BRATTLEBORO — Amidst the organization's many measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Groundworks Collaborative has pivoted to a virtual approach for the organization's eighth annual Camp for a Common Cause fundraiser.
The event, which normally seeks a permit to lift the town's public camping restriction for one night each May on the Town Common, will happen virtually this year on Friday, May 1.
Organizers aim to bring the community together around the cause despite the physical distance separating us all - knowing that shelter-in-place guidelines will encourage more people to participate from home this year in solidarity with those who are otherwise have no home at which to stay.
“This event is a reminder that on any given night when the SOS is not open, 35 to 40 people may be camping out in our community,” Groundworks' Director of Operations Rhianna Kendrick said in a news release.
Organizers encourage participants to camp at home - on lawns, in garages, on balconies and decks, and other spaces - and in so doing, raise funds that Groundworks reports it needs “now more than ever.”
“We want to encourage as many people as possible to pick a camping spot of their choice and send us a photo or an update of where they'll be sleeping in solidarity with our neighbors experiencing homelessness,” said Libby Bennett, the nonprofit's director of development and communications. “It doesn't cost anything to participate, but we do ask campers to help raise as much money as they can to support our important work.”
Bennett said online fundraising tools are available on the Groundworks website for all to access, and all contributions are fully tax-deductible.