Veggie Van Go Mobile Food Pantry

WCMH the Access Hub 

Family Resources for Social Emotional Learning 

2024 Free Summer Meals - Vermont

In partnership with Hunger Free Vermont, there will be FREE seven-day meal boxes distributed in our area this summer!

All meals are federally funded and:
First come, first served and meal kits will be available to pick up rain or shine

People accessing the meals do not need to reside in the area of distribution

These meal kits are not intended for students already receiving their free meals in summer school or summer camps

Meals are available to children 18 and under. Parents can pick up without the children present, and there is no registration required.

Boxes Contain: The equivalent of seven breakfasts and seven lunches. The meals are made up of proteins, grains, vegetables, fruits, and milk. Items like cereal, muffins, bagels, wraps, deli meats and cheese, nut butter, whole cucumbers, baby carrots, apples, raisins, and cantaloupe. Each box contains a gallon of milk.

*Please note that these free meal kits are not only for families in need, and you won’t be taking away a meal from someone in need. By picking up the meals, you will be supporting your community.

Federal funding is based on participation, so the more people that take the free meals, the stronger we can be for those who need us the most. 

Locations/Dates:

Brookside Primary School
47 Stowe Street, Waterbury
Tuesdays from June 25-August 13
11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

Waitsfield Elementary School
3951 Main Street, Waitsfield
Thursdays from June 27-August 15 (no distribution on July 4)
1-2 p.m.

Please take advantage of this opportunity for free summer meals!

Summer Meals for Students:

For information on receiving meals in the summer, households can call 2-1-1, the United Way-run resource hotline, or go to the USDA Meals for Kids Site Finder. All sites listed are open to all children, 18 and under. Information is available mid-June and any necessary changes are made on a weekly basis.

Summer Activities 

Screen Free Activities

Find and Go Seek

Junior Forest Ranger

Geocaching Together

Central VT Information

12 Family Friendly Activities in VT

VT Camp Finder

Seven Days VT Kids

VT Family Attractions

The month of June is celebrated as Pride Month, when LGBTQ+ communities and allies come together and celebrate the freedom to be their true selves. Pride is celebrated to honor minority groups who have struggled for decades to overcome prejudice and be accepted for who they are. Want to learn more about Pride, please reference the links and books below. 

Pride is Nearly Here: New LGBTQ+ Picture Books

The Educator's Guide to LGBTQ Pride

10 Ways to Celebrate Pride Month With Your Kids

My Kid is Gay - Helping families understand their LGBTQ kids

How to Explain Pride Month to Your Child

Pride Month youth.gov

Human Rights Campaign

Books

Bodies Are Cool by Tyler Feder

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love

We are Different, We are the Same by Kates Bobbi

When Aidan Became a Brother by Kyle Lukoff

Families Families Families by Suzanne Lang

Love Makes a Family by Sophi Beer

Books About Belonging and Acceptance

Picture books about respect, acceptance, and empathy

June 19th marks the day in 1865 when enslaved people in Texas and Louisiana finally were told they had been emancipated, two months after the end of the Civil War. June 19, effectively became the day of emancipation for hundreds of thousands of African-Americans. It was officially proclaimed a national holiday in 2021.

Resources for continued learning:

• National Museum of African American History and Culture

• Celebrating Juneteenth With Your Family

• https://www.weareteachers.com/teaching-juneteenth/ 

Below are resources shared from State of Vermont Office of Racial Equity: 

1. These two articles about how not to misappropriate Juneteenth when observing it

   • NPR on Juneteenth-branded products

   • NPR on avoiding appropriation

2. These two social posts that reminds us that shiny objects are not enough

   • Imani Barbarin on Juneteenth 2022

   • SCA on Juneteenth 2021

3. This collection of further reading about Juneteenth (we’re also attaching it to this e-mail in case you hit a paywall)

   • The Atlantic: Six essential Juneteenth reads

4. These two incredibly moving poems by the great Clint Smith, from his collection Counting Descent

   • Clint Smith: Counting Descent

   • Clint Smith: what the cicada said to the black boy

Check out this amazing short video discussing worries and fears, created by our very own Nurse Conyers! You may notice some friendly faces from around BPS. Click on the image to watch the video!

More than 1 out of every 5 students report being bullied. National Bullying Prevention Month (NBPM) is a campaign founded in 2006 by PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center. The campaign is held during the month of October and connects communities around the world to help prevent bullying. The past few years, a worldwide pandemic and a growing movement for racial equity and social justice have highlighted the need to unite communities for a better future. It is more important than ever to join together in creating a world that is kinder, more accepting, and more inclusive. Take action at school, at home, in your neighborhood, at a local business, or in your workplace to show that you care about kids being safe at school, online, and in the community.  (Pacer.org)

Bullying should NEVER be tolerated. If you or someone you know is being bullied, there are things you can do to keep yourself and others safe from bullying. Check out the resources below:

• Anti-Bullying Children's Books

• 9 Additional Children's Books

• Anti-Bullying Books and Conversation Prompts

• Happy to Be Me: Sesame Street 5 Part Anti-Bullying Series

• CDC Bullying Prevention

• StopBullying.gov

• Healthline Workplace Bullying