As a nation we were in the thick of it. COVID numbers were still on the rise and we all had been quarantining for several weeks. Though the world (and Vermont) was still in lockdown, there was talk of opening back up and easing restrictions.
For all those that serve the marginalized population…they had not slowed down but actually ramped up.
We learned that Feeding Chittenden had actually assisted the homeless to “quarantine” and stay safe at local hotels. What a mission to take on!
No small feat, we once again checked our health status, cleaned, disinfected and donned our “new normal” gear to pay Anna McMahon a visit and see how they were able to accomplish this task.
With rest areas closed and a lack of useable facilities along the way, my one new checklist item became: Dehydration.
Feeding Chittenden was about a 2-hour drive in our somewhat unreliable van. So, I had to make sure that all beverages were saved for after our shoot.
Low on caffeine, we arrived and staggered in through the back door of the facility. Anna was a super star and lead us through an interview that outlined all they were doing for the homeless and marginalized populations.
As we captured some b roll, my mind kept returning to the thoughts of “what a strange time this is …and how we take the small things like food and facilities for granted”.
We wrapped the shoot, hungry and dehydrated and loaded back up into “Dodgey” our aforementioned somewhat unreliable van. I chugged water and coffee that was still warm in our amazing Stanley cups (how do they do it?) and Stefan downed a handful of nuts. Yes, we live gourmet like!
On our drive home the van lagged…warning lights on and not too happy with the heat. Both the van and I both needed a pit stop badly. I spied a gas station that had restrooms open…ah, things you never thought were a blessing. After some fluids lost and some fluids gained…Dodgey seemed to want to soldier on so we pressed for home. Oh, how the small things make a big difference.