Diane Foulds
“We want every Windsor resident to feel safe and know that we’re watching out for them, from Acme Street to Yodel Valley Road.”
“We want every Windsor resident to feel safe and know that we’re watching out for them, from Acme Street to Yodel Valley Road.”
Diane Foulds tells us what brought her to Windsor, and how she’s organizing street captains for The Windsor-area COVID 19 Response Team.
Diane Foulds tells us what brought her to Windsor, and how she’s organizing street captains for The Windsor-area COVID 19 Response Team.
How long have you lived in Windsor and what brought you here?
How long have you lived in Windsor and what brought you here?
Almost six years. I moved here from Burlington, where I grew up. After graduating from UVM I took off and lived all over the place, from Montreal to Prague. While in Vienna I fell into journalism and spent six years covering Central Europe when it was still part of the "Soviet bloc." In the Czech Republic, I wrote my first book. But my parents fell ill, so in 1997 I moved back to Burlington. I had met my housemate, Joe, at a writer's conference, so decided to stay, but Burlington had changed. National chains had replaced locally-owned shops; it was crowded and noisy. Since both of us had deep family roots in Chester, Vt., we decided to move south. Our close friends, Marge and Steve Bissette, urged us to give Windsor a look, so we did, and liked what we found: history, nature, and quiet. Being writers, it was just what we needed.
Almost six years. I moved here from Burlington, where I grew up. After graduating from UVM I took off and lived all over the place, from Montreal to Prague. While in Vienna I fell into journalism and spent six years covering Central Europe when it was still part of the "Soviet bloc." In the Czech Republic, I wrote my first book. But my parents fell ill, so in 1997 I moved back to Burlington. I had met my housemate, Joe, at a writer's conference, so decided to stay, but Burlington had changed. National chains had replaced locally-owned shops; it was crowded and noisy. Since both of us had deep family roots in Chester, Vt., we decided to move south. Our close friends, Marge and Steve Bissette, urged us to give Windsor a look, so we did, and liked what we found: history, nature, and quiet. Being writers, it was just what we needed.
How did you hear about the Windsor-area COVID-19 response team? Why did you want to get involved?
How did you hear about the Windsor-area COVID-19 response team? Why did you want to get involved?
I had met Jill Lord, who organized the team, last fall. We're both members of Windsor's Resilience Committee, a community group that is putting thought into how to gird Windsor against the climate shocks that are coming our way. We had been focusing on floods, never dreaming that a pandemic might be the first to strike. When it did, we just changed hats. Jill was part of our team, and then we became part of hers.
I had met Jill Lord, who organized the team, last fall. We're both members of Windsor's Resilience Committee, a community group that is putting thought into how to gird Windsor against the climate shocks that are coming our way. We had been focusing on floods, never dreaming that a pandemic might be the first to strike. When it did, we just changed hats. Jill was part of our team, and then we became part of hers.
You are organizing street captains in Windsor. What are street captains and why are they needed?
You are organizing street captains in Windsor. What are street captains and why are they needed?
Most of us do everything online. The internet is miraculous, no doubt about it. But there are plenty in Windsor who don't own a computer and never will. I'm friends with some of them; we don't email each other, we phone. So when our response team jumped into gear launching websites and listing emergency links, my heart sank. I thought, what about the folks who don't inhabit that world? How do we get this crucial information out to them, and for that matter, how do we even find them? Lucky for us, we're a small town. Most of us know who our neighbors are: who commutes, who's a stay-at-home, who's a native and who's not. So if each street had one individual making sure that everyone knew how to access help -- problem solved.
Most of us do everything online. The internet is miraculous, no doubt about it. But there are plenty in Windsor who don't own a computer and never will. I'm friends with some of them; we don't email each other, we phone. So when our response team jumped into gear launching websites and listing emergency links, my heart sank. I thought, what about the folks who don't inhabit that world? How do we get this crucial information out to them, and for that matter, how do we even find them? Lucky for us, we're a small town. Most of us know who our neighbors are: who commutes, who's a stay-at-home, who's a native and who's not. So if each street had one individual making sure that everyone knew how to access help -- problem solved.
Can you tell us a little about what you're doing and how the street captain program works? What kind of response have you received?
Can you tell us a little about what you're doing and how the street captain program works? What kind of response have you received?
The “street captains” are Windsor’s internal messengers. Having internet access makes this easier. Most will already know which of their neighbors might be out of touch, so will just print the information out and drop it at their door. That's it. I'm asking everyone I know. So far, the response has been good: we have a quarter of the town covered.
The “street captains” are Windsor’s internal messengers. Having internet access makes this easier. Most will already know which of their neighbors might be out of touch, so will just print the information out and drop it at their door. That's it. I'm asking everyone I know. So far, the response has been good: we have a quarter of the town covered.
Do you need more help? What can people do to help?
Do you need more help? What can people do to help?
There are people out there whom we still haven’t reached, and we don't know who they are. If you suspect that a household is out of touch, print off a copy of our form and drop it off. We want every Windsor resident to feel safe and know that we’re watching out for them, from Acme St. to Yodel Valley Road. Sign up here: link
There are people out there whom we still haven’t reached, and we don't know who they are. If you suspect that a household is out of touch, print off a copy of our form and drop it off. We want every Windsor resident to feel safe and know that we’re watching out for them, from Acme St. to Yodel Valley Road. Sign up here: link
What helps you cope during the pandemic? Is there anything that lifts your spirits at this time?
What helps you cope during the pandemic? Is there anything that lifts your spirits at this time?
Watching the flowers come up. Listening to birds. Losing myself in a great book, and taking the time to cook something a little special. Watching how tight-knit Windsor is becoming. We’re a little nation unto itself.
Watching the flowers come up. Listening to birds. Losing myself in a great book, and taking the time to cook something a little special. Watching how tight-knit Windsor is becoming. We’re a little nation unto itself.
