Bethel VT Area Project Happy Holidays

12/07/2025

Thank You’s Galore!❤️

Thanks to our amazing photographer for these wonderful pictures to help us remember Project Happy Holidays Market 2025. Thanks to all 75 volunteers who helped in one way or another. 60 families and 137 kids got a little head start on their festive holiday celebrations because of your efforts.

Thanks to our 25 businesses and organizations in Bethel, Barnard, Royalton, Stockbridge/Rochester and Pittsfield who hosted a toy donation box and to all community members who donated toys. There was an incredible selection of gifts for parents to choose from!

Thanks also to Middle Branch Jr Grange, Gifford Medical Center, Mascoma Bank, WC Sherrif Ryan Palmer, and Babes Bar for food and turkey drives. Thanks to Dandelion Acres for holiday decorations, Knitters for Kneighbors and Michele Packard for the beautiful selection of knitted and crocheted hats! Thanks to Alyssa Levy, Laura Perez and Lindsey Trombly for gift and food shopping, Renee for her talents and Bombas socks, WRVHS-National Honor Society for the “Big Move”, Mel and Maryellen for procuring our Christmas Trees, Rebbie for creating our “Winter Forest” and a HUGE shout out to a record number of donors supporting this 31 year old community project.

A sincere thank you to one and all for a job well done. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas to all!
and

12/06/2025

UPDATE! WE ARE PLANNING ON DOING THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT 12/10

Greetings, Neighbors!

In partnership with the Town Meeting and Community Engagement Committee and the Equity and Inclusion Committee in our Neighborhood Conversations work, we have organized a presentation by Gifford Med Ctr’s Chelsea Boardman, Health Connections Specialist on Wednesday 12/10 at 5:30pm at the Bethel Town Hall. We know that many of us are facing increasing healthcare costs and new barriers to subsidized healthcare, with more unknowns looming on the horizon. Please join us for this timely informational session and help us spread the word!

Chelsea will explain:
Changes to Medicaid and Medicare
Changes to subsidies offered through the Affordable Care Act / Vermont Health Connect
Increases to private health insurance premiums
Chelsea will also offer time for questions and answers! Light refreshments will be provided.

We hope to see you there!

12/06/2025

Don't forget to RSVP today for one of our Gingerbread House Decorating Events!
Pick your preferred date: Dec 11 or Dec 13 and register via this link
👇
https://bit.ly/RCMLgingerbreadevent

12/06/2025

11/24/2025

Christmas Trees are arriving in time for Project Happy Holiday Market Dec 6 at White Church Hall!

11/16/2025

We welcome any and all community members who’d like to participate in Project Happy Holidays this year! If you have an hour or several hours between now and noon on Dec 6, we have a task for you! Here’s an easy link you can use to let us know! Come join our amazing community of volunteers for this important community event.
Sign up here:

Volunteer for a specific time to help decorate and/or help the day of the event. Project Happy Holidays Market - December 6, 2025 10am-1pm - White Church Hall For More Information or Questions -Cindy Metcalf, [email protected] or 802-793-7800

11/08/2025

Join us tomorrow Sunday Nov 9 at 1 pm at the White Church Hall to wrap the Toy Donation Boxes for our local businesses. They should be out and available by Friday Nov 14th, maybe sooner!
Thanks to our many local businesses who sponsor these toy donation drop sites!
Royalton Village Pizza
Roger Clark Memorial Library
The Pitt Stop
Pittsfield General Store
Babes Bar
Mascoma Bank
WRV Credit Union
NSB
Mills Hardware
Barnard Store
Cockadoodles
Bethel Cental Market
Bethel Library
Bethel PO
Bethel Sandwich Shop

If you’d like to be a host business, let us know by dropping in a message below!

12/07/2024

If you’re from the Bethel area including Stockbridge/Rochester, Pittsfield, Barnard and Bethel, you’re part of a community that’s making a real difference! If you’re involved in a local church, school, business, library or organization, you’ll probably see your amazing contribution in these inspiring pictures taken by our volunteer Dietke Fowler. We’re deeply grateful to every single one of you who helped make this possible. Thanks to you, 100 area children and their families will have a holiday season that’s filled with hope, joy, and love!
Bethel VT Community Forum
Town of Bethel, Vermont
Bethel Area Rotary Club
Barnard General Store
Bethel Area Food Shelf, Vermont
Pittsfield Vermont News

11/30/2024

Hello!
Project Happy Holidays is a fantastic community initiative focused on bringing joy to children in Bethel, Stockbridge, Pittsfield, and Barnard. We aim to help our neighbors create a joyful holiday for their kids by providing gifts and food for a festive meal.
We sincerely appreciate your past support for Project Happy Holidays! We are excited to share that we are busy preparing for the Holiday Market on December 7th. Over the last three years, we have allowed families in the Bethel area to choose their own gifts for their children, thanks to the generous contributions from our wonderful community. Together, we turn the White Church Hall in Bethel into a lively holiday market, offering a range of gifts for kids and holiday food boxes filled with everything needed for a happy celebration. We also plan to include gift certificates for local clothing stores and Christmas trees from the Killington Rotary Club.
In the coming days, we will be making our final purchases. If you are considering contributing again this year, now is a great time as we wrap up our plans. You can make checks payable to Bethel Area Food Shelf and write “PHH” in the memo. Please mail them to: PO Box 211, Bethel, VT 05032, or send electronic donations via Venmo to Cindy Metcalf .
Thank you very much!
Cindy Metcalf, BAFS
Jeanne Conde, BARC

11/12/2024

This winter, the Knights of Columbus have got you covered! Don't miss out on their generous donation of children's winter jackets, available at the Bethel Area Food Shelf on Mondays and Thursdays. Your little ones will stay warm and cozy, thanks to the kindness of others.

11/03/2024

Bethel Area Rotary Club. This initiative seeks to ease the financial burden on families in our community during the festive season while spreading joy. You can find a Project Happy Holiday gift donation box at local businesses from November 15 to December 6, or you can contribute by donating to BAFS-PHH, PO Box 211 Bethel VT 05052 or online https://account.venmo.com/u/bethelvtfoodshelf?mibextid=Zxz2cZ

If you require assistance, please make a reservation by signing up here.

Send a message to learn more