Following the anniversaries of intense flooding to much of Vermont including Plainfield, another storm event in the NEK has caused significant damage. With this stark reminder of repeated flooding events as the backdrop, all Plainfield community members are invited to gather at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard on Monday July 28th, for a free community dinner and the opportunity to be an active participant in sharing and developing ideas for the future vitality, quality of life, and prosperity of Plainfield.
The Vermont Council on Rural Development (VCRD) in partnership with local volunteers invites all members of the Plainfield community, including those displaced from the 2023 and 2024 flooding, to come together for community forums and a free community dinner.
The goal of these forums is to bring together all Plainfield residents, organizations, business owners, youth and students and partners in an open, inclusive dialogue to build connections and identify actions for future efforts. This event is the first step of the Plainfield Forward Resilient Communities process — a three-part series of facilitated discussions coordinated by VCRD to brainstorm ideas for the future, identify top priorities for Plainfield, and connect to key resources to take action.
The first event on July 28th will begin with a community conversation and visioning for the future. A dinner with live music will follow, and attendees will engage in smaller interactive forums to discuss what is working well, identify challenges in the community, and offer ideas and opportunities to take action.
The event will be held at the Haybarn Theater at The Creative Campus at Goddard, 123 Pitkin Road. All community members are invited to join any of the following sessions that they are interested in.
- 4:30-6:00 pm – Community Conversation and Vision for the Future
- 6:00-7:00 pm – Free community dinner catered by the Creative Campus with live music
- 7:00-8:00 pm – Forum: Housing
- 7:00-8:00 pm – Forum: Vitality: People & Pride of Place
- 7:00-8:00 pm – Virtual Zoom Forum for all topic areas
- 8:00-9:00 pm – Forum: Roads, Infrastructure and Access
- 8:00-9:00 pm – Forum: Community Spaces and Events
Can’t join in person? Watch the 4:30 pm Community Conversation via ORCA Media’s livestream and/or join a separate Zoom forum at 7-8 pm. Find the link to join at Plainfield Forward on July 28th.
Community members can also share their ideas through an online survey. More details on the event and the survey can be found at Plainfield Forward. Childcare will be provided during the community conversation and forums. Anyone needing help with transportation to the event should contact Laura Cavin Bailey at 802-234-1646 or [email protected].
Steps two and three of the three-step process will take place on September 17th and October 16th when community members will come back together to champion action ideas, set priorities, and begin to take action on the top priorities or initiatives. A team of technical and financial resource providers will join the community in the final step to help support the work to create action plans to move the priorities forward.
VCRD, invited by the selectboard, will provide the overall structure and neutral facilitation throughout the Plainfield Forward process. VCRD’s Resilient Communities Program supports three to five communities each year working on local climate action solutions that help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, lower energy use, increase climate resilience, and/or strengthen the local climate economy.
For more information, visit Plainfield Forward, or contact Laura at 802-223-1646 or [email protected].