Vermont News Guide | Page 8

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Our COMMUNITY

First Congregational Church Service
“ Hope Among the Ruins ” is the timely topic for service on December 3 at 10am . All welcomed at 3624 Main St . in Manchester Village , across from the Equinox Hotel . fccmanchester . org .

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Zion Episcopal Church Events
Join us for fun , food , and fellowship on December 3 at 5pm at the Eagles Club located at 1610 Depot Street on Rt 11 / 30 in Manchester ( the former Garlic John ’ s ). This meal is a community project of Zion Episcopal Church and the purpose is to bring people together , to help us meet and get to know our neighbors . During dessert , we will offer a brief ten-minute discussion on the word of the month . The word for December is “ Love .” Following the discussion , Zion Church will offer a $ 250 donation to a local non-profit organization that best exemplifies this word in our community .
You and your children are also invited to Zion Church for an Advent program called Symbols of the Season at 5167 Main St . in Manchester , VT . It will begin at 9am during the first three Sundays in Advent : December 3 , 10 , and 17 . The program will be focused on children , but it will be one that the whole family can enjoy . Together , we will discuss three different symbols of the season of Advent . On December 3 , we will put together our own Advent Wreaths to take home ( one per family ). On December 10 , we will bring in a Jesse Tree and decorate it with Advent decorations . On December 17 , we will create our own Christingles , also to be taken home and enjoyed ( one per child ). The program will be free for everybody . If you would like to participate , please call and RSVP to the Zion Church office by December 1 at 802- 362-1987 .
Samara Fund Grants to LGBTQ + Community
The Samara Fund at the Vermont Community Foundation ( VCF ) is pleased to announce $ 86,710 in grants to 23 organizations across the state in this year ’ s competitive grant round . These grants include funding for LGBTQ + centered events , projects , and organizational operating support . The Fund also made 19 scholarships totaling $ 18,320 to graduating seniors from across the state . Combined with three out-of-cycle grants , this is an unprecedented $ 112,230 in grants and scholarships in a single year from the Samara Fund since it moved to the VCF .
This grantmaking was made possible by donors to Our Work is Not Done : Campaign for the Samara Fund as well as ongoing donors to the fund . Grantmaking this year reflects the newly released values and priorities of the Samara Fund . The core values include : Being anti-racist and anti-oppressive by practicing intersectionality , power-shifting , and transformative justice both internally and externally . This includes being proudly trans-inclusive in every level of Samara ’ s work ; Being transparent with the community and funders about how Samara works ; Queering fundraising and redistributing wealth for a bigger impact on the Vermont LGBTQ + community ; and Prioritizing accessibility , gratitude , and accountability while queering Samara ’ s work to make it fun , connective , and sustainable .
“ It was a powerful experience seeing new and current Samara committee members holding one another responsible for living out Samara ’ s renewed values and priorities , carefully developed through an equity lens , in our decision-making process that enabled us to continue to relentlessly champion LGBTQ + -led , anti-racist , and anti-oppressive programs , organizations , and events in the recipients of the 2023 grants ,” said Howie LeBlanco and Skylar Maguire of behalf of the Samara committee . “ This transformative process reflects our dedication to creating a more just , equitable , and trans-inclusive future , and at every level of our work .”
Visit vermontcf . org / samara for more about the Samara Fund .
8 Vermont News Guide November 27 , 2023