ONE Good Deed Fund

05/26/2026

Brian's North End Automotive, both an amazing community partner and excellent place to get your car repaired, is holding their North End Get Down Block Party again this year on June 20th from 5-9pm!

05/11/2026

Don't miss this month's Old North End Community Dinner on Thursday! This event is always free thanks to an incredible team of volunteers ❤️

May 14, 2026
5:30-6:30pm followed by the Ward 2 NPA
ONE Community Center, 20 Allen St in Burlington

Menu:
Spiced parsnip & sweet potato soup
Crostini w/ ramp pesto
Ginger lime green beans
Rhubarb crumble cake

Music by Harold Kaplan

04/14/2026

Our community did it! Everyone came together and donated enough to pay for a vehicle, registration and taxes, DMV fees, and insurance for the next year for Seqouyah and his dogs! The vehicle was fully inspected by a trusted mechanic and is in excellent condition, and Sequoyah and the dogs can all fully lie down in it at night, so he is thrilled. Thank you to everyone who sent good wishes and everyone who donated. This is an act of care that will get Sequoyah through a rough patch in his life. Knowing that unexpected costs come up we will keep this fundraiser open till the end of the week in case anyone wants to contribute to future costs, and will close it Sunday night (the link is in the comments). The ONE Good Deed Fund is covering all administrative costs so 100% of what has been raised will go to Seqouyah. Thank you for supporting a neighbor, friends ❤️

04/01/2026

Perry Thornley, a long-time Burlington community member, died on January 8th, 2026. He was found nearly frozen to death in Battery Park, lying in the snow after trying to stay warm for one more night, and died hours later. Perry was a tough, kind-hearted, street smart person. To local reporters, he was a headline: “Burlington homeless man found in city park died of hypothermia”. To those who considered him street family, he was a mischievous, funny, treasure of a guy. To those who knew him as someone they recognized on a corner, he was a familiar face who would chat with anyone. To those who saw him at his worst, he was someone they wished would go away. In other words, he was a human being with all the depth and messiness that includes. He was a human being who didn’t have the option of being at his worst in a home with privacy and support. He had to live his life outside for all to see. He lived 61 full years in a world that didn’t know what to do with him.

Perry lived with both deep pain and trauma, and with psychiatric disabilities that he often self-medicated with alcohol. His brain would show him things that the rest of us couldn’t see, and when coupled with his deep faith in God, he often felt he received divine connections the rest of us never understood. Living in a world that was just slightly different than the one that most of the people around him saw led to a lot of difficult days. He had received no-trespass orders from most of the buildings and organizations where services for unhoused neighbors are provided, leaving him with very few options. When Perry died there were open beds at a shelter just down the street, but after previous experiences there, he believed he wasn’t welcome and had received a no-trespass order at their former location. Each winter, when the temperature started to plunge enough to kill someone from exposure but not cold enough to trigger emergency winter shelter options, Perry did what many others have done before: he would cause just enough trouble to get put in jail where he could stay warm. Just a few weeks before he died he had been released from Corrections into the cold with nothing but DOC-issued scrubs on. When Perry died, having been discharged from prison, not welcome at the hospital or shelters, and alone on a frigid January night, that spot in Battery park where he could sit with his tiny nip bottle of whiskey and take comfort in his view of the church was his best option.

Perry mattered. His life was meaningful. He was loved and is deeply missed and the world is worse off from losing him. May he rest in warmth and abundance now. May we all do better for the other Perrys in our communities. May we all agree that leaving someone to freeze to death in a public park cannot be the way we take care of each other.

Perry's obituary: https://www.sevendaysvt.com/life-lines/obituaries/obituary-perry-edward-thornley-jr-1964-2026/

03/24/2026

A note from the ONE Good Deed Fund President:

A week ago a friend reached out to see if the ONE Good Deed Fund would be open to serving as the fiscal sponsor for a local fundraising effort for a long-time Burlington resident who is in a pretty serious situation. I immediately said yes and put together an online fundraising page. The link is in the comments. While the ONE Good Deed Fund usually keeps the identity of fund recipients private, in this case Seqouyah and his friends want to publicly share his story.

I've known Sequoyah off and on for decades now. He's a good guy and his love of dogs (and they love him right back) is second to none. After a traumatic brain injury he's had limited ability to work and he and his mom Charlene lived in their car for the last three years. Charlene passed away in February and driving back from the memorial last weekend, Sequoyah swerved to avoid a racoon and its baby and hit a boulder, totaling the car. I don't know how he's getting by right now, honestly. He lost his mom and his transportation, which has also been his home, within a few weeks. He needs funds to buy a used van that can serve as his home base and his transportation. I would love to get him permanent housing, but with a disability and 4 dogs in this housing market, I understand the reality we're working in. A lot of people in his life have stepped up to help and everyone is on the same page that this van is his best bet at some stability.

Sequoyah needs help. We need to help him. And we need to keep pushing for policies and systems that give us all better options than this.

- thanks, Laura

03/08/2026

Don't miss next week's ONE Community Dinner!

Coming up this Thursday! Join your neighbors for the Ward 2 NPA - Burlington VT and a yummy St. Patrick's Day-inspired dinner of Veggie Shepherd's Pie topped with Colcannon, Irish Soda Bread, Slaw, and Apple Cake with music by Ana Ruesink & Luci Simmons. Free, fun, and everyone is welcome!
Want to help out? We're looking for a few more clean-up superstars. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B084BADAD22A2FF2-62504271-onecommunity #/

02/24/2026

Fyi!

SPREAD THE WORD! The Burlington SDC team will be hosting a free clinic on Saturday, March 7th from 11am-12pm at 57 North Champlain Avenue in Burlington. Veterinary services being offered for pets of people experiencing homelessness or at risk of experiencing homelessness. Services include physical exams, vaccinations, parasite control, an exam of minor medical problems and more. First come, first served, limited supplies available. Please note: dogs must be on leash and cats must be in carriers. Thanks!

02/19/2026

Coming up this Sunday, February 22nd, is our monthly clothing & food drive !

Donations can be dropped off at The Odd Fellows Lodge (1416 North Ave) anytime between 11am and 1pm.

We’re collecting:

- Winter seasonal clothing (all ages/sizes/genders).

*We are especially in need of winter coats, long-sleeved shirts, men’s pants, sweaters, and shoes/boots. Clothing must be freshly laundered and free of pet hair, stains, and rips.

- Shelf-stable food (unexpired) & personal care items.

*Items in high demand are diapers and wipes, menstrual care products (pads preferred), toilet paper, canned beans, canned meat/fish, canned fruits & veggies, soups, cereal, peanut butter, pastas & rice.

Thank you for the continued support!

01/28/2026

Safe Harbor does great work! Help them and the people they serve out and donate warm socks 🧡

CHC Safe Harbor is collecting wool and warm winter socks for our patients. If you have clean, gently used socks to donate, please drop them off here:

CHC Safe Harbor
184 South Winooski Avenue
Burlington, Vermont 05401

Hours: 8:00am - 3:00pm

Thank you for your generosity!

01/23/2026

Help out The North End Food Pantry on Sunday! Drop off warm clothes and shelf stable food between 11am and 1pm at Oddfellows Hall and support your neighbors at a time when that support really matters.

Join us next Sunday, 1/25, for our monthly clothing & food drive.

Donations can be dropped off at The Odd Fellows Lodge (1416 North Ave) between 11am and 1pm.

We’re collecting:
- Winter seasonal clothing (all ages/sizes/genders).

*We are especially in need of winter coats, winter shoes, scarves, gloves, and new socks.

- Shelf-stable food (unexpired) & personal care items.

*Items in high demand are diapers and wipes, menstrual care products (pads preferred), toilet paper, canned beans, canned meat/fish, canned fruits & veggies, soups, cereal, peanut butter, pastas & rice.

Thank you for the continued support!