Being Halloween, you might think I’d be writing about the scary reality our state faces with thousands of Vermonters eyeing the end of SNAP (food stamps) benefits, healthcare, and heating assistance thanks to the Trump administration and his party’s congressional control. There is nothing quite as frightening in my opinion, then seeing the dismantling of community and care right in front of our eyes.
So instead, let me focus on what’s in control, how we can help our communities, and what’s giving me hope for the future – not pure existential dread.
First up, Vermont Conservation Voters joined seven other coalition organizations last weekend in Fairlee for a LEAD-VT training offered to those looking to run for office or effectively help on campaigns. Next week, we will do the same in Middlebury. And we just launched an online version of the training for December 6 that you can register for now.
These training sessions are important as we are about a year away from the 2026 elections, where we hope to regain pro-environment and pro-democracy voters in the Vermont legislature. Making sure candidates and their teams have the skills and resources to run effective, successful campaigns is tantamount to ensuring Vermont doesn’t rollback landmark climate and democracy laws in the future.
As I teased two weeks ago, I was a guest on the podcast There’s No ‘A’ In Creemee hosted by Joanna Grossman and former Senator Andy Julow. Our podcast, Democracy Dispatch, returns in January, but we thought a bonus crossover episode would be fitting, to highlight our respective work, experience working on campaigns, and the upcoming candidate trainings. It was so cool to see how they record theirs (in a skate shack on Lake Champlain!), talk shop, and wrap up with a light-hearted discussion about creemees and what we call those sugary bits that often adorn them – are they jimmies or sprinkles?! That episode is available now on both podcasts, wherever you prefer to listen.
Tomorrow, I’ll be joining my town’s conservation commission for their annual fall roadside litter clean up event, Orange Up Day, a cute play on our state’s Green Up Day which is held in May. Then, next week when my town’s food shelf opens, I plan to drop off a monetary donation. Though Vermont leadership will extend SNAP benefits for two weeks, the need to feed our neighbors remains. These small gestures are what I can do to help my community and give me hope for the future. Let’s restore care and a desire to be there for one another – and our planet.
Justin Marsh, Political Director
Vermont Conservation Voters
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