To stay on the land where we have been building home, we need your support. Our construction mortgage fell though, so we need $49,000 by Aug. 31st to add to a smaller loan for costs to deliver & finish our modular home.
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It is with enormous gratitude and no small amount of shock that we announce that the FUNDRAISING GOAL HAS BEEN MET thanks to 133 generous donors and so many more friends and supporters.
Deep gratitude to everyone that has responded to our call for support. We get to have a home! We get to stay and deepen our relationship with the land, Pocket Full of Sky. We feel nourished by this experience of community outpouring of generosity and care.
Thank you to everyone that has shown up in so many ways! From helping, hosting and attending events, to co-creating, “liking” and boosting our content, to singing and dancing and donating your hand crafted art and medicines, to helping in the labor of prepping and building this home with us. So many hands and hearts have come together to make our dream come into being.
Thank YOU for utterly redefining what we think of as possible. We love you!
A little about us:
We have been part of the ecosystem of Vermont for a significant number of years; Morgan since 1999 and Kegan since 2012. We are not loudest voices on Town Meeting Day nor very active on social media but we deliver meals and move greenhouses. We are in the work of supporting food solidarity, children's right to dignity and autonomous play; LGBTQ+ peers and youth; we are accomplices to BIPOC led dreams and projects.
We are white, queer, non-binary & Trans*, neurodivergent folx (Morgan is also Jewish). Daily we navigate chronic health conditions, the effects of complex trauma, and financial eldercare responsibilities. We are actively committed to building resilient and sustainable local communities of care. Together with two cunning cats, we are celebrating the beauty of this place, leaning on a number of incredible friends, and learning what it means to receive abundantly.
What the money goes to:
A successful campaign will allow us to remain on land we purchased in May 2021 in Westminster, VT, and remain part of a community where we live. Our struggle for housing security is less that we are in a unique situation and more that we are in a common experience across Vermont through which we have also supported our friends and community members. Our ask comes from the spirit of reciprocity in connection to a lifestyle of prioritizing community capital over monetary capital.
After our rental was sold out from us, we were spun into the housing crisis in VT. We were unable to buy a house, but fortunate to purchase this 3 acres. The last 2 years we have lived in a generously loaned tiny house. We spent this time tending the land with respect, songs and offerings, working to be in right relationship with those that were here before us. Our ability to stay in the tiny house is limited by local zoning — we have a temporary housing permit while our primary residence is under construction.
We have a 970 sq ft Modular home actively being built and set to be delivered Aug. 14th. That's when we need to hand over a $125k check or face financial penalties and the possibility of losing the house completely. (UPDATE: we will not lose the house thanks to community support) Last July we signed the contract for the modular home based on our pre-qualification for a construction loan. After our construction mortgage fell through in March, we have exhaustively explored many financial options. We have secured a loan with the land as collateral for $75k. We need $49k to fill the gap so the house can be delivered and we can get heat, power and water before winter. (UPDATE: House has been delivered, remaining funding gets the house ready to live in) We are using all our savings for site prep, which includes a basement and finishing the septic system (Update: we paused finishing the septic to use those funds to get the house delivered). The compounding factors of housing scarcity in VT, rising interest rates and inflation, both of us working in the nonprofit sector and class obstacles with banks have left us in a precarious situation. We have been striving and trying with all of our creativity and cleverness to make this work, but we need your help.
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It is with enormous gratitude and no small amount of shock that we announce that the FUNDRAISING GOAL HAS BEEN MET thanks to 133 generous donors and so many more friends and supporters.
Deep gratitude to everyone that has responded to our call for support. We get to have a home! We get to stay and deepen our relationship with the land, Pocket Full of Sky. We feel nourished by this experience of community outpouring of generosity and care.
Thank you to everyone that has shown up in so many ways! From helping, hosting and attending events, to co-creating, “liking” and boosting our content, to singing and dancing and donating your hand crafted art and medicines, to helping in the labor of prepping and building this home with us. So many hands and hearts have come together to make our dream come into being.
Thank YOU for utterly redefining what we think of as possible. We love you!
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The Brattleboro Queer Dance Party was so fun! Thank you to all of the Stone Church crew, event organizers, performers and the folx that came out to dance. In particular, we want to shout out to Patty Cakes and Astara for making this connection happen. Everyone was Fabulous!
We brought some looks of our own, Photo Booth, and a treasure chest of singles to make change for tips. With donations, this raised $507! With the ongoing matching pledge, that totals $1,014 towards our goal.
It was wonderful to have a role within this event, and be a part of this on-going community touchstone. One of our favorite things about Queer Dance Party is the way it brings folx together, and we loved the chance to see and reconnect with friends. There couldn’t have been a better final event of the campaign!
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See you at the Queer Dance Party Tonight!!
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Correction: Queer Dance Party is TOMORROW night, i.e. Friday and not Saturday as previously stated. It would be marvelous to see you there!
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THIS SATURDAY! Come dance with us! Bring your best looks! We will have a photo booth area to capture your fierceness and your cuteness.
Check out the silent auction (round 2) feature queer and local artists.
The Queer Dance Party will be our last big fundraising event for our campaign.
Thank you Patty Cakes for supporting us with this last push to meet our goal. Reaching $49k means the house with have running water, heat and a working toilet before winter!
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This morning, we got to watch as the two pieces of our house were lifted by cranes, set in place, and then the roof popped up. It was incredible!
We are so pleased to share these images of the process (check out our facebook page for videos: https://www.facebook.com/PocketFullofSky )
AND so thankful for the community support that has made it possible to stand inside our new home this afternoon.
It will be an exciting autumn getting all the internal systems set up and completing the finishing work. More photos to come!
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More exciting news from Pocket Full of Sky: we received an offer for matching the donations of our last 15 days.
We have $13k to raise to have lights on, running water, a working toilet and heat before winter.
Please donate if you can and share with your networks. Donation will be double! $10 becomes $20; $50 becomes $100!
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If you love cabaret, dancing, and showing up for community friends - come on down to the next Queer Dance Party at the Stone Church in Brattleboro! We are their chosen beneficiary this time, and bringing some fun photo booth elements. The theme is Fresh Faces, so show yours!
https://www.facebook.com/events/129643833486190/?ref=newsfeed
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It’s hard to argue that something is a gift, when it shows up wrapped in your front yard.
Thanks to incredible community support and a bank loan, we are so pleased to announce that the HOUSE HAS ARRIVED! Two boxes, shrink-wrapped and parked on their trailers, waiting for a crew to come and set them up on Tuesday. The check is ready to hand over.
After Tuesday, we’ll be able to walk around the rooms of our new home and choose flooring and paint colors. There’s still so much to do, but at 71% and $35,127 it’s honestly hard to believe how far we’ve come. After so much stress and uncertainty, there’s a house! Right there! And that’s down to you. And you, and you!
We are still fundraising through the end of the month, because these boxes need heating on their insides and siding on their outsides. Plus, we still need to pay for septic, water and electricity to be finished. But there is about to be shelter, and we feel so lucky.
Thank you!
Love,
Morgan and Kegan
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Oh wow oh wow
We are now at 70% funded, with $14,493 left to go. That’s an incredible testament to the generosity of so many friends, family, chosen kin - and even some total strangers! It’s absolutely astonishing, to feel our situation (and perspectives) changing in fundamental ways. Our stress levels are definitely shifting too, as we can start believing that home is really happening.
What’s more, it’s happening so soon!
When we started this campaign, the house delivery date had yet to be confirmed and there was lots of site prep still to do. We have since split up that site work into pieces: Phase One, a basement to set the house on. Phase 2, septic tank. We are delaying the septic so that money can be used to secure house delivery.
The date for that has now been set - for Thursday August 10th!
That is THIS THURSDAY.
It will come in two pieces, and a crew with set and secure them in place with a crane on August 15th. To complete that work, they need a cashier’s check from us for $125k. Your support has made that check possible!
And we’re continuing to fundraise through August, because that last $14k is still needed to pay for the septic and a heating system. The modular home comes with many things already installed, but no heat!
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We are so pleased to announce our 100TH DONOR!
Thank you Adaline Herbert, and the 99 other incredibly generous people who have helped get us here.
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Mycelial Abundance!
Folks have rallied in incredible ways throughout this campaign! We are excited to announce that conversations at the Garden Tea Party have opened additional paths to meet our fundraising goal. One pair of friends are offering a private no-interest loan of $10,000. Kegan’s friend Andrea is proposing to connect with folks and fund the last $17k with a “group grant’.
We’ll let Andrea introduce herself below:
Hi! Most of you probably don't know me, but my name is Andrea Lemon, and I worked closely with Kegan in his role at Hilltop Montessori School (I was on the Hilltop board of trustees). Like many of you, I contributed to this fund drive, and I am thrilled that Kegan and Morgan are so close to reaching their goal.
But they aren't all the way there yet. I have a plan, however, which involves the more financially privileged folks among Kegan and Morgan's circle, whom I now address:
I think we can agree that they don't need another loan, so I'm asking you to join me in a sort of "group grant" to take them past the finish line. All they need now is $17,646 and I know that together we can make it happen.
I've only just met Morgan, but anyone who knows Kegan is aware of how hard he works. And it is only due to systemic inequalities that he is paid so much less than, say, my husband, who is a software engineer for a major tech company. Furthermore, Kegan and Morgan never inherited any money, like I did. This disparity exists throughout our community (and the world), and while we can't magically fix everything for everyone, we can still make a difference for Kegan and Morgan.
Will you join my husband and me in committing to cover the remaining fundraising gap? I am specifically proposing a grant/gift rather than a loan, because (1) they don't need more debt and (2) loaning money to friends can be very awkward, as I'm sure you know. But if a bunch of us band together, the less we'll all need to chip in, and Kegan and Morgan can finally breathe easy.
If you have any questions, please reach out to me either by email, text, or phone. I promise full confidentiality, and I can even arrange an anonymous grant if you prefer.
All the best,
Andrea Lemon
802-258-8566
[email protected]
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We are so glad to thank Marta Bernbaum and her husband Josh for hosting our Garden Tea Party yesterday afternoon! There were tables of treats, bouquets of beverages, and table-top activities. Those attending chose a vintage glass or cup, and could color in elevation drawings of our house! It looks like purple is the people's choice (and no complaints from me).
In spite of rescheduling, 12 marvelous people attended and stayed for hours of gentle socializing in these beautiful surroundings. We got to see old friends and new, and introduce them to each other! In particular, I was glad to meet some of Kegan’s many connections from working so long in the Brattleboro Community, and put smiling faces to familiar names.
A thousand thank yous to Marta and Josh, Gavy and Chris for your invaluable help making everything a) happen and b) so dang cute! It was marvelous to spend the afternoon with you as well as Andrea, Sasha, Eric, Ember, Finn, Trudy, Mariam, Azlan, Astara, and Ashlyn.
Auction donations were provided by Helene Leichter-Saxby, Alison Corn, Steve Lloyd, Marten Tanager, Sasha Luci, Eric Ferrar, Mariam Diallo, Ashlyn Stephens, Joanna Alix, and Mika Kimoto.
Altogether, we raised $340 directly from the event. That puts us at $19,104 or 38.9% of our total goal. We are continuing to fundraise and welcome conversations with folks interested in making direct grants or private loans.
In terms of the land itself, we are proud to announce that we finished waterproofing and insulating the basement exterior! The next step will be filling in the surrounding trench, before anticipated delivery of the house August 11.
Lots of love,
Morgan
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Due to Rain our Garden Tea Party has been rescheduled to this Sunday.
July 23rd 1pm- 5pm 119 Hescock rd. West Brattleboro, VT
Fancy and whimsical attire is welcomed, as are friends of all ages and forms of connection.
We are in the whirl or preparations. Today Marta, Finn and I zhuzhed the gardens and Morgan and I are prepping food and finalizing the menu and decoration details.
There are many amazing items for the silent auction!
Thank you to everyone that donated! Items for the auction, cash in the fundraiser, time to keep this all flowing. Every amount helps and is deeply appreciated.
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The Bernbaum Family is hosting a Garden Tea Party fundraising event for us in Marta's beautiful gardens:
July 21st 4pm- 8pm
119 Hescock rd. West Brattleboro, VT
If you can come, please do! Fancy and whimsical attire is welcomed, as are friends of all ages and forms of connection. Different local artists and Hilltop staff have donated items for a silent auction.
What could be more fun than making a difference in the life of someone you know, while drinking tea and eating scones!
Please RSVP on the facebook page yes or maybe so we can make enough treats:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1671345370002930/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[]%7D
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We are making huge progress toward this home being a reality! With all of your help we have raised 33% of our goal. Today, after a full year of working with 6 different banks we have completed a loan for $75,000. That puts us at $91,333 out of the $125,000 we need! Thank you so much for being apart of this process with us.
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This is Cat and Dillybeans. They are here to say thank you for helping us reach 33% funded! One third of our total amount! Thank you!
Cat and Dillybeans have explored Pocket Full of Sky the most. If they could talk, they would tell us about the land better than we could. We reckon they'd tell us how much they like living here, how they enjoy roaming the wildness, and what it would mean to them to have some nice indoor space to call their own too.
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We are an astonishing 25% of the way there! 65 people have contributed, which is incredible. Very soon (weather permitting) the basement will be dug and set - right here in this field!
An old friend said to me: "No one gets housing without help, imo--from unearned wealth, general bs of salaries, inheritance, crowdfunding, whatever."
I have been holding that thought close through this vulnerable process, and looking forward to the day when we can host others who also need shelter and time in the woods.
Thank you again, everyone, for your compassion and generosity!
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We've been so busy that we haven't had time to declare that WE'VE HIT 20% OF OUR CAMPAIGN TOTAL! Thank you so so much!
Morgan is now back from their business trip and is stoically dealing with a post-travel cold. They're hoping to get better in time for our online Fundraising Concert! It's this Thursday, 7pm EST and I will be there live! Click this link here to grab a ticket >>https://www.crowdcast.io/c/fun-raiser<< we really hope that you will join us there!
Now that we are reunited, Morgan and I are also pleased to announce a Garden Tea Party! Yes, you have the opportunity to dress up all fancy to enjoy drinks and treats with myself and Morgan! It's on July 21st, 4pm-8pm at 119 Hescock Road, West Brattleboro, VT and it's going to be simply delightful. Come and hang out so we can thank you personally for all the support you've given us.
Signing off for now while Morgan is recovering,
Kegan
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AMAZING! We have raised 10% of our goal! Thank you so much to everyone who is giving so generously.
Keep tuned in as this party is only just started!
Join us Virtually: Simon Devoil, my dear friend and Anam Cara, is hosting a virtual concert & Fun-raiser July 6th 7pm-8:15. Register Here: https://www.crowdcast.io/c/fun-raiser
Join us Locally: Garden Tea Party! Fundraising Event
July 21st 4pm-8pm Hosted by the Bernbaum Family in West Brattleboro
Weekly Giveaways! Many folks have generously donated their art (framable art to mail-able art) and hand crafted wellness items (tinctures, infused honey and miso)! We will be featuring these items as weekly giveaways. e.g. donate on a Monday and your name will be put in one of my iconic hats to win the giveaway for that day. Look out for the Sunday line ups of what items will be given away each week via facebook, instagram, and this page.
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