This Amazing Idea Should Come to the Hudson Valley

I saw the most kindhearted and brilliant idea as I was scrolling through Facebook the other day. It was so good, in fact, that it did the impossible: it got everybody to agree with one another.

You can tell a lot about a town by how they treat their less fortunate residents. While towns like New Paltz have the wonderful Free Food Fridge,  other basic needs are often forgotten. That's where this Facebook post comes in.

Community Woodpiles in the Northeast

The post, made by New Milford, Connecticut mayor Pete Bass, wasn't about food insecurity, but energy (heating and cooling) insecurity. It's called the Community Woodpile (below).

What Is a Community Woodpile?

The community woodpile is exactly what it sounds like: a free resource for local families who need a little extra help heating their homes. As someone who grew up in a house that used a wood stove, I was impressed. It's actually a new movement that's growing across the northeast.

Wood Banks Growing in Popularity

"This has a name. It is called a wood bank! We have a network of these starting here in Maine", shared one commenter. With such an obvious need in local communities for help with heating homes, it led me to an obvious question. Why don't we have something like this in the Hudson Valley?

How to Start a Wood Bank in the Hudson Valley

Luckily, there are some resources. The University of Maine recently held a webinar specifically meant to help other states and towns start wood banks of their own (below). Aside from warming centers across the Hudson Valley during particularly brutal winter days, a wood bank could be the next solution to help vulnerable New Yorkers.