“(After the floods), NEKO re-deployed their staff to focus on neighbors helping neighbors and helping to foster cross community connections to mitigate the impacts of the horrific flooding in Orleans County. NEKO helped get dumpsters available in the Barton area to help with debris and damage removal where municipalities were stretched thin to provide these services. NEKO received information on the 211 reports of damage in Orleans County and (worked towards) receiving FEMA designation to help underinsured Vermonters and other households secure resources that will enable them to successfully move forward in this time of great uncertainty.
I want to highlight the true power of community engagement and reaching out to people at the neighborhood level and how this can have significant gains as we advance both public health priorities and public health/emergency response activities. With both a full heart and as a Barton resident flooded in this most recent event, I want to pass along my gratitude for these significant efforts.”
-Tin (Justin) Barton-Caplin, MPH, MHA; District Director of the Office of Local Health and Barton resident
