"The Vermont House"
The Vermont House is a project of the Vermont Faith Community to build a house in Mississippi . Originally organized by members of the Williston Federated Church the work team consists of members of 12 different Vermont Churches.
There are 70 volunteers filling 83 slots over three weeks (some are going for more than one week) to build a house in Jackson County, Mississippi. They have raised close to $45,000 for the construction. This is part of an ongoing effort to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina.
Several members of our Church left Saturday, Oct. 25th for a week working on this project, and one member went the following week. The project has a "blog" (commentary and pictures of the project).
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD
One man's vision for easing the sadness of hunger in the Islands continues to benefit our communities through the food collection process at our church. Each week, the contents of WALLY'S BASKET are collected, weighed and delivered to the Food Bank for Grand Isle/Franklin Counties, located in St. Joseph Church in Grand Isle. For those of us somewhat insulated from the knowledge that such a need exists here, it is a surprise to see several families awaiting the arrival of the food and the person who coordinates its distribution.
We exceeded our 2007 goal of 3000 pounds with 3100 Lbs! with the generous assistance of Keeler's Bay Variety, which contributed over 150 lbs. Not included in our goal, the Church also provided, via Hackett's Orchard - over 1800 lbs of apples and 250 lbs of potatoes. Wally's Basket helped arrange the donation of cereal from the A&B Store to the food shelf over $800. At an estimated retail value of $2.05/lb, our 3100 lbs was worth more than $6000! Our church continues to supply over 85% of the total food needs for the Grand Isle Food Shelf - something of which we all can be proud!
Our goal for this year is 3500 lbs, which averages out to 292 lbs needed on a monthly basis. To date we have collected 876 lbs, so we are already "behind." Consider adding a few items each week to your grocery cart: juices, peanut butter, canned soups, canned fruits and vegetables, and then drop it in Wally's Basket when you attend Sunday services. Make it a habit!
We are so grateful for your continued support and generosity.