Celebration Event
June 12th at 1 pm, 75+ community citizens, government officials, housing advocates and UCU church members gathered to celebrate the breaking of ground to start the infrastructure construction for the Harvest Crossing Initiative. As the age-old saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child”, or in this case, to build a house. There are many players on the Harvest Crossing team and we are all so very glad that so many had taken the time to come on the 12th to celebrate the next milestone of this initiative. 6 Years of organization, fundraising, and 312 team meetings has brought us to the point. In attendance to speak in support of the initiative and for affordable housing were:
Maggie Burke, Outreach Representative for the Office of Senator Bernie Sanders
Tayt Brooks, Deputy Secretary of the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development
Gus Seelig, Executive Director, Vermont Housing & Conservation Board
Jonathon Goldhammer, Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity
Rachel & Nathan Williams, Future Harvest Crossing Homeowners
Brad Holden, Underhill Town Administrator
Julia Connell, Vermont Community Development Program
Julie Curtin, Director of Homeownership, Champlain Housing Trust
Senator Kesha Ram Hinsdale, Vermont State Senator
The Harvest Crossing team’s closest partner in this initiative has been Green Mountain Habitat for Humanity, who has had representation at almost all weekly meetings to help us formulate and bring a sense of reality that we could strive for together.
The Town of Underhill has also been an anchor to the initiative, providing us leadership, guidance and funding, as well as sponsoring the United Church of Underhill to be eligible for funding from the State of Vermont Community Development Program.
Thanks go to Angelike Contis from Mount Mansfield Community Television who is recording this event for others to witness at their leisure, at the link: https://youtu.be/SiDFtTqRzr8
Diana Arfine, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Community Engagement, with Grean Mountain Habitat for Humanity said, “Congratulations to all for a very successful Groundbreaking Ceremony. I have been to many during my time with Habitat, but this was by the far the most well-attended and organized event that I have ever been a part of. It was evident from the meetings and throughout the ceremony itself that you live in a very special and supportive community.”
