Monday, September 5, 2011

Sustainable Woodstock: Community Updates, Flood Relief Fund, and more

It has been a long week in Woodstock. Dealing with the results of Sunday's flooding has been exhausting, but the outpouring of support from everywhere has been amazing. Loss of power, water or access affected many residents, but the devastation of some homes, roads and businesses affected everyone in our community. And countless individuals have worked tirelessly on relief efforts and on keeping our community operational. As a result of their efforts, we’re making progress.

Many people have asked about volunteer opportunities. A “command center” at the Woodstock Elementary School has been directing individuals to areas where help is needed the most. Much of the initial work included delivery of water and supplies, assessment of needs and some cleanup. This work will continue through the weekend starting at 10:00 am each day. For cleanup duties, people should wear boots and bring rakes and shovels. Dust masks and gloves will be provided. All volunteers MUST sign in at the elementary school. This is a requirement for FEMA funding.

Updated information on relief efforts is available on the Town website under the heading "hurricane updates."

To keep updated on other local news, you can follow the Woodstock Early Bird blog or the "Woodstock VT Flood Response" page on Facebook. The Vermont Standard will be published today (Friday) and you can find current articles on their website.

And please consider donating to The Woodstock Area (VT) Flood Relief Fund.  Sustainable Woodstock has joined with other community members to establish this fund to provide emergency assistance to those in need. More details on the fund below.

Thank you for your continued interest and support.

Sally Miller
Director

 
 
The Woodstock Area (VT) Flood Relief Fund

Purpose of the fund: This fund provides assistance to residents of the greater Woodstock area who need help securing basic necessities like food, medicine, shelter, and clothing and losses related to Hurricane Irene.

In its initial phase, the fund will direct its resources to the emergency survival needs of people who are most vulnerable, based on age, physical condition, general life circumstances, and the extent of loss.

After responding to the immediate crisis of the flood, and depending on monies available, the fund will consider requests for additional support from eligible persons who need assistance to rebuild their homes and reestablish their lives.

To receive financial support: The fund will consider requests for support from residents of Barnard, Bridgewater, Pomfret, Reading, South Woodstock, Taftsville, and Woodstock for flood-related needs.

Please contact Sustainable Woodstock for an application via email or phone or by stopping at the office.  (Sally Miller, director, and volunteers are only in the office part-time, so please understand that someone may not always be available immediately. We’ll respond as quickly as possible.) 

Phone:  802-457-2911
E-mail: spm@sustainablewoodstock.com
Office:  32 Pleasant Street

To donate to the fund:
  • By check:  Make your check payable to Sustainable Woodstock. Please put Flood Relief Fund in the memo line. Mail it to Sustainable Woodstock, PO Box 611, Woodstock, VT 05091. Or deliver your check to the Sustainable Woodstock office at 32 Pleasant Street or to the Bond Street office of Lake Sunapee Bank.
  • Online: You can donate online directly to this fund through Sustainable Woodstock’s secure website.
How the fund is managed:  Sustainable Woodstock, a 501(c)(3) organization, administers the fund.  All donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by federal law.  A committee that includes Sustainable Woodstock officers and community representatives will review funding requests to assess eligibility and priorities. Every effort will be made to provide assistance as quickly as possible, so that emergency needs can be met. 

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