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Help drive forward positive actions for Montpelier’s future! 

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Strengthening Montpelier’s civic culture, improving our resilience, and supporting a vibrant downtown were the headline topics at the public forum hosted by the Foundation on April 30. From those sessions came countless ideas from Montpelierites for the future of our community which were put through two layers of analysis: to compile a set of cohesive action ideas and to review the overlap with work already happening in Montpelier.

The result was a list of potential action ideas split into 3 categories:

  • Those that are being covered by existing organizations and efforts

  • Those under consideration by Montpelier Alive as they consider future priorities

  • Those that aren’t being addressed or are ripe for further community action

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This was the starting point for a second community forum hosted on June 4 at the Montpelier High School. Action ideas were reviewed, the framing shifted on some concepts, and new ideas were added. By the end of the forum, participants indicated their preferences and signed up for further action. The following are the four areas that were prioritized:

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  • Love our rivers, with a focus on improving public access and flood resilience

  • Strengthen community by supporting volunteerism

  • Support our local food system, with urgency

  • Support a new gathering place for teens and young adults through an existing effort named “Clubhouse Commons”

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Next, the Foundation convened action-planning sessions for the priorities focused on volunteerism, local food, and our rivers. 

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  • Support Our Local Food System - met on Monday June 29, 6:00 - 7:30 PM, Kellogg-Hubbard Library;
    next meeting is Wednesday, August 5th, 6:00–7:30 at 

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  • Strengthen Community by Supporting Volunteerism - Tuesday June 30, 6:00 - 7:30 PM, the Vestry at the Unitarian Universalist Church at 130 Main Street

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  • Love Our Rivers - Stay tuned for details!

 

Origin Story

The Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier is built on the legacy of the Montpelier Foundation that has served Montpelier since 1994. In addition to distributing dozens of grants for brick and mortar community improvement projects, the Foundation– in partnership with Montpelier Alive– raised and distributed more than $2 million to rebuild and provide relief to the businesses and homes that were flooded in 2023. With a focus on the long-term resilience of the city, the new organization will also carry forward the work of MCRR that has achieved a number of successes over two years of resilience project implementation. The Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier will also serve as a nimble organization that brings the community together, rallies around priorities, and provides strategic support for project implementation. 

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“Montpelier is a great place to live and to visit, and it has the potential to be even better... The Foundation for a Resilient Montpelier aims to unlock the city’s potential by tapping into and unifying the passion and resources of those who care about our community. This new organization will serve Montpelier by rallying the community together to identify priorities for action and will provide a variety of ways for people to get involved in making those priorities a reality.”

Sarah Jarvis, Chair

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