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The HUB

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    The HUB
  • Project Header Text:

    The HUB
  • Project Team Members:
    • Project Team Member Name: Nicola Auriema
    • Project Team Member Name: Martin Copenhaver
    • Project Team Member Name: Beth Hunt
    • Project Team Member Name: Marian Koetsier, Project Team Member Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Project Updates:
    • Project Update:

      February 2026 Update

      The HUB is receiving more requests for help with heating bills as many applicants are seeing price increases of 20%. Organizationally, we welcome volunteers  Nicola Auriema, Martin Copenhaver, and Beth Hunt to the Leadership team. 

      We’ll be holding The HUB Celebration in May for friends of The HUB.  You are all invited…May 27, Focus Gallery @5.30pm. 

      See the feature article about The HUB in the spring edition of Woodstock Magazine.
  • About:

    Struggling to make rent after an unexpected car repair? Dealing with job loss and finding it hard to afford groceries? Rising childcare costs straining your budget or monthly bills feeling overwhelming? The HUB has your back.

    We are a community-funded organization with a simple mission: to bring you a compassionate and confidential safety net when you are struggling to make ends meet. We step in to provide direct support for essentials like rent, childcare, heating, and transportation and get you back on your feet.

    With trusted partnerships, we also offer a roadmap to long-term security, guiding you toward additional resources that help you build a stable future.

    Apply To The HUB Now
  • The Challenge:

    Amid Vermont’s beautiful landscapes and close-knit communities, financial vulnerability often goes unseen. The appearance of prosperity can mask the daily struggle that many families and individuals face to make ends meet. 

    For many, a single unexpected event—a medical emergency, job loss, or essential car repairs—can jeopardize access to necessities: housing, food, and warmth. The anxiety of choosing which bills to pay or sacrificing groceries to cover rent is felt by hundreds of people in our community.

    Financial insecurity isn’t always visible, but its impact runs deep. It can strain family bonds, affect children’s well-being, and lead to feelings of isolation. One bill setback can domino into unforgivable debt, homelessness, and cause chronic hardship.

    That’s where The HUB comes in.
  • The Solution:

    By directly paying essential bills, The HUB alleviates stress on  families and individuals, allowing them to move forward without having to choose between today’s needs and tomorrow’s security. 

    But our support doesn’t stop with immediate relief. 

    The HUB’s dedicated volunteer Case Advocates partner confidentially with each applicant to create a plan that lays the groundwork for lasting stability. Through collaborations with local, regional, and state organizations, we extend a network of support that strengthens not just individuals, but the entire community.

    The HUB’s valued partners include: Ottauquechee Health Foundation, Barnard Helping Hands, Bridgewater Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Faulkner Fund, Pivotal Steps and Plymouth Memory Tree.

    If you would like to learn more, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
  • The Impact:

    Since our founding in 2022, The HUB has been here to meet personal and community-wide crises with heart and action. When the devastating floods struck Vermont in 2023, The HUB and our community mobilized together. Donations, volunteers, and swift response helped families regain a sense of security amid loss.

    In our third year, we extended a hand to more than 301 individuals in 127 homes across seven towns, demonstrating the continued need for crisis support and the remarkable generosity within our community. Each contribution made a tangible difference, helping neighbors stabilize and move forward in times of uncertainty.
  • Project Plans and Support:

    To keep this safety net going strong, we’re raising funds to support our effort and expand our volunteer team. A gift to The HUB is more than a donation—it’s hope, stability, and strength for those who need it most.

    Together, we can create a community where no one faces hardship alone.

    Support the community effort here :

    Donate Here
  • Contact Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Header Photo: HUB_website_graphic.jpg
  • Subtitle: A Compassionate and Confidential Safety Net
  • Project Quote:
    Serving residents of Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, and Woodstock.

     
  • Project Photos:
  • Project Donors:
    • Large Donor: Yes, Project Donor Logo: Vermont Community Foundation
    • Large Donor: Yes, Project Donor Logo: Couch Family Foundation
    • Large Donor: Yes, Project Donor Logo: Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation
    • Large Donor: Yes, Project Donor Logo: Humanitarian Grants Program
    • Large Donor: No, Project Donor Logo: Mascoma Bank
    • Large Donor: Yes, Project Donor Logo: Canaday Family Charitable Trust logo

Local Deeds

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    Local Deeds
  • Project Header Text:

    Local
    Deeds
  • Project Team Members:
    • Project Team Member Name: Trena Tolliver, Project Team Member Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    • Project Team Member Name: Jill Davies
    • Project Team Member Name: Liza Deignan
    • Project Team Member Name: Ginny Eames
    • Project Team Member Name: Cliff Johnson
    • Project Team Member Name: Caitlin McCurn
    • Project Team Member Name: Amy Spencer
    • Project Team Member Name: Sarah Glasser Tucker
    • Project Team Member Name: Sue Palmer-Wetherald
  • Project Updates:
  • About:

    Local Deeds is an innovative program to protect housing for families and individuals who live and work here year-round  serving the local community. Homebuyers receive a one-time cash payment for a down-payment on a home in exchange for placing a permanent deed restriction on their property, securing the home for future local workers as well. 

    If you are interested in down payment assistance please consider the Twin Pines Home Ownership Program.  Local Deeds will consider buyers who are not eligible for the Twin Pines Program. 

    Local Buyer Information
    Apply To Local Deeds Now For Preapproval
  • The Challenge:

    Like many communities in Vermont and nationally, Woodstock and the surrounding area face an extreme housing shortage. Families and individuals of ranging income levels and ages cannot find a home here. Teachers, bartenders, police officers, retail workers, artists, and others are leaving the area and taking jobs in locations where they can live within their means. When those who work here can’t affordably live here, they may choose to leave, and the dynamism and quality of life of the community and its residents decline.
  • The Solution:

    Local Deeds pays up to 16% of the property’s appraised market value in exchange for a permanent deed restriction on homes in Barnard, Bridgewater, Hartland, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading and Woodstock. The maximum the program offers for a single family home is $96,000, equivalent to 16% of a $600k house. A homebuyer can use this cash to help with their downpayment. The program does not impose an appreciation cap and has no income qualifications. To qualify for Local Deeds, at least one resident of the home must work at least 25 hours per week  at a business or organization located within a 16 mile radius of Woodstock Town Hall. A retiree who has worked in the area for the five years prior to retirement is also a qualified resident.  No short term rentals are allowed, and the owner is required to provide  annual proof of compliance. Local Deeds will not consider buyers who are eligible for the Twin Pines Home Ownership Program.
  • The Impact:

    Since the start of this program in the beginning of 2024, Local Deeds has secured 20 housing units for 30 local workers in 20 families, keeping 16 children enrolled in local schools. Property prices range from $200,000 to $800,000 and the average payment made per unit of housing is $55,000. Our applicants work in local schools, for their town, at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, and own local businesses. Keeping them in our community helps keep everyone educated, healthy, and well cared for.
  • Project Plans and Support:

    Local Deeds is finishing a successful second year. Our first priority is  to offer down payments to prospective buyers. Apply here if you are interested. If you would like to learn more, check out our Frequently Asked Questions.
  • Contact Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Header Photo: LD-homepage-feature-2025-v1.jpg
  • Subtitle: Creating Housing for Local Workers
  • Project Quote:

    Supporting community by protecting housing for those who live and work in the community year round.
  • Project Photos:
  • Link to Documents:
  • Project Donors:
    • Large Donor: Yes, Project Donor Logo: Vermont Community Foundation logo, Project Link to Donor Website: https://vermontcf.org/
    • Large Donor: No, Project Donor Logo: Mascoma Bank logo
    • Large Donor: Yes, Project Donor Logo: Canaday Family Charitable Trust
    • Large Donor: Yes, Project Donor Logo: Jack & Dorothy Byrne Foundation

East End Park

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    East End Park
  • Project Header Text:

    East End
    Park
  • Project Team Members:
    • Project Team Member Name: Annie Mears Abbott
    • Project Team Member Name: Stephanie Ambrose
    • Project Team Member Name: Barbara Barry
    • Project Team Member Name: Emily Friedman, Project Team Member Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
    • Project Team Member Name: Mary MacVey
    • Project Team Member Name: Megan Pollack
    • Project Team Member Name: Jack Rossi
    • Project Team Member Name: Joby Thompson
  • Project Updates:
    • Project Update:

      April 2026 Update

      East End Park is actively planning the next Woodstock Community Celebration, scheduled for Sunday, September 13. Save the Date!

      In the meantime, we plan to assess the overall condition of the labyrinth and reseed the grass around it, and replace woodchips around the slide as we prepare for the Spring and Summer season. We are pleased to once again be the site of Pentangle's Music by the River series on Friday evenings, beginning July 3.
  • About:

    Woodstock residents and visitors of all ages come together at East End Park to relax, play and connect with each other. The park represents the culmination of more than a decade of work by area residents who transformed a previously neglected corner of the Village into an inviting  community space. The group continues to maintain the area and plan for its future. The park has become a treasured community asset, a "jewel" created from a "jungle".
  • The Challenge:

    Located between Route 4 and the Ottauquechee River at the east entrance to the Woodstock Village downtown area, the East End Park  not only welcomes residents and visitors, but also provides the only public access to the river in the Village. Years ago, the site was decidedly less inviting, used as a snow dump in the winter and a general dumping ground at other times. Sustainable Woodstock’s East End Action Group, a volunteer action group, led by Joby Thompson, Mary MacVey, Jack Rossi, Barbara Barry, and Jim Pierce, decided to re-envision the area.
  • The Solution:

    Along with supporters, community partners, environmental agencies, and continuous support from Sustainable Woodstock leaders, this action group tackled three intertwined goals:

    • cleaning up environmental blight
    • stimulating East End economic development
    • building community

    In collaboration with the Village of Woodstock, a new site was purchased for the snow dump, which enabled the action group to move forward with building a year-round park. During annual workdays, volunteers cleared overgrown vegetation, battled invasive knotweed, and planted native species. The action group raised substantial money from generous private donors to implement a professional landscape design that complements the riverside setting. Professionals were also hired to build the impressive hardscape: a slide, rock scrambles and sculpture, a stone staircase, a labyrinth, a 100-seat amphitheater, and a pergola.
  • The Impact:

    The transformation from “jungle” to “jewel” is stunning. Residents and visitors alike come to East End Park to relax and enjoy the pastoral views of river and hills. Adjoining the park, another volunteer group has created a pleasant recreational path, the Ottauquechee River Trail. The park’s convenient location has also helped support local enterprise, such as the coffee shop next door. Once blight was removed, neighboring properties finally sold, and private development is underway.

    In addition to individual outings and private events (such as weddings), the park is now home to Music by the River, a series of concerts hosted by Pentangle Arts in July and August.
  • Project Plans and Support:

    Now a project of Woodstock Community Trust, the original action group continues their work to complete the final capital projects and transition to future professional management. A “Friends of East End Park” group of supporters has been established to ensure good stewardship and continued success of the park. Volunteers with Friends of East End Park continue to care for the gardens, plan events, keep in touch with the village government, and publicize the park.

    The East End Park can be booked for events: parties, weddings, community events, concerts, shows and more. To book the park for an event, fill out the application linked below and return it to the Woodstock Town Hall at least 30 days prior to the event date. Call the Woodstock Town Hall for more information: (802) 457-3456.
  • Get Involved:

    East End Park depends on donations of time and money for its long-term success. If you love the park and want to help sustain it for generations to come, please donate.  And check the Volunteer Opportunities page to see where you can add your time and talents. The East End Park depends on the community in order to remain a vibrant jewel in Woodstock.
  • Contact Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
  • Header Photo: East-End-Park-Header-Photo.jpg
  • Subtitle: A Complete Transformation from Jungle to Jewel
  • Project Quote:

    “The park has brought so many people together – it's become a real community gathering spot.” – Clint Hunt, Abracadabra Coffee
  • Project Photos:
  • Link to Documents:
  • Project Donors:
    • Large Donor: No, Project Donor Logo:
    • Large Donor: No, Project Donor Logo: