NEWBURY, Vt. — As COVID-19 began to spread in the region, people began reaching out to establish volunteer networks to help residents who are at risk for the novel coronavirus.
Newbury Emergency Management Director Ben Ilsley said many people in Vermont tend to be self-reliant or have a system already in place.
“We don’t usually ask a lot, tend to have a support system behind us already,” Ilsley said. “Usually there’s something already in place where we’re checking on each other. I am concerned about the people who may not have that support set up.”
To that end, people in Newbury have been working on figuring out who needs help and who can help them, with a focus on the town’s senior citizens.
“We’re trying to make up a phone tree where each person can call 10 people to check in on them every other day and then try to coordinate through the town a way to provide items that they might be lacking,” Ilsley said, adding that volunteers might pick up and deliver groceries and other necessities. “If we can avoid having them go to the store to get a gallon of milk or some butter, I’m happy going to pick something up for them.”
In neighboring Bradford, Vt., businesses, health centers and community organizations are all working together to provide for residents in need.
“I feel like Bradford in general tends to coordinate between groups really well,” said Monique E. Priestley, founder and executive director of the Space on Main, who is helping to coordinate the efforts.
Over the weekend, more than 75 people signed up to volunteer in the community.
“People are always helpful and always stepping up,” Priestley said. “It was nice to see. I was thrilled to see that.”
On Wednesday, a group of organizers in Bradford will meet — remotely, of course — to discuss what the needs of community members are and how to best address them. Priestley also has been in touch with community organizers throughout the state, including Bethel and South Royalton, to coordinate efforts.
In Woodstock, about 50 people have signed up to volunteer said Fire Chief David Green. Efforts got underway about a week ago and a hotline has since been put in place for people to call.
“Right now it could be delivering food, or we also have donations for people who may not be able to pay heat or phone bills,” Green said. “I worked in Woodstock through (Tropical Storm) Irene and if there’s one thing that I learned, communities will help their neighbors out. I suspect we’ll have no shortage of people willing to help.”
A couple of weeks ago, Enfield Police Chief Roy Holland began working with organizations throughout town including nonprofit Friends of Mascoma, which runs food pantries in the Mascoma Valley.
“We’ve worked on a plan so that people who depend on the pantry can still get food,” Holland said. Friends of Mascoma volunteers will put together food packages for people and members of the police department will deliver them to people in the community who need them.
People who are quarantined can reach out to the department for assistance.
“We will do anything we need to do to make sure they can stay quarantined,” Holland said. “We will get them the food that they need, the supplies that they need if they don’t have other resources.”
The town is also keeping an eye out for people who may be more susceptible to the virus.
“One of the things we’re looking at doing is daily checks for high-risk people who don’t have other people to check on them,” Holland said.
Residents have been calling the town offering to help, including those with medical training who said they could step up if first responders get quarantined. Others have reached out to fundraise for Friends of Mascoma and expect the need for their services to increase now that children are not in school for the next few weeks.
“This is why a lot of people choose to live in small towns like Enfield,” Holland said. “You help your neighbor. This is why I live here instead of living in the city.”
Liz Sauchelli can be reached at esauchelli@vnews.com or 603-727-3221.
