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Rally for Change for Charter House Coalition is May 10-16

Round Up YOUR Total at the Registers May 10th – 16th.  The Co-op will match your donation.  At the end of the week, we’ll present a check to Middlebury’s Charter House Coalition, “Where Neighbor Helping Neighbor Happens Every Day”.  The Charter House is right in our backyard, but there is so much we didn’t know about the good work that they do for our most at-risk Vermonters.  Read on to see what they have to say about their organization’s work:

OUR MISSION –  Charter House Coalition (CHC) is a growing community of volunteers in Addison County that provides meals and housing for individuals and families in need.

HOW WE DO IT –  At Charter House Coalition you can find a roof over your head on a cold night, a warm meal any day of the week, a bus pass to get you where you need to go, boots on your feet, and much more. This happens through volunteer-based programs (1200 strong!) including;

  • Friday night community suppers
  • Saturday morning breakfasts
  • Sunday afternoon Grill
  • Weekday community lunches
  • A family shelter and a warming shelter for individuals 10/15-4/15 every year.
  • A “Farm to Table” community garden

WHAT WE NEED AND HOW CAN YOU HELP –

Our 220-Year-Old Building Has Urgent Needs

As a result of an architectural assessment, an energy efficiency study, and top-to-bottom professional evaluation of the condition of Charter House, we have discovered that many urgent repairs and critical renovations are required.  We can share the list if you’re interested.  Here are two important ones. 

  • Kitchen expansion is critical and major renovation is required by State regulations.
  • Replacement of an obsolete heating system is essential to provide appropriate living conditions and reduce out of control fuel costs

To find out more, please visit their website at charterhousecoalition.org

 

 

Green Up Fest is BACK on Saturday, May 5th, 12-3 pm at the Co-op

Green Up Day is on its way!  When your green bags are full and your roadsides are looking good, take off your work gloves and come join us at the Co-op.  We’ll be celebrating with good food and great information, all for free and all for YOU!  Here’s what to do when you get here:

  • Meet representatives from green-minded organizations and learn about them (maybe join or become a volunteer!)
  • Grab a free Co-op-made quesadilla (hey, it’s Cinco de Mayo, too!)
  • Make your own Seed Bomb (then take aim and do some Guerilla Gardening)
  • Go home with a Garden-themed Freebie (and start something new!)

See YOU There!

Plant-Based Foods

Tap into the power of plant-based foods! Join Emily Fleming for this hands-on class on whole food, plant-based meal preparation. Learn how to transform fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, and legumes into delicious healthy meals!

To register for classes, contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004, or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register for classes at least one week in advance of the class date.All classes are $30 or free for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program.

Beauty and Medicine- Medicinal Shrubs and Vines for the Landscape

You can have both beauty and medicine in your garden! Join herbal practitioner Julie Mitchell of EOS Botanicals to learn which plants are possible to grow here in Addison County that will be both aesthetically pleasing and useful as food and medicine. Propagation, proper placement, and preparations will be discussed. Recipes will be included along with a guide to nurseries and seed houses.

To register for classes, contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004, or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register for classes at least one week in advance of the class date.All classes are $30 or free for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program.

Julie Mitchell is a herbal practitioner, gardener and teacher, living in Addison County. Her formal education was through the College of Phytotherapy – BSc. degree in Phytotherapy , MSc. degree in Herbal Medicine, both from the University of Wales.

Her on-going education in herbal medicine occurs outside her door in Monkton, Vermont. She has been a member of the Co-op for decades and owns Eos Botanicals, an herbal apothecary, providing plant medicines to the Middlebury Coop for over 27 years. Julie has a consultation practice in Bristol and Burlington, VT.

 

Lentils in Many Languages

The next time you need dinner in a hurry, you can skip the pasta and serve healthy, hearty lentils instead.  These heart-healthy, protein- and fiber-rich legumes will cook in 25 minutes or less and can be spiced in an amazing range of flavors.  Join local cookbook author Andrea Chesman to learn about the variety of lentils that are available locally and make an Indian dahl, a Syrian rice and lentil dish, an Italian lentil stew with sausage and greens, a French lentil salad with goat cheese.

 

To register for classes, contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004, or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register for classes at least one week in advance of the class date. All classes are $30 or free for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program.

Apitherapy: Healing & Health with Products from the Hive

The honeybee and hive products have historically played a large role in disease care and prevention. Today science is finally catching up to what beekeepers, naturalists, herbalists, and acupuncturists have known for years. Join local beekeeping expert Ross Conrad to learn about the production, harvesting, uses and healing properties of honey, pollen, propolis, and honey bee venom.

 

To register for classes, contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004, or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register for classes at least one week in advance of the class date.All classes are $30 or free for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program.

Ayurvedic Cuisine

According to Ayurveda, food is medicine, and when taken with proper intention, at the right time, in the right amount and with the right spices, it nourishes us at every level. Join Jen Neil and Monika Jaeckle to learn what this ancient healing system can teach us about how to care for ourselves in the Spring!

To register for classes, contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004, or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register for classes at least one week in advance of the class date.All classes are $30 or free for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program.

Making & Cooking with Kimchi

The Korean pickled vegetable known as kimchi is one of the most popular fermented pickles in America, as well as in Korea.  Join local cookbook author Andrea Chesman to learn what it takes to make authentic-tasting kimchi and how to cook with it when it begins to get too sour to enjoy straight out of the jar. Participants will take home a jar to ferment at home and make a dinner of kimchi fried rice, kimchi noodle bowl, and kimchi fish stew.

To register for classes, contact Denise Senesac at the Hannaford Career Center by calling (802) 382-1004, or emailing dsenesac@pahcc.org. Classes are capped at 12 participants and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Please register for classes at least one week in advance of the class date.All classes are $30 or free for members of the Co-op’s Food For All Program.

Rally for Change for Mary Johnson Children’s Center 2/1-2/7

Round Up YOUR total at the registers 2/1-2/7.  The Co-op will MATCH your donation!

Mary Johnson Children’s Center

For the past 48 years, Mary Johnson Children’s Center has served families in Addison County from Starksboro to Orwell. Over the years, the Center has grown and changed to meet the emerging needs of families and young children. The number of children who have attended the Center’s programs number in the thousands.

While best known for its early childhood program on Water Street in Middlebury the Center operates:

Early childhood programs in Middlebury, East Middlebury, and Orwell,

Afterschool and Summer School Age Programs in Middlebury, Salisbury, Weybridge,

New Haven, Bristol, Starksboro, Monkton and, in the summer, Vergennes

Middlebury Nourishes A summer food program serving lunches to Camp Kookamunga, Middle and High School summer programs, Midsummer Lunch and an “open site” at the Memorial Sports Center. Anyone between 2 and 18 can drop in for a free lunch. No charge, no ids. During the summer MJCC serves over 12,000 meals.

RFD: An 8-week summer nutrition and enrichment program for children and youth in underserved areas of Addison County, RFD delivers lunches and programming to residents of trailer parks that are inaccessible to a downtown, convenience store or other services.

Farm to Preschool: The Center is partnering with Shelburne Farms and other local partners on a VT FEED (Food Education Every Day) project to pilot a Farm to Preschool initiative in Addison County. This project includes local sourcing of snacks and meals, food preparation, and taste testing; garden-based curricula; field trips to farms or farmers’ markets; parent workshops and more.

Head Start: Mary Johnson partners with Head Start to offer qualifying families Head Start services at our program on Water Street.  A Head Start Early Care Advocate works at the program with the families of 15 children

Therapeutic Childcare: Partnering with the Counseling Service of Addison County, MJCC provides therapeutic childcare that supports children who struggle with social, emotional and behavioral (SEB) challenges. There are 20 children at MJCC who benefit from this additional support.

The Center has helped families navigate the critical early years of their children’s lives for the past 48 years by providing our county’s children with a safe, stable and supportive environment.  Parents, too, are offered the same safe supportive environment and a staff who understand that the family is the foremost influence in a child’s life.  Families become part of the Center’s culture of connection and that support continues informally even after a child no longer attends one of the Center’s programs. Mary Johnson Children’s Center is a critical part of the network of support for families and young children in our community.

Find out more at http://www.mjccvt.org/.

Join Us for Our Grand Opening Celebration on Saturday, January 6, 10 am to 3 pm!

We Couldn’t Have Done This Without YOU!  Come join us from 10 am to 3 pm at the Co-op for food, fun and freebies!  We’ll kick off the fun with a ribbon cutting at the entrance to the new store at 10 am.  Then, until 3 pm, we’ll enjoy:

FREEBIES *  GIVEAWAYS * RAFFLES

ONE DAY ONLY:  FREE ON-TAP BEVERAGE W/CO-OP MUG!

FREE MCKENZIES HOTDOGS, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST!

MEMBERSHIP DRIVE:  BUY OR DONATE A SHARE AND RECEIVE A HANDMADE IN VERMONT CO-OP MUG!

MEMBER DEAL – MEMBERS TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 20 % OFF ALL CO-OP LOGO PRODUCTS (T-SHIRTS, MUGS, BAGS)