Winooski organizations team up to serve neighbors in need

BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Two Winooski organizations are teaming up to make sure underserved communities have what they need during the pandemic.

Winooski Mutual Aid and Iceberg Consulting have started “P.U.M.A.” It stands for “Pop-up Mutual Aid.”

Once a week, volunteers will pack up a carload of winter clothes, masks, hygiene products and food, and drop them off in different neighborhoods.

The organizers say the goal is to meet people where they are and eliminate barriers that may prevent people from getting to other donation drives in the area.

Mellisa Cain says some of those barriers include child care, language and transportation.

“A lot of events– you have to go at a certain time. And so you have to meet the other organization’s time schedule, whereas people work, people have child care and they’d have to arrange child care. A lot of folks don’t have the transportation. You have to have a car and wait in line to get those boxes of food and we’re aiming to eliminate that by meeting people at their apartment complex,” Cain said.

The first distribution day is Jan. 30.

The organizers didn’t tell WCAX News which neighborhood they’re going to but they say they will let the residents know the night before.

Copyright 2021 WCAX. All rights reserved.