Community Compass is a service of OITM. GLBT organizations from around the state are invited to provide brief — 200 words or less — descriptions of recent or upcoming activities and events. Send your submissions to us by email by the 15th of the month.
North Hill Garden Benefit For AIDS Project
Joe Eck and Wayne Winterrowd, partners in North Hill, will open their extensive garden in Readsboro, Vermont on Wednesday, July 31 and Saturday, August 31 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to benefit the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont.
Eck and Winterrowd, nationally recognized garden designers and horticulturists, started the garden at North Hill 1977. It now comprises about seven acres under intense cultivation, surrounded by a larger tract of mature hardwoods of beech and maple. Though it has evolved in size and dimension throughout its life, most parts have now reached a youthful maturity.
Eck and Winterrowd are the authors of Living Seasonally: The Kitchen Garden and Table at North Hill, A Year at North Hill, Elements of Garden Design and Annuals for the Connoisseur.
Contributions to the AIDS Project of Southern Vermont are taken at the entrance to the Garden. The mission of the Project is to provide services to people affected by HIV and AIDS and to prevent the spread of HIV. Our services are free to all those whose lives are affected by HIV/AIDS. Tours generally take an hour. If you are interested in attending the North Hill Garden tour, please send your request in writing to the AIDS Project.
It should include the following information: 1. Choice of date: Wednesday, July 31; or Saturday, August 31; 2. Choice of time: 9 am - 3 pm (tours every 20 minutes, include first and second choice).
Limit is 4 tickets per request. Please include a self-addressed stamped envelope and mail the request to: North Hill, AIDS Project, PO Box 1486, Brattleboro, VT 05302.
Looking For a Few Good GLBTQs
Each month, Mountain Pride Media (MPM) acknowledges the individuals who help get Out In The Mountains out into the community by attending the monthly “stuffing.” Thanks to Tania, Roland, Euan, Dustin, James, Michael, Judy, Alverta, Daryl, Elizabeth, and David. The August stuffing (September issue) will be on Thursday, August 29th starting at 5:30 p.m. at our office, above The Daily Bread, at 39 Bridge St. in Richmond, Vermont. Please feel free to stop by, say hello and help out. Free pizza and soft drinks and good company are part of the fun!
We are also looking for a few new distribution volunteers. We currently have routes open in Bennington and Springfield (VT) as well as Keene, Lebanon, and Hanover in New Hampshire. Distribution Routes take an hour or less a month to complete. This is a great way to help keep Out In The Mountains out in the community. If you are interested in becoming a distribution volunteer please contact us at circulation@mountainpridemedia.org or call us at 802-434-6486.
Mountain Pride Media held its annual Board retreat in July to connect and plan for the year ahead. You – yes, you – can make a difference by serving on our Board of Directors. The more hands, the lighter and faster the work (and more time to party!). We are actively looking for community members to serve a three-year term. If you have skills that might help Mountain Pride Media keep Out In The Mountains a vital and growing voice for our communities – or if you just want to get more involved – please contact us at mpm@mountainpridemedia.org. We would love to meet with you.
Calling All Theatre Mavens!
Theatre on a Shoestring is currently looking for volunteers to help carry the company into 2003 and beyond. Maximum time requirement is 5 days a month, but average requirement would be closer to 2 days a month. The positions that are soon to be available are: Vice President, Treasurer, Audition Committee, Play Reading Committee, and Fund Raising Committee. If you are interested in helping out or want more information on a specific position, contact TOAS at info@theatreshoe.com.
TOAS is also looking for a crew for its spring production of Godspell. Needed are: musical director/pianist, small band, lighting crew, backstage crew, stage manager, publicity crew, and much more. If you are interested, please send a resume (and photo, if available) to GODSPELL, c/o TOAS, PO Box 1012, Burlington, VT 05402-1012. Specify on the envelope which position(s) you are applying for.
Journey Esperanza Fundraiser for WomenSafe
Esperanza is the Spanish word for hope, and from August 4-7 Adrienne Cohen will be providing hope to many Addison County and Rochester women. Cohen will journey from the Canadian border to the Massachusetts line riding along Route 100 and will cover approximately 250 miles. The goal is to bring awareness to the issue of violence against women and to raise money for WomenSafe. Along the route Cohen will stop to provide information to local media about domestic and sexual violence and what individuals can do to stop this violence in their community. Donations for Esperanza are tax deductible and can be made by contacting WomenSafe at 388-9180.
SafeSpace Survey Results In!
It may have rained on our parade, but that didn’t dampen the spirits of SafeSpace staff, volunteers, and board members as we marched in our very first Pride Day Parade behind the SafeSpace banner. It was wonderful to be such a visible presence at the festivities and have such a great opportunity to provide education about LGBTQQ violence and information about our services to the wide variety of folks present. Volunteers, board members, and staff dodged raindrops as they worked the crowd to encourage as many people as possible to complete our survey about violence in the LGBTQQ community in Vermont.
When the day was over, more than 200 people had responded. 12 percent of the LGBTQQ Vermonters who completed the survey reported experiencing same-sex domestic violence in the past year in Vermont. 58 percent reported experiencing anti-LGBT harassment or a bias-related incident. Out of this 58 percent, 19 percent reported experiencing an anti-LGBT hate crime (either a physical or sexual assault or property destruction).
This survey will help SafeSpace educate the community and potential funders about the pervasiveness of violence committed against and within the LGBTQQ community in Vermont, and about the need for SafeSpace. Thank you to everyone who helped to make the survey a success! If you have questions about the survey or want to learn more about SafeSpace programs and services please call Kara DeLeonardis, MSW, SafeSpace Executive Director, Mike Bensel or Martha Dyson, Advocates, @ 863-0003 (V/TTY), 866-869-7341 (toll-free), e-mail Info@SafeSpaceVT.org, fax 863-0004, P.O. Box 158, Burlington, VT 05402.
HIV Prevention Group Needs Your Voice!
Do you want to get involved in the fight against HIV? Do you want to make a difference in the health of your community?
The CPG is a group of concerned community members who examine Vermont's HIV prevention needs. They help determine how prevention programs are designed and funded.
The CPG meets once a month, usually in Randolph or White River Junction. There is a stipend and travel reimbursement available for those who are not participating as part of their job. Members also serve on various committees that meet between the monthly meetings. Most members can expect to invest 8-10 hours per month.
The CPG strives to reflect the diverse communities that are most impacted by HIV. If you have felt the impact of HIV and want to get involved, please consider joining the Vermont HIV Prevention Community Planning Group. Share your knowledge, expertise and/or life experience. You will learn a lot, meet some great people, and most importantly, help stop the spread of HIV.
Applications for CPG membership are available and due August 9th, 2002. If you would like to apply or would like more information, please contact Rod Copeland at the Vermont Dept. of Health at (802) 863-7245.
Pride VT
Many thanks and love to all those who braved the rain and cool weather to help create an inspiring 20th Pride parade and festival, Saturday June 15. It was truly wonderful to see the many colors of our community transform the streets of downtown Burlington into a carnival atmosphere. Many thanks as well to all the organizations and individuals around Vermont who hosted a wide array of events in their local communities, drawing people together for celebration and education.
This month Pride VT and After Midnight will be hosting "The Return of the Love Boat" cruise on Lake Champlain, Saturday, August 17 from 7-10pm. With live entertainment and food provided, the cruise is a great opportunity to watch the sunset with friends and make new ones, while out on the water. Tickets are on sale now at After Midnight at the University Mall in South Burlington, Peace & Justice on Church Street in Burlington, as well as online at www.pridevermont.org.
Tuesday, August 27 is the Pride VT Annual Community Meeting. Any and all are invited to attend and give feedback about the June events as well as learn more about what the Pride committee does in those other months of the year. We hope to see many of you and hear from your perspective. The meeting is at the McClure Multi-Generational Center, 241 N. Winooski Ave, Burlington, and will start promptly at 7pm. For more information about Pride VT, please call Brian at 859-9238 or Kenny at 288-1588.