Month: January 2014

January is National Mentoring Month

January is National Mentoring Month

Posted on by Neil Allen

Happy New Year! Feels a bit late throwing that out there, but this is our first blog post of 2014. We’ll get on that this year, for reals. We hope everyone had a beautiful holiday and finding ways to stay warm during the prolonged freeze. Burrrrrr.

During our January 17th coalition meeting, we had the opportunity to hear from two amazing local organizations and discuss the power and importance of mentoring. January is National Mentoring Month. And while it’s only celebrated one month a year, the role mentoring plays in strengthening the community can be felt 24/7, 365.

Michelle Bos-Lun from Youth Services and Adrien Bagatelle from Big Brothers Big Sisters each talked about the numerous mentoring opportunities available within the Greater Falls community.

Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Windham County, a program of Youth Services, is dedicated to matching adult volunteers with children in a one-on-one mentoring relationship. There is currently a list of young people waiting to be matched with a Big and several opportunities to become a mentor. Adrien talked about a new school-based mentoring program starting up at Central Elementary School this year. Click Here to read local mentoring stories. For details, volunteer registration or to enroll a child, contact Adrien by email or calling 802.257.0361 x 138.

Youth Services provides programs and services that promote the healthy development of local youth and families in Southeastern Vermont and help them gain the skills necessary to lead constructive lives within the community. One of those programs is RAMP (Ready to Achieve Mentoring Program), a high-tech, career-focused mentoring program for youth. Area youth meet weekly to discuss life goals, career options and build community. Adults, businesses and community organizations come in to talk about their work and role within the community. Youth also have the opportunity to do site visits. Check out the video below for more information about RAMP. Interested in being volunteering? Contact Michelle by email or by calling 802.257.0361 x 120.

We are very blessed to have such passionate, dedicated people in our community. Mentoring builds trust, relationships and a connection to the community. We may only have a few more days left of January, but mentoring a young person can have profound, life-long impact.

Cheers!

Community Connection Workshop-Part 2

Community Connection Workshop-Part 2

Posted on by Neil Allen

Community Connection Workshop-Part 2
Monday, March 31. 1:00pm-3:30pm
Bellows Falls Union High School
Westminster, VT

**Update** Wow! We’ve had an amazing response and the workshop is now completely full! So, sadly, registration is now closed. If you would like to be put on the waiting list, please call Chad at 802.463.9927 ext 210**

Part 2 of this two-part workshop.This creative and participatory workshop will enhance our ability to achieve greater community connection, improved substance prevention, and increased access and affordability of food. Participation in Part 1 is strongly encouraged.

If you would like to participate in both sessions (March 3rd and 31st) and would like to be added to the waiting list, contact Chad Simmons at 802.463.9927 ext 210. We highly encourage participants attend both parts.

What’s this workshop all about? Participants will…

  • have a shared understanding of people living and working in this community by identifying assumptions that limit our work, and assets that can build our work.
  • have language, skills and direction to address risk and protective factors that contribute to problems at the community level and apply the concepts to our respective work, family and social networks.
  • be able to articulate root causes of substance abuse, hunger, and health disparities, and will have a plan for how to address those causes.
  • develop relationships that enhance collaboration built on trust, respect and shared decision making.

The workshop is FREE and all are welcome. Food and childcare will be provided.

We will release the specific times and locations by early February. Please contact Chad for more details. chad@greaterfallsconnections.org or 802.463.9927 ext 210.

This workshop is being facilitated by Angela Berkfield, Director of ACT For Social Justice.

Is Poverty Making Us Sick? Brown-Bag Lunch Webinar

Is Poverty Making Us Sick? Brown-Bag Lunch Webinar

Posted on by Neil Allen

Is Poverty Making Us Sick? Brown-Bag Lunch Webinar
Thursday, January 30. Noon-1:00pm
Parks Place (2nd Floor)
44 School St.
Bellows Falls

Is Poverty Making Us Sick?

Tracy Dolan, Deputy Commissioner of Public Health, Vermont Department of Health

Using Vermont statistics and personal stories, Deputy Commissioner Dolan will challenge our assumptions about what it means for people who live in poverty to have access to health services, and describes some of the hidden challenges people living in poverty face related to positive health behavior change.

This will be an hour-long webinar provided by Greater Falls Connections. Bring your own lunch or something to share!

For more information, contact Chad Simmons by clicking here or calling 802.463.9927 ext 210.

Community Connection Workshop-Part 1

Community Connection Workshop-Part 1

Posted on by Neil Allen

Community Connection Workshop-Part 1
Monday, March 3. 9:00am-3:00pm
Bellows Falls Union High School
Westminster, VT

**Update** Wow! We’ve had an amazing response and the workshop is now completely full! So, sadly, registration is now closed. If you would like to be put on the waiting list, please call Chad at 802.463.9927 ext 210**

We are excited to announce an upcoming workshop series, sure to create strong community. Many have asked us “when are you doing a follow-up training to the one you held in 2011?” Well, this is it and we’re digging a little deeper!

This creative and participatory workshop will enhance our ability to achieve greater community connection, improved substance prevention, and increased access and affordability of food.

To be  added to our waiting list, contact Chad Simmons at 802.463.9927 ext 210. We highly encourage participants attend both parts (Part 2 is Monday, March 31).

What’s this workshop all about? Participants will…

  • have a shared understanding of people living and working in this community by identifying assumptions that limit our work, and assets that can build our work.
  • have language, skills and direction to address risk and protective factors that contribute to problems at the community level and apply the concepts to our respective work, family and social networks.
  • be able to articulate root causes of substance abuse, hunger, and health disparities, and will have a plan for how to address those causes.
  • develop relationships that enhance collaboration built on trust, respect and shared decision making.

The workshop is FREE and all are welcome. Food and childcare will be provided.

Please contact Chad for more details. chad@greaterfallsconnections.org or 802.463.9927 ext 210.

This workshop is being facilitated by Angela Berkfield, Director of ACT For Social Justice.

Cooking and Freezing Local Food Workshop

Cooking and Freezing Local Food Workshop

Posted on by Neil Allen

Cooking and Freezing Local Food Workshop
Sunday, February 16. 1:00pm
Immanuel Episcopal Church, Bellows Falls

The workshop is free, though we always pass the hat to support our presenters.
Because of limited space, registration is required. To do so, call Tim
Stevenson, 802.869.2141.

THERE IS STILL SPACE AVAILABLE!!  CALL TO REGISTER!!

Our workshop presenter is Rachel Ware who, with her husband, runs their
AlpineGlo Farm in Westminster. Rachel will feature winter available vegetables
broccoli and carrots, and, perhaps, chicken. She will demonstrate the best way
to wash and cut up vegetables, how to simply freeze them, from blanching
through the freezing process, and then how to cook blanched vegetables by
adding them to three different recipes.Rachel will also show how to freeze the
three different prepared meals, along with best packaging and reheating
techniques.

Sponsored by the Food Security Collaborative.

The Food Security Collaborative is a project of Post Oil Solutions and is
active in the communities of Rockingham, Bellows Falls, Westminster, Saxtons
River, Cambridgeport, Grafton, and Athens. Its mission is to achieve greater
food security through the development of a garden-based local food system
resulting in enhanced civic pride, a stronger local economy, and a more
sustainable environment. For further information, contact Kari Gypson,
Collaborative Program Manager, kgypson@yahoo.co

January Coalition Gathering

January Coalition Gathering

Posted on by Neil Allen

January Coalition Gathering
Friday, January 17. 12-1:30pm
44 School St.
Bellows Falls, VT 05101

Happy New Year! As part of GFC efforts to prevent the abuse and misuse of prescription drugs, we are kicking off 2014 with stories, discussion and action surrounding local prevention efforts. Through our collective efforts, we can build community and prevent the devastating effects of Rx drug abuse.

Free, home cooked lunch will be served. All are welcome.

RSVP at our Facebook Event here.