Unexpected generosity

A few holiday decorations in downtown Woodstock, Vermont. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

Many times, it's tough to find the good amid all the challenges happening in the world today. That's why it's a joy to point out a bright spot when one comes across the radar.

A story in The Washington Post recently was a reminder of how a situation can turn into a blessing unexpectedly. It was about a couple who had to cancel some big wedding plans due to COVID-19, got married at Chicago’s city hall, and ended up with a non-refundable catering deposit. They decided to donate the $5,000 to provide 200 Thanksgiving meals for people with severe mental illness. A spokesperson for the nonprofit that received the dinners said the meals helped fill a void at a time when the group's regular communal dinners were canceled because of the pandemic. This gift provided a bright light in a dark time when hopes seems scarce. Because of this generosity, people were able to hope a little more this Thanksgiving.

This was another shining example of how the unexpected isn't always a bad thing, especially this year. Many times, nonprofits have seen support come in from sources you couldn’t have predicted. This is another one to add to that list. Such examples of generosity, kindness and provision have kept us inspired in 2020, and that pattern is likely to keep on going in 2021. It's a safe bet we'll see many more examples of people spreading good in our communities when it's needed most.

— Gareth Henderson

Staying cautious

Matt Powers, executive director of the Woodstock History Center in Woodstock, Vermont, moves some items back into the center’s office on Friday. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

As Vermont continues to gradually reopen, a number of organizations are cautiously navigating that road. Buildings with multiple uses can make it a tougher balancing act.  

That’s where the Woodstock History Center finds itself. Museums, galleries and libraries fall under the state’s retail protocol, and the History Center has each of those functions under its roof, as Executive Director Matt Powers noted.

The center does not have a firm reopening date yet, but just last Friday, it began a gradual effort to move staff back into the building.

“We’re going really slow and being very thoughtful about how we’re going to do it,” Powers said in a recent interview.

For example, the new work scheduling will include no more than three staff members in the facility at a time. New protocols will include temperature checks as well, as required by the state. The center has also bought masks and will have hand-sanitizing stations. Keeping historical items and spaces clean, in accordance with COVID-19 guidelines, is a whole other set of rules the organization is still figuring out, Powers said.

While it remains closed to the public, the organization will continue to do curbside donations of historical items, and by appointment only. Research requests are now only taken online. As for the back lawn area, signage is upcoming that encourages masks and social distancing. 

The center has started to feel the financial impact of the pandemic in recent weeks, with fewer parking space rentals and a decline in e-memberships, Powers said. The organization did not have its annual spring appeal this year.

“We’ve been financially okay up until fairly recently,” Powers said.

The History Center previously set up a cash reserve fund, which Powers said has been helpful.

“All of our staff is working right now, thankfully,” he said.

Like many workplaces, the History Center employees have been working remotely and meeting regularly on Zoom.

“The most important thing has been focusing on the health of the staff and trying to keep them busy,” said Powers, who has six employees there. “Everyone has been really pleasant and patient.”

Fortunately the work has been there. The center’s team has been working on installing four major exhibits, adding virtual tours to the website (which has already been in the works), and also considering changes to the scenic lawn area by the river, including adding more interpretive functions and wayfinding.

“If our doors are closed, we need to be doing things outside,” Powers said.

A big priority has been working out how to accommodate library rentals in order to keep that income, Powers said. Also, the organization is seeking grants to help keep things running.

He noted the importance of what Vermont’s museums offer visitors.

“We are cultural drivers of the economy,” Powers said. “People aren’t going halfway across the world to go to the best T-shirt shops.”

But fulfilling that cultural mission will look different this year. Powers has been talking with other historical societies and also regional and national groups to exchange ideas and gain advice. He said the Norwich Historical Society is another group which has a multi-use facility as well. 

“We’re all hoping to break even,” Powers said.  

Early on, he said, a lot of similar nonprofits struggled to know when to seek assistance, since the focus was understandably on more significant needs like food and unemployment. But Powers remembered a webinar in which an expert with a national organization encouraged historical societies and similar organizations to seek the help they needed. 

“She said, ‘You’re part of the local orchestra, just like everybody else.’”

— Gareth Henderson