Commons, Groundworks present community conversation on homelessness
BRATTLEBORO - The Commons and Groundworks Collaborative will host another Voices Live! community conversation on homelessness on Thursday, Feb. 2, from 6 to 7:30 p.m., at the River Garden on Main Street.
The discussion will include what will happen next for the Seasonal Overflow Shelter, Great River Terrace (Lamplighter Project), and the Groundworks Drop In Center, as well as an update on other issues around homelessness in the Brattleboro area.
A panel of local community leaders will be moderated by Randy Holhut, deputy editor of The Commons. Panelists from Groundworks Collaborative, the town of Brattleboro, Windham & Windsor Housing Trust, and Brooks Memorial Library will discuss the use of Brattleboro's public spaces and what goes into creating a healthy town.
This is a continuation of the public conversations on homelessness that began at The Works in 2015. Light refreshments will be provided. All members of the public are welcome.
Auditors' Reports now available
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro Town and Town School District Auditors' Reports for fiscal year ending June 30, 2016, are available upon request and may be picked up at the Town Clerk's office, 230 Main St.
The Auditors' Reports also will be available as part of the Town and School District Annual Report, which will be available at the Town Clerk's office no later than Feb. 24.
Based on a vote at Representative Town Meeting in 2010, the Town will no longer mail the Auditors' Reports to all voters of the town. Therefore, persons interested in obtaining a copy of the Auditors' Reports should contact the Brattleboro Town Clerk at 802-251-8157.
Copies are available on the town website or for pick up, and may also be transmitted electronically or sent by first class mail.
Local Love Brigade hosts postcard party at Gallery Walk
BRATTLEBORO - The Dianich Gallery invites the community to be part of The Local Love Brigade and stop by during Gallery Walk on Friday, Feb. 3, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., to make postcards to send out in an avalanche of love to support victims of hate. “You will be part of a movement that has begun to illuminate the power of fierce love,” organizers said in a news release.
Plenty of card-making materials will be on hand, plus cookies “made with love.” Ann Braden, the founder of The Local Love Brigade, will speak about its mission at 6 p.m. A ukulele flash mob singing love songs will arrive at 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome, including children.
The Dianich Gallery is located in the Hooker-Dunham Building, 139 Main St., down the alley and through the glass doors.
Through the month of February, the Dianich Gallery will be open for Love Brigade postcard-making on Fridays from 3 to 5 p.m., as well as during lunchtime on Valentine's Day.
Workshop offers effective communication strategies for caregivers
BRATTLEBORO - On Thursday, Feb. 9, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., Brattleboro Area Hospice and the Vermont Alzheimer's Association will host “Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia: Effective Communication Strategies for Caregivers.” The event will take place at the Gathering Place at 30 Terrace St. This event is free and the public is encouraged to attend.
This free program will explore how to communicate with someone who has Alzheimer's and will help participants learn to decode the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia and identify strategies for connecting and communicating at each stage of the disease.
For more information, or to RSVP, please contact Patty Dunn, Hospice Program Coordinator at 802-257-0775, ext.102, or email patty.dunn@brattleborohospice.org.
Space available in Bellows Falls' historic Exner Block
BELLOWS FALLS - Storefronts are available for rent in the Exner Block on Canal Street in downtown Bellows Falls. Suggested uses are studio, gallery, retail, and office space. Heat, rubbish removal, and storage space are included with a square footage of 250-400 square feet. Cost is $300 per month.
For more information, contact the Rockingham Arts and Museum Project at 802-463-3252, or email ramp@sover.net with “Exner Block” in the subject line.
United Way invites Community Impact Grant applications
BRATTLEBORO - The United Way of Windham County is creating “HOPE” in Windham County by investing in health, opportunity, prosperity, and education initiatives.
The organization's annual Community Impact Grant priorities align with the 14 community outcomes related to these areas, which can be found online at www.unitedwaywindham.org. All nonprofit organizations with programs related to these priorities that serve Windham County are invited to apply for a Community Impact Grant.
Applicants providing Basic Needs may apply for up to $2,500, and programs aligning to the 12 additional outcomes may apply for up to $10,000. The funding of successful applications will begin on July 1, 2017.
To help Windham County nonprofits learn about the organization's target community outcomes, updated online grant application, and the application review process, the United Way of Windham County will hold two Grant Seeker Forums on Feb. 2, from noon to 1:30 p.m., at the United Way office at 1 Holstein Place in Brattleboro, and on Feb. 9, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Parks Place, 44 School St,, Bellows Falls.
Attendance at one of these “lunch and learn” sessions is not mandatory, but organizations who have never applied for funding are strongly encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be provided and participants are invited to bring their lunch. The next Community Impact grant deadline is March 15, and complete eligibility information and a grant timeline can be found on the United Way of Windham County's website.
For more information or to RSVP for a Grant Seeker Forum, contact Sue Graff, UWWC community investment director, at 802-257-4011, ext. 113, or sue@unitedwaywindham.org.
Grace Cottage offers fall-prevention program
TOWNSHEND - While it's true that advancing age increases the risk of falling, falling doesn't have to be a normal part of aging. If you or someone you know has fallen or had an “almost” fall, then Grace Cottage's Fall Prevention Program may be beneficial.
The Fall Prevention Program begins with an initial assessment to determine one's risk factors, the issues that are most likely to lead to a fall. Licensed professionals, including a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, and a pharmacist, gather information about any previous falls, any changes in medication, and potential hazards in the home.
The assessment also involves taking a pertinent medical history, evaluating mobility, sensation, and cognitive ability, and conducting a series of simple movements to test balance, muscle strength, and gait. This initial assessment takes about two and a half hours, and if any needs are identified, a treatment plan will be developed.
Participants need a referral from a primary care provider or other physician. The risk-assessment summary and any treatment plans that are developed will be sent to the referring provider so that he or she will be fully informed and involved. Most insurance carriers will cover fall-risk assessments and fall-prevention therapeutic visits.
To learn more about the Grace Cottage Fall Prevention Program, or to make an appointment, call 802-365-3637.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides free tax assistance and preparation
BRATTLEBORO - Assistance for taxpayers with low and moderate income, with special attention to those 60 and older, is available from AARP Foundation Tax-Aide from early February through the middle of April. You don't need to be a member of AARP or a retiree to use this service.
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide volunteers, trained in cooperation with the Internal Revenue Service, will offer help with personal income tax returns at various locations in the Brattleboro area.
Free tax assistance is available, by appointment only, at the following locations: Brattleboro Senior Center, Mondays and Thursdays, 802-257-7570; Community Bible Chapel, Wednesdays, 802-257-1594; VFW, Mondays, 802-246-7252; and the Bellows Falls Senior Center, Tuesdays and Thursdays, 802-463-3907.
Town ADA Committee seeks more community involvement
BRATTLEBORO - The Brattleboro town ADA Committee is looking for more people to join them in helping the town become more disability-aware and disability-friendly.
Committee members say the meetings, which deal with all issues that relate to the Americans with Disabilities Act, are easy-going, focused, and interesting. People with all abilities and disabilities are welcome.
The committee's accomplishments in the past year include distributing posters on the importance of clearing sidewalks in residential areas and setting up a table during Gallery Walk to talk to visitors about disability issues. In addition, a page is planned for the Brattleboro.org town website posting information on all the wheelchair-accessible venues available for use by the public.
The committee encourages everyone to come to a meeting and share ideas on what work needs to be done here in Brattleboro. Meetings are held the second Friday of each month, at 10 a.m., in the Hannah Cosman Room of the Municipal Center (230 Main St.)