How far we’ve come
At Friday’s Community Heroes concert, it was moving to thoughtfully consider what was accomplished and honor the sacrifices people made, week after week, amid the uncertainty of 2020.
Kat Wright and The Indomitable Soul Band perform at the Community Heroes Concert last Friday at the East End Park in Woodstock, Vt. From left are Leon Campos, Kat Wright, Phil Rodriguez, Josh Weinstein and Bob Wagner. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
After we’ve completed a great accomplishment, one often looks back in awe, and says, “Wow, I did that.’”
The greater Woodstock region had such a moment last Friday at the Community Heroes Concert, organized by Pentangle Arts, as it celebrated the work so many did over the past 18 months to help the community during the pandemic. It was special, and also moving, to thoughtfully consider what was accomplished and honor the sacrifices people made, week after week, amid the uncertainty of 2020.
The heartfelt moments of the past year and half were many, and Sherry Sousa, WCSU superintendent in Woodstock, remembered when students and parents held a parade in Woodstock Village to thank the educators for their long hours during the pandemic. Educators were on the Green, as the parade graced the village.
“That moved us in so many ways, and teachers were in tears,” Sousa said in her remarks at the Friday concert, addressing well over 200 people. “So we met today as a full faculty for the first time, in the auditorium with our masks on, and I will tell you, your teachers are ready for you to arrive, and we are ready to be in school full time, and we can’t wait to have everyone back on Wednesday.”
From left: Jill Davies of the Woodstock Area Relief Fund; Beth Robinson, grants coordinator for the Ottauquechee Health Foundation; WCSU Superintendent Sherry Sousa; Deanna Jones, executive director of the Thompson Senior Center; and Dr. Claire Drebitko of the Ottauquechee Health Center. Farthest to the right, Alita Wilson, executive director of Pentangle Arts, announces the speakers. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
That Wednesday, that first day of school, is now arriving in Woodstock. And it’s a testament to the progress made during this life-changing time of the pandemic. Teachers, first responders, grocery store clerks, health care workers, municipal staff, volunteers, and countless others all played a role in getting us to this proud moment.
In her remarks on Friday, Dr. Claire Drebitko, a local pediatrician at the Ottauquechee Health Center, thanked community members for following public health protocols over the past year and getting vaccinated.
“I think I speak for everyone at the Health Center, when I say we have felt incredibly grateful to this community for doing such a wonderful job of taking care of one another,” Drebitko said.
Deanna Jones, executive director of the Thompson Senior Center, noted “the community stepped forward in so many ways” to help seniors over the past 18 months.
Helping each other was a continuous theme throughout Friday evening, including after Kat Wright and the Indomitable Soul Band took to the stage. Wright, who’s lived in Vermont for 12 years, thanked everyone for being there for their neighbors and the community.
“I don’t think we’ve ever been more proud to be from Vermont than during the past year and a half,” she told the crowd.
Part of the crowd at the Community Heroes Concert in Woodstock. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Many of us share that sentiment when looking at how Vermont responded to the slew of challenges the pandemic brought, including those who moved to ease the towering economic burden businesses and individuals faced. Along those lines: For the Woodstock Area Relief Fund formed last year, 46 volunteers and hundreds of donors gave their support to raise funds for individuals and families struggling financially during the pandemic. Over $820,000 was raised and given to over 240 families and individuals, said Jill Davies, one of the fund’s organizers.
Throughout Vermont, even as the crisis deepened, more and more stories of community support came out. We all have a story about how we’ve helped someone, and been helped, during this unprecedented time in our lives. As 2021 continues, we’ll undoubtedly keep looking back — there’s always more to learn, and it’s important to consider the lessons we carry forward. In many ways, this period of time has supplied us with awareness of struggles we hadn’t known about before, some of which happen daily. In some aspects, we’ve also learned about ways we can help others.
Speaking to Friday’s crowd, Beth Robinson, grants coordinator for the Ottauquechee Health Foundation, spoke about working with the Woodstock Community Food Shelf, the Thompson Senior Center and others to get assistance to those in need. However, Robinson pointed out that there’s always a need for this help:
“Before you leave tonight, just keep this thought in your mind: There are people in our communities, every day of every year, who need our help. So keep your eyes and ears open.”
Though a huge amount of progress has been made against the pandemic, we’ll still need each other in the coming weeks and months. Financial impacts loom large, individuals and businesses face challenges, and the colder months will eventually arrive. We must remain aware of opportunities to help our neighbors, and act on them. The more we continue that work, the more our communities will benefit.
— Gareth Henderson
The Eames Brothers were the opening band at last Friday’s concert. (Gareth Henderson Photo)
Frontline workers honored
As Vermont headed into Labor Day Weekend, Gov. Phil Scott recognized workers on the front lines during the pandemic.
A view from Fletcher Hill Road in Woodstock, Vermont (Gareth Henderson Photo)
As the state of Vermont headed into Labor Day Weekend, Gov. Phil Scott recognized those workers on the front lines of the efforts to keep people safe and sustain the economy during the pandemic.
Scott noted that this time of year honors the workers who keep the economy and our communities going. But as we all know, 2020 is an unprecedented time.
"This year, I especially want to recognize the frontline heroes of this once-in-a-century health emergency," Scott said in a Friday statement, including "the nurses, custodians, grocery store workers, childcare providers, and all of those who have helped to keep Vermont one of the safest states in the country during one of most uncertain times many of us can remember."
Vermont continues to have the lowest COVID-19 infection rate in the U.S., and Scott said achieving that result is a statewide effort.
“Our success has been earned by the labor of so many Vermonters: Those who volunteered to deliver lunches to students at home, spent their own money to make homemade masks to distribute to frontline workers, our teachers and school employees getting ready for the start of the school year, and those who have found ways to do their work from home to slow the spread and protect our most vulnerable," Scott said.
Still, this Labor Day Weekend comes at a time when many are still out of a job due to COVID-19, as the governor noted. State data shows 40,000 people are receiving unemployment benefits. Leading up to the long weekend, officials in Vermont and other states have again encouraged people to wear masks, follow social distancing, keep their hands washed, and stay home when not feeling well. That’s not only the road to better public health; it's the road to reopening further.
"Being smart this weekend will help make sure we can continue to responsibly reopen our economy so these hardworking Vermonters can get back to work. So, while we celebrate this weekend, please do so responsibly," Scott said. “Let’s continue to show the nation that by listening to the data and science, and working together, we will get through this unprecedented time."
— Gareth Henderson