Facing our challenges together

Late-afternoon sunlight breaks through onto Fletcher Schoolhouse Road in Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

When faced with difficult times, Vermonters rise to the challenge and support each other. That's certainly been a strong theme this year during the pandemic, here in New England and elsewhere.

Today, I wanted to highlight a wonderful example of this a bit farther away from home, in the small town of Berry Creek, California. There, a father and his young daughter provided temporary housing for volunteer firefighters who lost their homes to wildfires last month. Actually, Woody Faircloth and his daughter, Luna, have been fulfilling that need since 2018, when they founded a nonprofit that supplies donated RVs for emergency housing, in response to the devastating Camp Fire.

One of the most touching parts of this recent CNN story is no doubt captured in this line: "Even with their own homes gone, the (firefighters) pushed on, evacuating neighbors and battling back the blaze."

Nothing captures the American spirit of love, courage and helping your neighbor, like a story about these firefighters and the people who helped them at their time of need. Today, with the country going through so many challenges, this account is a much-needed reminder of our natural dedication to helping one another. It shows that love and compassion still win out, even in the toughest of times.

— Gareth Henderson