By Joyce Marcel | Wednesday, July 19, 2023
Photo by Randolph T. Holhut/THE COMMONS— Issue 723
BRATTLEBORO — Brooks Memorial Library is on the front line of the town's and region's homelessness conundrum.
With the exception of Groundworks Collaborative, the library is the one place in town where people who are unhoused can find shelter from the weather, have access to the internet, write a letter to a family member, get help finding the services they need, get a few books to take out, use a clean bathroom, drink some cool, clean water, and find a kind word when they really need one.
"We try to know everybody by name," said Library Director Starr LaTronica. "There's some people that don't want to tell us their name, and that's fine. But we try and sort of keep an eye on people."
The library prides itself on offering homeless people a human connection.
Reporting by Chris Mays, Brattleboro Reformer | June 28, 2023
Photos by Kristopher Radder
BRATTLEBORO — Lately, on a day before receiving an order from the Vermont Foodbank, Foodworks on Canal Street can look pretty bare.
“There is a natural ebb and flow to our inventory,” said Andrew Courtney, director of Foodworks.
However, the Brattleboro-based Groundworks Collaborative’s food shelf program and other partners in the Vermont Foodbank network are getting less food.
Groundworks Collaborative lost a beloved staff member—the Coordinator of Morningside House—in the tragic events of April 3rd at that shelter.
Leah Rosin-Pritchard is irreplaceable. She was a wonderfully strong, positive, beautiful and compassionate person who gave generously of her spirit and skills in support of all Morningside House residents and her professional colleagues. There are no words to express the depth of loss felt by her Groundworks teammates and our hearts go out to her family and friends.
We can unequivocally say that Groundworks will not be the same without Leah. Our staff and our program participants are grieving. We are, at the same time, personally and organizationally impacted, and we are focused on supporting each other while continuing to provide food, shelter, and supportive services to people who need us.
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