SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER
“YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU’RE ORGANIZED TO TAKE” BOOK DISCUSSION
Listen to excerpts and discuss passages from You Only Get What You’re Organized to Take by The Rev. Dr Liz Theoharis & Noam Sandweiss-Back. This virtual event is on Monday, September 8 and Monday, October 6, from 5:30 – 7pm.
No prior reading required, RSVP to receive the Google Meet link, AND scans and recordings of the first chapter!
| “YOU ONLY GET WHAT YOU’RE ORGANIZED TO TAKE” BOOK DISCUSSION |
| Listen to excerpts and discuss passages from You Only Get What You’re Organized to Take by The Rev. Dr Liz Theoharis & Noam Sandweiss-Back. This virtual event is on Monday, September 8 and Monday, October 6, from 5:30 – 7pm. No prior reading required, RSVP to receive the Google Meet link, AND scans and recordings of the first chapter! |
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| NEKO is also sponsoring a DEMO DERBY CAR! Come watch at 1pm on Sunday and cheer our car on! |
| ORLEANS COUNTY FAIR – TABLING AND DEMO DERBY |
| NEKO will be at the Orleans County Fair from Friday, September 5 through Sunday, September 7. We’re looking for volunteers to help table! All volunteers get a free entrance ticket to the fair. If you have any questions, please email [email protected] |
| HOSPITAL RALLY – SEPTEMBER 6 |
| For the Non-Violent Medicaid Army’s (NVMA) Day of Action, the Vermont Workers’ Center and NEKO are rallying to Keep Health Care Local, and support North Country Hospital! Hospitals, and access to quality, affordable health care, are critical to our rural communities. While the hospitals remain open, we’re already seeing cuts to services and threats to programming. Make your voice heard on Saturday, September 6, at 11am at 222 Main St., Newport VT! Community meal will be served after rally and march. |
| Canvass with NEKO and VWC Tuesday, September 2, from 3:30-5:30 pm to identify leaders, rally speakers, and hear first-hand accounts about health care access from Newport residents. Meet at St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in downtown Newport at 3:30pm. No experience necessary! All canvassing starts with a half hour training, followed by an hour of knocking on doors, and then a half hour debrief. |
| SAVE THE DATE: MEMBERSHIP ASSEMBLY – OCTOBER 18! |
| Save the date for NEKO’s 3rd annual Membership Assembly! Every fall we gather together new and longtime NEKO members to:Elect representatives to our Executive Council.Share stories and identify common interests and goals.Reflect on a year’s work and strategize for the year ahead.Celebrate and share a meal together! |
| This year’s political education will be on the intersection of class and rural culture and will be co-facilitated by NEKO leader and member Jean Marie Pearce, and by Anne Sosin, Interim Director of Vermont Affordable Housing Coalition and Professor of Anthropology at Dartmouth. |
| GREAT, BIG, BARTON SWAP! |
| Need a new winter coat – or have one to spare? Maybe a lamp that you no longer need? Bring them down for the Great, Big, Barton Swap! We’re collecting household items, clothes in good, clean condition, and non-parishable food items at the Barton Hub on the following days: Tuesday, September 16, noon – 3pmThursday, September 18, noon – 3pmFriday, September 19, noon – 7pm Then, join us for the GREAT BIG BARTON SWAP on Saturday, September 20, from 10 – 5pm at the Barton Hub! Questions? Call Sarah at (802) 495-1211. |
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| CAMPAIGN HIGHLIGHTS |
| ELDER CAUCUS |
| The Elder Caucus is hosting a dinner and conversation about Community Land Trusts! This is an opportunity to learn about three different community-led solutions to housing in the NEK. Hosted at the Barton Hub, 17 Village Square, Barton VT on Monday, September 22, from 5 – 7pm. Potluck dinner contributions are welcome, but not required to participate. Thank you to Headwaters Community Trust, Glover Community Trust, and Cooperation Vermont for joining us! |
| TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE |
| NEKO has held house meetings, door knocking, and listening sessions in Glover, Barton, and Orleans, to design a bus route that connects people to meals, groceries, outings, health care, and one another. Join us Tuesday, 9/16, for our final meeting in Barton to workshop the latest version of the route that goes from Barton to Glover to Derby and back. At the meeting, we’ll talk about pickup dates, times, and locations before bringing our design to RCT. |
| AUGUST HIGHLIGHTS |
| BARTON CELEBRATES! |
| The Second Annual Barton Celebrates History & Resiliency Week was an incredible success, thanks to the amazing community partners that made it possible. From Friday night’s Kickball Kickoff, to Saturday’s Taste of Barton and concert, and Sunday’s Barton History walk and picnic at the Brick Kingdom Trails! |
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| Ashley Jane’s Hootennany played the night away |
| We are so grateful to everyone who made it happen, and who came out to show their love of Barton! |
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| 40 people showed up at the Crystal Lake Falls Historical Society picnic and Barton Village walking tour! |
| RESILIENCE HUB TOOLKIT PRESENTATION |
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| Jess & Lena (Community Resilience Organizations) and Meghan presented the Resilience Hub Toolkit at VCRD’s summit. |
| NEKO has been working on a Resilience Hub Toolkit for the last year with CROS and other statewide grassroots partners, and now we’re bringing it to your community! The Toolkit has been presented in Marshfield, Plainfield, Wheelock Mountain Farm, and at the Vermont Council on Rural Development’s annual Leadership Summit. If you’re interested in building up a hub in your community, reach out to Meghan @ [email protected]! |
| JOIN A COMMITTEE! |
| Committees are an integral part of NEKO, where members help steer our work. You can join our upcoming committee meetings by clicking the link, or email audrey@nekorganizing. |
| Communications Committee (online) – Monday, Sept. 8, 2 – 3:15Membership Committee (online) – Monday, Sept. 15, 3:30 – 5 |