Flood recovery donation and volunteer opportunities

OBSERVER STAFF REPORT

The flooding of July 10-11 displaced residents, flooded downtowns, destroyed homes, businesses, roads and farms, triggered mudslides and left layers of mud, rubble and property damage throughout the State of Vermont.

Below is a compilation of ways to help, from donating money and supplies to volunteering for cleanup efforts.

FILL A FLOOD BUCKET

The Williston Federated Church is assembling “flood buckets” to help with clean up around the state. The church seeks help from community members to fill buckets with laundry detergent, bottled dish soap, scrub brushes, work gloves and N95 masks, among other items. Donations of money and supplies will be accepted. Drop-off will be Saturday, July 22, from 9-11 a.m. in the church parking lot at 44 North Williston Rd.

Contact Carol at (802) 8627400 for more information.

FLOOD RECOVERY VOLUNTEER

OPPORTUNITIES

This list is compiled by the Peace and Justice Center in Burl- ington.

• Vermont Emergency Management (https://vem.vermont.gov)

• Montpelier Alive (https://forms. gle/aW7btCR9uJhjxkef8)

• Vermonters Affected by Flooding (https://www.vermont.gov/ volunteer)

ORGANIZATIONS

ACCEPTING DONATIONS

This list is compiled by the Peace and Justice Center in Burlington.

• NOFA-VT’s Farmer Emergency Fund (https://www.nofavt. org/donate-now)

• Intervale Recovery Fund

(www.intervale.org/donate)

• Center for Agricultural Economy Vermont Farm Fund (tinyurl.com/CAEvtfarmfund)

• The Vermont Community Fund (https://www.vermontcf. org/our-impact/programs-andfunds/vt-flood-response/)

• Realtor Relief Foundation (https://bit.ly/3rnue6r)

Two Montpelier nonprofit organizations — Montpelier Alive and the Montpelier Foundation have joined forces to create the Montpelier Strong Recovery

Fund. The fund will assist Montpelier downtown businesses in cleanup and rebuilding. Montpelier was one of the hardest-hit areas of the July 10 floods.

“This flood event has absolutely devastated our beloved downtown,” said Sarah Jarvis, chair of the Montpelier Foundation. “Without immediate and generous financial support, the small businesses that our community depends upon will not be able to reopen.”

The Montpelier Strong Recovery Fund will provide grants to downtown businesses. The fund will be administered by a see RECOVERY page 3 continued from page 2 committee that has been created by the two organizations. have joined forces to raise money for the Vermont Flood Response & Recovery Fund. Donations to this special fund will be accepted through Sunday, July 23 at www.vermontpublic. org/recovery or by calling 800639-6391. the Federal Communications Commission permitting the station to use its airwaves to raise funds for another organization.

Donations to the Montpelier Strong Recovery Fund can be made through the web sites of either organization, www.montpelieralive.com and www.montpelierfoundation.org. All donations are tax-deductible, and 100 percent of contributions will be distributed to flood victims.

The Vermont Community Foundation created the fund to support emergency needs, families, farms, businesses and communities that were affected across the state and will help the foundation work with nonprofits, state government, relief organizations and other partners working on Vermont’s recovery.

Vermont Public and the Vermont Community Foundation

Vermont Public applied for and received a special waiver from

“Giving to the VT Flood Response & Recovery Fund will help address needs in every corner of our state as the full scale of the flood’s impact emerges in the days, weeks and months ahead,” said Dan Smith, president and CEO of the Vermont Community Foundation. “We appreciate every gift that helps us build on the incredible generosity we are already seeing as neighbors help neighbors and residents rally to assist local farmers, business owners and people in need.”