In May, the annual Southern Vermont Economy Summit featured Daniel Herriges from Strong Towns. Daniel’s workshops focused on housing and redevelopment in small communities, but after hearing so much at the Summit about how southern Vermont is welcoming new Americans, Daniel told another Strong Towns podcaster about this “bottom up revolution”. Rachel Quednau invited Alex Beck and Jen Stromsten to talk about how BDCC’s Welcoming Communities initiative has breathed new life into their rural towns, giving a sense of hope for the future, filling necessary jobs and rebuilding the economic prospects of the place.  Their organization has worked with local businesses to partner them with new immigrants, coordinating transportation, setting up interpreters when needed, and figuring out what training these refugees need to get back on their feet and begin employment in Brattleboro. It’s a situation that everyone is benefitting from.