Beginning on Jan. 21, Addison Central Teens will host weekly 4-5 p.m. meetings of its new Youth of Color Group; always on Thursdays. This will be a space where any youth of color in Addison County, ages 12-18, can find connection and community with one another while also learning about the systemic issues faced by marginalized groups. This group will meet virtually on Google Hangouts until it is safe to meet in person. The link to each session will be made available on the Teen Center’s Discord Server, and will be emailed to any participant without a Discord. Registration at tinyurl.com/y4owe58d. Also, in preparation for its Expressions of Color Art Gallery, Addison Central Teens will host a one-day art class on Feb. 17 for youth of color to create pieces for the gallery, in a welcoming space where they can connect with one another and feel free to fully express themselves. The class will be taught by Juniper Creative’s Will Kasso Condry and Jennifer Herrera Condry and will hopefully be hosted in person, but may occur virtually. Register at tinyurl.com/y4n9v7z8.
The Everyone Eats program is back, thanks to new federal resources that have been allocated to the service, which enlists local farmers and restaurants to create free meals for hungry folks during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program restarted on Jan. 18, and it has been well used in the Vergennes, Middlebury & 5-Town areas. Check for details in your area. For those in the Bristol area, pickup is at the Lawrence Lane entrance of Bristol’s Lawrence Memorial Library, Monday-Friday, starting at 3 p.m. If you live in Starksboro, pickup is Fridays, 3:30-4:30 p.m., at the First Baptist Church of Starksboro at 2806 Route 116. It’s not restricted to Starksboro residents; all are welcome. If you live in the 5-Town area and wish to enroll, register at tinyurl.com/yy8asg32. For more information or questions, contact Sue Hameline at [email protected]. If you live in the Middlebury area, contact the Charter House Coalition at [email protected].
The American Red Cross and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 133 Valley View in Middlebury will host an American Red Cross blood drawing from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 23. Please wear a face covering, and the Red Cross thanks you for doing your part to potentially save a life. Refreshments will be provided, and you can enter to win two Super Bowl tickets. If you have any questions, contact Fernanda Wright at [email protected].
Jill Kopel is working on a community service project to start a “Field Sports Lending Shed” at the Bristol Town Recreation Fields. This equipment and gear shed would be open for anyone to access and is intended to get more people playing the sports they love, as well as trying new ones. Kopel is collecting any gently used field sports gear for use by kids or adults, including baseball gloves, bats, balls, soccer cleats, shin guards, balls, lacrosse sticks and balls, goggles, tennis rackets, field or ice hockey sticks and skates, biking helmets and basketballs. If you’d rather donate money toward this project you can donate to the Bristol Recreation Club, and please let them know it’s for this project. Email [email protected] for more information and to arrange for someone to pick up your gently used gear.
If you’re the owner of a business affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, make sure you know about the potential help — including grants and loans —  you can get from a myriad of federal programs. These are now direct programs from the federal government and not administered by the state agencies, noted Middlebury Emergency Management Director Tom Hanley. To start, check out tinyurl.com/y5tj3y74. Also, log in to tinyurl.com/y2qxsj4l for an overview of the several federally funded business economic-relief programs, including the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC), Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), Payroll Protection Program (PPP), First Draw and Second Draw, Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL), and Shuttered Venue Operators Grant (SVO).
Just a reminder that Starksboro has an Emergency Wood Bank and Heating Assistance Program. The Starksboro Wood Bank, a program of New Community Project, is a heating and fuel assistance program that serves income-eligible households in Starksboro. The program primarily supplies firewood but might be able to supply other heating fuels in emergency heating situations when funding is available. This community resource is run in coordination with HOPE (Helping Overcome Poverty’s Effects) in Middlebury. The wood bank began as a pilot project during the 2018-2019 heating season and has helped several area households during the past couple of winters to deal with short-term heating emergencies. If you or someone you know is in need of short-term emergency heating assistance, contact HOPE at 388-3608 and ask for the Starksboro Wood Bank. This is the fastest and preferred way to request a delivery if someone is in need. The Wood Bank is made possible by donations from area foundations, businesses, and local community members. If you are able to donate wood or make a financial donation of any amount, please call 434-2333 or email [email protected].