Weathering the Storm

On August 28, 2011 Tropical Storm Irene struck Vermont causing widespread, catastrophic damage.

At VFC we struggled with how to respond to the storm beyond just doing the work of cultural documentation - could we employ our skills in a way that might actually help people in the present?

Though our discussions, VFC fellow, Aylie Baker and Greg developed and refined the idea of Story Circles - structured, community storytelling gatherings where people embroiled in the experience of storm recovery could come together and share.

We sponsored Story Circles in Mendon, Stockbridge, and Rochester, Vermont. In partnership with Starting Over Strong Vermont we worked with residents of Athens, Brattleboro, Ludlow, Plymouth, Waterbury and Wilmington.

To mark the first anniversary of the storm, Aylie drew from those Story Circles to create the audio documentary, Weathering the Storm.