Our Founding
Over the last week, word has started getting around.
I’ve started getting quite a few inquiries from other nonprofits in Vermont asking whether I could replicate with them what I did for Shelburne Farms. The answer I’ve given has of course been an enthusiastic “yes!” But considering operating at a larger scale than just Shelburne Farms means I’ll need to take a different approach.
To learn what tack we might take, I’ve spent the last week setting up meetings with some of the nonprofits that Shelburne Farms could provide me an introduction to: Vermont Community Foundation, Burlington City Arts, the Governor’s Institutes of Vermont, Vermont Foodbank, and the Greater Burlington YMCA.
Each of their missions and visions has inspired me to try to be part of something bigger. For BCA, their mission of “nurturing a dynamic environment through the arts that makes quality experiences accessible to a broad audience” feels all the more meaningful in a world where are ability to experience art is so significantly curtailed by COVID. The Vermont Community Foundation’s vision of “Vermont at its best; Vermonters at their best” expresses exactly the spirit of what we all hope this state and its residents can be, despite the times. And of course, with so many losing work due to the pandemic, there is arguably no better cause than ensuring that Vermonters who lack food get access to it.
As I’ve been thinking about these meetings over the last few days, an idea has started to form.
A mask is much more than a little piece of cloth. Quite literally, it is what allows us to be together safely, even when we are apart. But on a higher level, it’s a symbol of commitment to community. Wearing a mask is how we show our solidarity with and our concern for the people around us. Masks are a powerful (and underutilized) form of real estate, and I struggle to think of a better use for that real estate than to promote the nonprofits that day in and day out exemplify that solidarity, that concern, and that commitment to community.
This is the motivating idea behind Masks4Missions, which as of today, has officially launched. We’ll be designing, producing, and distributing masks branded with nonprofit partners’ logos to help promote the critical work they do in our Vermont community. We’ve got some initial volunteers on board and hope for more to come. Masks are in the works, so stay tuned!