Flood Recovery Update | Thurs. Nov. 30
November 30, 2023 | By Waterbury Roundabout 
The State of Vermont is selling two styles of the Vermont Strong license plates to raise money for ongoing flood relief efforts. Photos courtesy the Vermont DMV
License plate campaign aims to raise $1 million more for flood relief
Gov. Phil Scott recently announced a six-week holiday campaign to raise funds for Vermonters and businesses impacted by summer flooding through ongoing sales of Vermont Strong license plates and limited-edition Darn Tough socks.
Since the “Vermont Strong” license plates were reintroduced in August, $715,000 in proceeds have been donated, with half going to individual needs via the Vermont Community Foundation and half to help businesses through the State’s Business Emergency Gap Assistance Program, according to the governor’s office.
Likewise, proceeds from the holiday sales will be split. Funds for individual needs will be directed to four main areas:
Housing, such as home repairs and heat
Food security
Individual and family assistance for critical items such as groceries, filling a gas tank, replacing destroyed clothing and bedding, medications and more
Mental health services and support
The other half of the funds raised will help businesses with expenses that exceed existing program funds with the goal to help get Vermont businesses reopened, housing units back online, and employees back to work.
“We know how much Vermonters care about each other. The way you showed up over the summer and into the fall is a testament to the strength of our communities and our Vermont resilience,” the governor said. “But there’s more work to do, and more money to raise, to help. Because the fact is, the destruction from the flood will take a long time to clean up, and has a lasting effect for those who lost so much. Vermonters need ongoing help, and this fundraising effort will help.”
Lindsay Kurrle, Vermont’s secretary of the Agency of Commerce and Community Development, said a variety of businesses stand to benefit from the fundraiser. “While the initial funds have been distributed, there is still a substantial amount of unmet need from businesses who have yet to receive a payment – and we know every penny can help them get to that next stage of reopening,” Kurrle said.
The sale offers two styles of Vermont Strong license plates for $35 each that are available for purchase online or at Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles offices. A special edition Darn Tough sock style has been created for this campaign – buyers will receive a voucher to redeem directly from Darn Tough. Sock supplies are limited.
The license plates are to be displayed on the fronts of vehicles.
Businesses wishing to sell the plates may place an order on the Vermont Strong website as well.
The website for the campaign also accepts donations without a license plate purchase. It explains donations will go to the Vermont Emergency Donations Special Fund for purposes of emergency management such as the Manufactured Home Improvement and Repair Program which will remove and dispose of flood-impacted manufactured homes and/or grants to replace a manufactured home.
Governor recognizes Waterbury Ambulance Service
Last week, Gov. Phil Scott wrote to Waterbury Ambulance Service to thank the EMS organization for its work on flood-response and relief efforts this year.
The Nov. 16 letter pictured here names WASI team members individually and describes the work the nonprofit agency has done in recent months.
“You went above and beyond your typical job description to support communities impacted by this summer's flooding,” the governor wrote. “Your work in support of our State Emergency Operations Center on three critical missions – including coordinating local relief and volunteer efforts; driving through flood-affected towns to identify debris pile-up; and conducting direct outreach to connect with families in need of heat and other flood-related repairs – has been profoundly impactful.”
Scott also noted that the service was being recognized as part of his Rays of Kindness initiative that highlights groups and individuals who go beyond usual expectations to do for others.
“Your willingness to step up, and give your time and energy to helping others, is one of the many reasons to feel hopeful and inspired. It's Vermonters like you – who band together during hard times – that have helped us light the way for the nation in our acts of kindness and community spirit,” Gov. Scott said.
From Waterbury Help: Housing, volunteers & donations needed
The following is from Waterbury’s Flood Recovery Coordinator Tom Drake:
Several flood-affected families in Waterbury and neighboring towns are in immediate need of housing. If you have a house, an apartment, or even a room for rent, please consider renting it to a person or a family whose lives have been turned upside down in the aftermath of the flood.
Waterbury's Long Term Recovery Group, CReW (Community Resilience for the Waterbury Area) is assisting residents and businesses impacted by the summer flood. If you have a rental property that is or may be available PLEASE contact us (info@thecrewvt.org) before you consider other options for renting housing units. The need is great, but fortunately only for a small number of families or individuals are in this most dire circumstance. Providing housing to one of these families, even for a short duration of a few months, can make an incredible difference to those in need.
The flood impacted over 150 properties in our communities. Many folks are back in their homes and for most of them, all is well. There are others, however, who are still suffering to a great degree and the fact is, that suffering is invisible to most of us.
In the majority of cases, the flood waters affected only basement spaces, leaving living spaces mostly undamaged. We are grateful for that! However, electrical panels and heating plants housed in those basements were heavily damaged or destroyed in some of those buildings. Finding enough equipment, materials and the contractors necessary to replace equipment or to repair the damaged systems has been very difficult. The difficulty has been exacerbated given the number of properties damaged by the flood in Central Vermont, including Barre, Montpelier, Berlin, and several other towns. Winter is upon us and homes are uninhabitable without heat. We need to find housing for these families now!
If you are reading this and would like to help, but don't have a space to rent to meet this need, there are still things you can do to help. CReW is in need of volunteers to help with repairs to damaged properties that have not yet been fully repaired. Mitigation of mold is still a need in some buildings. Where mold has been cleared, repairs to walls and floors await. Electrical work is necessary in several properties. This is not an exhaustive list. We need your help! Please visit the CReW website at thecrewvt.org or respond to this post to sign up to help with the needed work.
Of course, money is necessary to accomplish any and all of the goals CReW has to repair flooded properties and to make them more resilient. CReW would very much appreciate your tax deductible contribution of any amount to allow all of this work to go forward. Revitalizing Waterbury is the fiscal agent for CReW. Please make checks payable to Revitalizing Waterbury and include CReW on the memo line. Contributions may be mailed to Revitalizing Waterbury, P.O. Box 473, Waterbury, VT 05676 or contribute online here.