Woodstock Area Relief Fund - Farm & Wilderness

This letter comes to us from Farm & Wilderness community members Jim and Mac Berkman and Tesha Buss and explains a great way to support our town of Plymouth and the surrounding areas.

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We are writing to you today representing a group of Plymouth volunteers trying to get the word out about the Woodstock Area Relief Fund: COVID-19 (WARF: COVID-19), serving Plymouth, Woodstock, Bridgewater, Barnard, Pomfret, Killington, and Reading. The Fund provides immediate and timely financial assistance to individuals and families in the greater Woodstock area who are unable to meet their basic household needs for food, medicine, and shelter due to the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 crisis.

A few things you should know about our efforts:

• The fund is 100% supported by private donors and managed by a team of impassioned local volunteers, dedicated to distributing grants to individuals and families in need as quickly as possible.
• Residents of all the towns listed above are eligible for funds.
• All applications and donations are confidential.
• All Windsor Central Supervisory Union area residents are currently eligible for one-time funds of up to $1,000 to assist with basic household needs that arise as a result of the COVID-19 crisis (food, medicine, shelter) not covered by other local, state or federal relief programs.

This crisis is like no other in our lifetimes – all of our lives are affected, whether you catch the virus or are simply staying at home. In a small town like Plymouth, imagine the challenges faced by neighbors – some of whom have lost their jobs on top of all this – who worry about feeding their children, paying their rent, or being able to afford medicine to keep their family healthy.

As of today, we have received $250,000 and about 100 applications. We are asking any of you in our Plymouth community – both primary and secondary homeowners – to help us reach our goal of $500,000 with a donation to the Fund in any amount that you can afford, as well as to spread the word so that all who might want to apply for assistance know how to go about it.

To make a donation, visit www.woodstockarearelieffund.org. Donations can be made by credit or debit card, or by check payable to Woodstock Area Relief Fund (WARF) and mailed to PO Box 802, Woodstock, VT 05091. The Woodstock Area Relief Fund: COVID-19 is administered by the Woodstock Community Trust, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. All contributions are tax-deductible.

To apply to the Fund, please visit www.woodstockarearelieffund.org for a simple application page.

Your friends and neighbors in Plymouth and the surrounding towns are deeply grateful for your help in getting the word out about WARF-COVID-19, both for donations to the Fund and applications for assistance from it.

Stay safe & healthy!

Karen Bruyn          Tesha Buss          Jim & McKey Berkman