— By Matt Golec

11/28/23

It was Halloween, and Kate Brown’s five-year-old son had done well. Dressed in a Shadow costume (from Sonic the Hedgehog), he’d proudly trick-or-treated his way to a full bucket of candy.

“My son worked his butt off going door to door, using manners and never taking more then one piece of candy, even though he was told he could,” Brown, of Wilder, said over Facebook Messenger.

Later that night, they’d stopped at Brown’s father’s home. In the excitement of the evening, Brown and her son left their candy haul out on the porch. It was only for a minute, but that was enough time for other kids to pick the bucket nearly clean.

“My heart broke for him,” Brown said.

Brown needed help to put the holiday right, so she turned to I Got You- UV, a Facebook group where Upper Valley residents in need can ask for assistance of all kinds. Within an hour, somebody had dropped off an “overflowing” bucket of candy — plus some manicure and pedicure products for mom.

“The amount of people that wanted to help my son was overwhelming and I’ll never forget it,” Brown said.

Kate Brown’s son, Jaxson, is dressed in his Shadow the Hedgehog costume for Halloween. Courtesy photo.

I Got You- UV marked its two-year anniversary of connecting locals who need assistance this month. The online group, which boasts nearly 1,800 members, has a simple creed written on its page: Sometimes we all just need a little help from our friends.

Carly Jennings of White River Junction helped start I Got You- UV with close friends Chelsea Felicia and Nicole Harlow (a fourth group administrator, Ashlyn Kidder, joined a bit later). Jennings had participated in national groups with a similar mission, but she and the other admins saw a need for more local action.

Some of that need was personal. Nicole Harlow’s husband suffers from grand mal seizures, which keep him from working and have put a financial strain on their family. That helped inspire Jennings, Felicia and Harlow to start the group.

Jennings points out that the Upper Valley already has a lot of great organizations to help people in need, but that help isn’t always immediate as a Facebook post, and there can be hoops to jump through. I Got You- UV seeks to fill that gap, Jennings explained, and “meet people where they’re at.”

Jennings grew up in Section 8 housing in West Lebanon with a single mom, and she believes this group is something they could have benefited from. Also, her work as a funeral director has shown her how unexpected events such as a death can spell disaster for a family’s finances.

“I'm just trying to give people a place where it's safe and okay to ask for help,” Jennings said.

Recently, members have asking for: help purchasing snow tires, a few bucks to turn a cell phone back on, paying for a beloved pet’s cremation, and a co-pilot for learning to drive. Local businesses occasionally post gift cards as well.

The group prohibits offers of non-monetary items beyond essentials like diapers, formula, and food, as there are other places to find physical stuff. Rent, automotive needs, and medical bills seem to be the top requests.

Olivia Dyke of Hartford recently fell behind on her medical bills, so she posted about a $100 bill from urgent care that, if left unpaid, might keep her from accessing future care there. Within minutes, somebody had come through, offering to pay the bill and then some. Dyke passed the extra donation on to other members who needed help.

“I couldn’t be anymore appreciative for this group,” Dyke said on Messenger. “It has helped so many, including myself today!”

Allison Lessard of Quechee requested help paying her mother’s rent while her mother was away in a nursing home. Within two hours of her post, someone stepped forward to cover an entire month. Lessard believes that generosity helped keep her mother going.