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Maquam Bay of Missisquoi Food Pantry Program

This past year we saw a number of challenges for the Maquam Bay of Missisquoi Food Pantry Program. The food shelf grew from a small space to now the former community room. Shelving was donated, additional freezers were purchased through a grant, and some were donated. Volunteers have worked tirelessly to make this all a success!

In typical operations community members would come and select items, in the time of COVID we had to be creative to continue to have the food shelf open as all Non-Profits were closed by the Governor. Volunteers maned phone lines 3 days a week and brought food outside to place in vehicles for contactless delivery. When a family battling COVID called our volunteers prepared food boxes and masked up to deliver boxes to their doorsteps.

We were able to feed 2,018 families and 5,864 individual people not only from Franklin County but Lamoille, Chittenden and even from upstate New York.

A big shout out to Anne Lampman and April Lapan for volunteering 3 days a week and Anne and other family members to go pick up food every weekend from Hannaford. Without all of them our food shelf would not look as good as it does today!

Thank you to Heathy Roots giving us our winter bags as well as our summer bags. Thank you to Vermonters Feeding Vermonters for our grant to buy locally raised beef or chicken, eggs or locally grown vegetables and fruits.

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Community Space

Our current community room, a shared space within the tribal building, has been converted into an extended food pantry to accommodate the 300% increase in community need for emergency hunger relief. Also, even without the space dedicated to the food pantry, the community room is a large open space for tribal gatherings, and not really appropriate for some of the advocacy services we provide. We need funding to convert a small adjacent building on the property to provide a safe, secure space to hold programs for and with women and girls. This has been a long-term plan, but it has been made more urgent by the challenges that have arisen with Covid-19. When it is safe to gather in small groups again, we want to have the space ready for women to come together to recover and to work on the revitalization of our community.

This dedicated space will be comfortable and supportive and will also enable us to organize and host a variety of programs, services and activities. The space will house advocacy and direct support programs including violence prevention, intervention and healing; cultural revitalization activities; educational enhancement such as GED classes; and meeting space for our Tribal Women’s Council. Funding received will allow us to fix this building and complete our goal.

 

We have a GO FUND ME account set up as well as the Donate page located within the menu of our website. If you donate via the website please comment “for community room”.

 

Thank you in advance for your generosity.

 

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Tribal Card Update

Anyone with a Tribal Card 2016 and older will need to apply for a new card. Many cards are old and the contact information is outdated. Please see the application page located within the menu for further instructions.

Also, stay tuned in the coming weeks for information on the Lifetime Hunting and Fishing License.

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Hunting and Fishing License Information

Starting 1/1/2021 you are able to apply for a “Vermont State Recognized Tribal Citizen License”. Please visit “Vermont Fish and Wildlife” website for instructions.

On the VT Fish and Wildlife Website go to:

other license

printable applications

VT State Recognized Tribal Citizen License

All the instructions are posted on the VT Fish and Wildlife website. Tribal asks that the “certification sheet” that is needed, be filled out to the fullest by you and emailed to [email protected] for the Chief to sign in the appropriate section. We will then send the signed form back to you via email. This is a safer way of getting the form signed during the Pandemic. If you do not have email please send your certification form to 100 Grand Ave. Swanton, VT 05488. with a self stamped addressed envelope so that we can return your certification back to you. (Emailing the certification is preferred and will be faster). Any questions please email [email protected]

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Food Shelf is OPEN

During these difficult times the food shelf has remained open. We are open to all families. We are funded by donations and ran by volunteers. When arriving in the parking lot, please call 868-6255. Someone will meet you outside. Curb side service! We have served over 300 families this year.

WE ARE OPEN TO ALL FAMILIES!