2023 Flood Response
In times of crisis, community counts. Please donate to The HUB’s Flood Relief Fund today.
After Hurricane Irene in 2011 and during the COVID-19 emergency, the greater Woodstock community raised over $1.5 million in relief to help our neighbors in need. Your financial support is needed again as area residents deal with July’s flood damage and losses. Your gift to The HUB will ensure that we have enough funds on hand to assist those who are struggling to keep our community strong.
Here are answers to some questions you may have about your donation.
- Who will benefit from my donation?
- What is The HUB?
- Who decides which residents get support and how much?
- How does The HUB work?
- How is financial assistance distributed to individuals?
- What kinds of support will my donation provide?
- What if applicants need longer term support?
- Why is my donation going to Woodstock Community Trust instead of The HUB?
- What are the different ways I can give?
Do you have a question that is not answered here? Let us know at
Who will benefit from my donation?
Your donation will provide direct assistance and support to families and individuals living in Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading, and Woodstock who are experiencing emergency needs due to the July 2023 flood. Funds will be used to pay for immediate needs, such as temporary housing, car repairs, and building and repair supplies.
This relief will be distributed through The HUB, a project of Woodstock Community Trust, a 501c3.
The HUB is a collaborative system of local relief organizations that works to ensure our community is prepared and ready to assist area residents after a community crisis and when they experience personal crises in their lives. Its resources are available to residents in Barnard, Bridgewater, Killington, Plymouth, Pomfret, Reading and Woodstock.
The heart of The HUB is a team of six trained and experienced volunteer case advocates from our community. They connect with families and individuals one-on-one, asses their needs, and ensure that timely and appropriate assistance is delivered respectfully and efficiently. They may arrange for short-term financial assistance from private funders and link applicants to government resources and other organizations that are equipped to meet more extensive needs. The goal is to keep immediate financial challenges from snowballing into much larger crises.
The HUB grew out of the Woodstock Area Relief Fund (WARF), a volunteer-led community relief organization that helped people in the Woodstock area cope with hardships brought on by Tropical Storm Irene and the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2011 to 2022, WARF helped the community raise and distribute over $1.5 million in assistance. The HUB is funded by private sources. Woodstock Community Trust and Ottauquechee Health Foundation are sponsoring organizations. Funding partners include Barnard Helping Hands, Faulkner Fund, King's Daughters, Pivotal Steps, and Plymouth Memory Tree.
Who decides which residents get support and how much?
The HUB’s volunteer case advocates meet with applicants to discuss and assess their individual needs. The case advocates then recommend what types of financial assistance and other support are required and at what level.
Think of The HUB as a one-stop portal to emergency assistance, from funds to help with short-term expenses to connections with government resources and other organizations for long-term support.
How does The HUB do this? With volunteers, private donations, and collaborations with community partners including Barnard Helping Hands, Bridgewater Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Kings Daughters, Ottauquechee Health Foundation, Pivotal Steps, Plymouth Memory Tree, Woodstock Faulkner Fund, and various faith organizations, The HUB is able to mobilize resources and coordinate relief.
How is financial assistance distributed to individuals?
Case advocates recommend a grant amount based on pressing bills that applicants may have. Funds are not given directly to individuals. Grants are paid directly to landlords, utility companies, hardware stores, and other vendors. A typical grant for an individual or family is $1,500.
What kinds of support will my donation provide?
In the aftermath of the recent flood, some of the immediate needs we anticipate include:
- Immediate emergency funds for temporary or extended shelter, home/property clean-up and repairs, hazard mitigation, and daily expenses. Aside from these increased expenses incurred by the flood, families may be experiencing decreased earnings or unemployment.
- Assistance in navigating the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) application process: Residents may be eligible for individual assistance to help pay for
- Temporary housing
- Cleaning and repair or replacement of homes, including removal of contaminants such as mold
- Home hazard mitigation to make homes more durable in the future, such as roof replacement or elevating a furnace
- Other costs such as replacing essential household items and vehicles and moving and storage during repairs
What if applicants need longer term support?
An advantage of working with The HUB is that it will continue to operate and provide support after the immediate flood emergency subsides. Applicants can continue to work with their volunteer case advocate if they experience ongoing challenges beyond the initial flood recovery period.
Why is my donation going to Woodstock Community Trust instead of The HUB?
The Woodstock Community Trust is a non-profit umbrella organization that empowers local project teams to improve the quality of life in our community. The HUB is one of our projects; our donation system will ensure that your donation is specifically directed toward its work.
Projects like The HUB choose to become part of the Woodstock Community Trust to take advantage of the benefits of our 501c3 status, including tax-deductible donations for donors. They also receive behind-the-scenes assistance with governance, administration, fundraising, and financial management. This allows project teams to focus their efforts on the good work they want to accomplish in the community.
What are the different ways I can give?
Click here to donate online. You may also give by check to The Woodstock Community Trust, PO Box 802, Woodstock, VT 05091, or make a gift of stock.
Do you have a question that is not answered here? Let us know at