse on Route 5, they will gather to watch the 19th Israeli-Palestinian Joint Memorial Day Ceremony. On Wednesday, May 15, at 1 p.m., there will be another gathering to watch the Joint Nakba Remembrance Ceremony. After the live streams, there will be time to share reflections.
According to a statement from American Friends of Combatants for Peace: "We are at a pivotal moment in history. As polarization, injustice, and violence mount, both ceremonies invite us to choose the path of reconciliation, nonviolence, and collective liberation.
"While acknowledging power disparities and while not equating narratives, we grieve together to remind ourselves and society that occupation, oppression, and bloodshed are not inevitable. We have the power to collectively heal, transform, and take actions for a future where all can live in safety, dignity, and freedom.
"During this time of unimaginable suffering and devastation, we are raising our voices louder than ever to call for an end to the historic and present violence and to demand a political solution that can bring liberation and hope to all. Please join us."
Find out more about the May 12 event at bit.ly/764-memorial and the May 15 event at bit.ly/764-ceremony.
Scott Farm Crêpe Night is May 15
DUMMERSTON - Scott Farm Orchard on Kipling Road will host the first of its monthly Crêpe Nights on Wednesday, May 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
These seasonal gatherings, held the second Wednesday of the month, May through September, are times to celebrate the harvest; good, simple food; and community in a stunning setting - picnic style. Outdoor and indoor tables and chairs are provided, as well as a sprawling grassy hillside ripe for picnic blankets, folding lawn chairs, and bare feet.
Local music adds to the ambiance.
Each month is co-hosted by a different local nonprofit who benefits from the evening's proceeds. This month, the event supports Brattleboro Area Affordable Housing. For more information, visit scottfarmvermont.com/crepe-night.
Vernon Community Market seeks vendors
VERNON - The Vernon Community Market, a program of the Vernon Recreation Department, is seeking vendors for its 2024 summer season, which will open Thursday, June 6. It will continue the first and third Thursdays of each month, June through Sept. 19. It will be closed for the Fourth of July holiday.
The market's hours will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at the Vernon Rec Area, 607 Pond Rd. The market will feature J & B's Curbside Café, handmade crafts, farm goods, baked goods, flowers, and more.
For more information on registering to be a vendor at the market, contact the Vernon Recreation Department at [email protected], 802-254-9251, or [email protected].
This Town and Village item was submitted to The Commons.