Jon CopansBy Jon Copans
This past week, 20 people gathered for an evening meeting with a common goal — strengthening our community by encouraging more volunteerism. A few of us came on behalf of organizations, but most were there as community members ready to contribute to an effort to make Montpelier a stronger, more connected, and more resilient place. We emerged from the meeting with some new connections, a sense of common direction, and with priority actions identified as next steps.
This particular meeting was an outcome of a series of public forums convened by the Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier, and it is an example of something that we are fortunate to have an abundance of here in Montpelier — the inclination and capacity to collaborate to get positive things done in our community. As we face climate change and cope with other global and national dynamics, this capacity is a fundamental building block for a resilient and well-functioning city. This is one of the reasons why, across our projects including the redevelopment of 87 State Street, strengthening watershed-wide connections, and working with the city on emergency planning, the Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier is deeply committed to fostering community dialogue and collaboration.
As participants at the meeting on volunteerism introduced themselves, it was impressive to hear how many different ways they are contributing to the well-being of our community. From cooking community meals, planting trees, connecting with youths and elders, supporting refugee families or providing programming through a community radio station, there are countless ways we make this place stronger and weave the threads of our community a little bit tighter.
While the focus of our service is often on the outcome at hand, just as important are the connections and relationships fostered in shared work. The same is true when we join a task force or committee working for a common goal; yes the agenda is the focus, but the relationships forged in those community meetings as we listen to one another can serve to make our lives richer and strengthen the muscles needed to look after one another.
Montpelier Neighbor Net is also an example of our community’s ability to organize together for mutual support. When launched last summer, the volunteers who designed the organization had a key realization: We didn’t need to choose between the dual priorities of emergency preparedness and social connection as we framed the reason for forming Local Neighbor Nets. Why? Because actions contributing to either of these goals so clearly have benefits for the other. A neighborhood block party that helps us get more connected translates into neighbors better positioned to look after each other in an emergency. Similarly, a neighborhood that has done collective work to be better prepared by building a contact list of neighbors and making a list of assets will also build stronger social bonds.
Another key realization: the success of the organization would be built upon the willingness of residents to step into the role of Local Coordinator. Incredibly, since the launch last summer, 83 committed people have stepped forward to form 46 Local Neighbor Nets covering over 1,300 households in Montpelier! Learn more at montpelierneighbor.net
To be clear, many challenges Montpelier faces won’t be solved through human connection alone. We can’t socialize away a flooded downtown, and meetings alone won’t build a new housing project. On the other hand, when it comes to getting physical projects started and completed, more often than not the first critical steps are about how we come together as a community to make decisions and implement those projects. And, too often the points of failure that undermine our progress fall in the social category as well, when breakdowns in community trust overwhelm positive intentions.
As I type this, our nation and democracy are preparing to celebrate 250 years. Though this is a national milestone, it is natural to focus more locally with a patriotism of place for our little capital city of Montpelier. We have so many assets, both human and natural, to build upon as we consider how we make ourselves more resilient to the changes we are in the midst of and those that lie ahead. Our sense of unity, our ability to work together to solve problems, and our commitment to doing so in a civil and inclusive manner are our strongest assets.
I hope you’ll join me in a shared commitment to a stronger Montpelier. The acts we take both small and grand when we extend beyond our own personal needs to consider the needs of our neighbors and community make this a more welcoming, vibrant, and resilient place.
Jon Copans is a Montpelier resident and the executive director of Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier.
The material presented here represents the opinion of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Bridge. Commentaries may be submitted to editor@montpelierbridge.com. Preference is given to submissions by those who live in central Vermont. Submissions are encouraged to be 500 to 750 words in length.
