LUDLOW, Vt. – The Okemo Valley Women’s Club met on Monday, March 10, for their monthly meeting. The club was lucky to have two presentations that night. The first presenter was Jon Megas-Russell, from the Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA) organization. SEVCA, started in 1965, has been supporting local communities through state, federal, and local donations. Their actions include family services such as housing stabilization, fuel assistance, and crisis resolution; and emergency home repair and weatherization, with state-of-the-art coaching, insulation, and air sealing and heating system improvements. Through Micro Business Development, SEVCA staff work with participants to build a business plan, seek funding, and get a business off the ground. Other actions include financial coaching, volunteer income tax assistance for qualifying Vermonters, and Windsor County Head Start, which is a federally funded preschool program for families who meet eligibility requirements. SEVCA’s solar array offsets a portion of the energy expenses for 50 eligible households by providing free energy credits that lower electric bills. SEVCA offices are located in Brattleboro, Springfield, Westminster, White River Junction, and Bellows Falls.
The second presenter at the meeting was Kara Fitzbeauchamp, of Evening Song Farm community-supported agriculture (CSA) in Shrewsbury, Vt. Evening Song Farm is a certified organic produce farm with a free-choice weekly pickup in Rutland, Ludlow, and The Barn in Cuttingsville. CSA is a relationship between the farm and the community in which members sign up to choose fresh, seasonal vegetables straight from the farm. Between March and December, Evening Song Farm CSA is totally flexible, which means you get to choose exactly what you want each week from the CSA. Since starting the farm in 2010, Kara and her husband Ryan have had a long journey that has involved moving and rebuilding after Hurricane Irene, community support, farm expansion, team evolution, transforming growing practices to meet the needs of a changing climate, and collaborating on rational no-till research. Choosing to farm is the Evening Song Farm way to create the future in which they believe.
After both presentations, the club held a business meeting to discuss past, future, and recent events, including the successful 2024-2025 Trees of Remembrance campaign and recent cold weather Valentine’s Day bake sale, both of which raise funds to contribute to the many club projects, including local and state scholarships, a local school magazine, and outreach community support.
The next meeting of the Okemo Valley Women’s Club will be held Monday, April 14, at the Black River Valley Senior Center in Ludlow. Anyone interested in attending may contact President Sally Scarp at 407-242-0901, Membership Chair Suzanne Garvey at 802-236-4341, or any member.