We’re Vermonters, the gentleman standing outside the Norwich Inn said. “We’ll survive.”

True, his words made my inner Deadhead do a little twirl (I know you don’t need help for such an obvious one but…“Touch of Grey” people, “Touch of Grey”). More than that, his confidence was – like this virus – infectious. Suddenly, I had a little spring in my step, like a man headed to the golf course when it was a workday for everyone else.

It wasn’t the only example of hope out there in our town. In conversation with a neighbor, he pointed out that when Vermonters say “Hi, Neighbor” it actually signifies something, with due respect to Narragansett beer’s official motto. It means, he explained, that there is something to the relationship we have with and to each other, a shared sense of community that may be more elusive in other parts of the country.

[UNNAMED SOURCES] told me of a last-gasp, not-quite-but-almost-clandestine gathering around a firepit in [UNDISCLOSED LOCATION IN NORWICH], where [AN INDETERMINATE NUMBER] of families talked about what they were going to miss when Governor Scott’s latest guidance of no multi-family gatherings went into effect. While the laments were genuine, they paled in comparison to the group’s willingness to sacrifice to keep school open.

For those of you without school-aged children, please know that those of us with younger kiddos notice your commitment to and sacrifices for us. Thank you!

When school is open, we are all of us more connected to each other. Parents, educators, children, bus drivers, youth coaches, local businesses – McWhit artisans! Blue Sparrow latte crafters! – and town employees all operate in sync when the little engine of Marion Cross School is running at normal speed. Plus, when school is open, we all get to pretend that we are beautiful enough to stop traffic: simply signal to Norman or Demo that you would like to cross the street and vehicles will wait for you.

After school one day, I stood behind a fourth-grade boy in line at the local grocery store. He was with some friends, all of them masked up and playing by the rules, just in for a snack. At the post in between the freezers and the bread aisle, there is a rack with postcards featuring images of all that makes the Green Mountain State beautiful. The boy pointed at one photo of our famous fall foliage, the word “Vermont” blazing across the crimson leaves.

Each autumn since I can remember, when leaves were at their peak, my brother and I endured our mother stopping the car, pausing a hike, or interrupting one of our stories to force us to look, to notice Mother Nature’s display. “People come from all over the world to see this,” she would say.

Of course, we never listened or paid her any heed. Yet, when the boy pointed at that postcard, saying, “Hey! That’s where we live!,” you can bet her words echoed in my ears, and I cried just a little bit, so hopeful for the next generation of Vermonters.

So, when we pass each other out and about, try to see each other. Gradually, with time, patience, love, and some modern medicine, our masks will start to come off. The vaccinated will hug you, bridging chasms that a single malady has dug in just a few months. Dreams and plans will come back into your daily discussions. Travel – TRAVEL! – will be all the rage once more. We will adjust to a new world. During that adjustment, that return to “normal,” let us try to pause and reflect. Of all the places on planet earth where we could have been during this most crazy of years, we were here. Together, we rode out this storm, finding silver linings (and, yes, touches of grey), taking walks, trusting each other to do right. Make sure to say “Hi, Neighbor” when you’re out and about. It’s just our little code here in Vermont, a sign that we understand how we rise and fall and struggle and succeed together.

After all, we’re Vermonters.

For Norwich resident Deborah McLane Carter, the mission and ensuing work of one of the oldest family- serving non-profits in New Hampshire actually began over a 100 years ago with her grandfather, John McLane, who was instrumental in founding the NH Children’s Aid Society that later merged into the Child and Family Services of NH, now rebranded as Waypoint.

“I’m involved in Waypoint because of family history,” said Carter who is one of its nine board members. “There has always been a McLane on the board, and, when it became my turn, I gladly joined. My beliefs and values – as a part of our enthusiastic, cohesive, hard-working board – echo those of the founders, serving with the ‘shared vision of guarding children’s rights, serving children’s needs, and strengthening the life of the family.’”

Indeed, Waypoint is a significant provider of vital services in the Upper Valley and serves all its residents, according to the center’s director, Jeannette Birge. “We’ve been an active service provider for over 20 years in Lebanon,” Birge said.

The name, Waypoint, signifies a point along a journey at which the course can be changed. “That’s what we do,” said Birge. “We help people and communities to change course.”

As a private, non-profit agency, the services Waypoint offers include adoption, prenatal support, parent/education/family empowerment, services for children with developmental concerns or chronic health conditions, childcare, mental health counseling, family preservation, supervised visitation, foster care, homeless youth continuum, home healthcare for older Americans and adults with disabilities, and advocacy. “Our mission is to empower people of all ages through an array of these services,” said Birge.

According to board member Nina McCampbell of Norwich, Waypoint embodies the ideal of spreading kindness, one of the many reasons why she joined the board. “Whether it’s trauma counseling, foster care, aiding children with disabilities or helping to find the services most needed, this is why Waypoint is so important”, said McCampbell. “Any of us can face difficulties along the way in life.”

Waypoint’s brand is built on four pillars: staff, community, solutions, and impact. The staff is known for its compassion, professionalism, and ingenuity. “We work collaboratively in the community, creating a social safety net for all who live here,” said Birge. “We find solutions to problems through our dual roles as practitioners and advocates – a truly holistic approach to our practice.”

A case in point, for instance, involved a young couple’s very young daughter (under a year old) who was placed into foster care. “In order to be able to maintain a connection between parents and baby, we were able to provide them with supervised visits three to four times a week,” said Birge. “They were able to watch her achieve milestones and, because of the frequency of visits, they were able to be present when she took her first steps.”

There are 14 sites across the state and over 24 programs, serving an average of 8,000 individuals a year.

Funding comes from a variety of sources including state contracts, charitable giving involving individuals and foundations, and insurance payments, Birge related. “Every year we do a variety of little events around the area as well,” said Birge. “Those include the Campout for the Cause at Storr’s Pond, a Father’s Day pancake breakfast at the Norwich Grange, and an Easter egg hunt on the Norwich Green, for example.”

In the coming year, Waypoint is establishing a Family Resource Center of Quality that will be open to all Upper Valley residents with no acceptance criteria and will provide a plethora of family services, focusing on parenting and grandparent groups, play groups, and home visiting, Birge explained. “In essence, we are and will continue to work to resolve immediate and long-term safety concerns, stabilize families, and empower them with tools to optimize their success,” said Birge.

Recently-joined board member and Norwich resident Dan Fraser agrees. “Children must have the essential components to start life successfully,” said Fraser, owner of Dan and Whit’s Country Store in Norwich. “I look forward to working with an amazing team of people at Waypoint to help advance the well-being of children and families throughout our communities.”

Birge expressed her delight with Fraser’s recent membership. “We are so honored to have Dan join an already stellar group of individuals on our Upper Valley board”, she said. “A great advocate for the cause of kids and families, he is fearless in fundraising and tireless in community building. He’s a true change-maker in the Upper Valley.”