AALV: The Association of Africans Living in Vermont, Inc.

Big thanks are in order to the Kimberly-Clark Corporation and the United Way of Chittenden County for connecting the AALV-JUMP (Joint Urban Ministries Project) Collaborative with more than a $1,000 worth of diapers for our community.  AALV staff members Naweza, Kalton, and Bol are clearly very excited about the donation!  The AALV-JUMP collaborative connects low-income members of the African refugee and immigrant community with emergency utility shut-off assistance, extra diapers, extra food, and vouchers for clothing and laundry.  While this type of assistance sounds like relatively little, it in fact can mean the difference between self-sufficiency and homelessness. 

Thank you, Kimberly-Clark, for your donation, and thank you, United Way, for your wonderful networking assistance!

All of us at the Association are pleased to share our 2007 Annual Report (annual-report_d22) with the community.  Please feel free to download the file and learn more about what AALV accomplished during 2007.  Our 2008 activities have been wonderful so far, and we look forward to achieving many of our year-end goals.  If you have any questions about the report or would like to learn more about our community and programs, phone us on 802-985-3106.

Just a quick message to the African community: there will be a Fair Housing community workshop on Saturday, September 27th, from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, at the Winooski Community Center.  The Winooski Community Center is at 32 Malletts Bay Avenue in Winooski. 

The workshop is our second on understanding fair housing rights in Vermont.  Subjects covered will include: how to communicate effectively with your landlord; understanding the security deposit; how to prevent against eviction and what to do if you are in eviction proceedings.  The Fair Housing Project of CVOEO and Vermont Tenants will be our presenters.  Come.  Bring friends.  Spread the word.  We’ll see you on the 27th!  Call us at 985-3106 for more information or a ride.

We couldn’t resist putting up these great shots from our favorite photographer Ned Castle – taken at a recent farmers’ market.

The New Farms for New Americans project had its biggest farmers’ market sales of the season tonight at the Old North End Farmers’ Market at the H.O. Wheeler School.  That must have been because of the good looking veggies the farmers have grown over the course of the project – nice work, New American farmers!

AALVInterpret, the Association’s language interpreter services program, contracted Certified Languages International to conduct a two-day medical interpreting skills training.  Seen in the picture above, are a selection of AALVInterpret interpreters receiving training from CLI’s Kevin Cunningham. 

AALVInterpret offers language interpretation in 17 languages, including many languages outside of the African continent (e.g. Nepalese, Chinese Mandarin, Vietnamese, and Arabic).  To schedule an interpreter, please contact Naweza Muderhwa at 802-985-3106 or make a request online.

The New Farms for New Americans three-acre farm plot was threatened late last week by unseasonable rain and localized flooding.  Luckily, only a small portion of the plot was affected, and nearly all of the lettuce, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, and other vegetables survived with no damage. 

The produce is growing well, and wholesale buyers have begun to drop in on the New American farmers as they work their land.  To learn more about the New Farms for New Americans project or to contribute to its success, please contact the program manager, Josie Weldon, at josieweldon.aalv@yahoo.com. 

The AALV’s Naweza Muderhwa (she does smile most of the time!) showed courage yesterday when she spoke amongst a panel of Vermonters about racial profiling in the Green Mountain state.  Her tesitmony was noted by the Burlington Free Press today.  Naweza and others speaking at the State House called for investment in programs that will train police officers in the dangers of profiling and how to improve communication between police officers and minority communities.  Write to your state legislators and the governor if you believe Vermont should be investing more in these important trainings! (Photo courtesy the Burlington Free Press.)

Hello, New Farms for New Americans friends! Project crops are now being sold at the Old North End farmers’ market on Tuesday afternoons, at the Fletcher Allen Hospital farmers’ market on Thursday afternoons, and the Winooski farmers’ market also on Thursday afternoons. Our crops are organically and locally grown, on Burlington’s Intervale. It’s good to know where your food is coming from, and it’s good to know the good people who grow that food, like Fatuma Ali of Burlington at the Old North End farmers’ market earlier today!

New Farms for New Americans participants have found success farming their three acres of land at Burlington’s Ethan Allen Homestead.  The first crops are nearly ready for harvest: radishes, lettuce, chard, scallions, and various African greens.  Look for our farmers at the Old North End, Winooski, and Fletcher Allen farmers’ markets starting next week!