Connecting & Activating Vermont Communities

Community-Led Resilience Hubs

In the second installment of the VECAN 2023 Winter Workshop Series, we heard from Laura Cavin Bailey of the Vermont Council of Rural Development, Sam Lash of the Central Vermont Regional Planning Commission, and Vince O’Connell and Ned Houston of the Craftsbury Energy Committee and Craftsbury Public Library. These presenters shared more about the concept of rural community resilience hubs, exploring ways communities can initiate a conversation and diving into the details of a Vermont case study.

Rural and energy-burdened areas often experience a “resilience divide” due to characteristics like low population density and a population that is inadequately included, valued, or compensated. Additionally, infrastructure and community support systems are often dispersed, under-resourced, and therefore not readily accessible or utilized to their full potential. Through regionally-specific co-creation and community-led design, we can support and enhance pre-existing community capacity (leadership/people power and infrastructure), making Vermont communities in that region more equitable, thriving, and climate-resilient.

Find some resources from the workshop below: