Advocate for the homeless

ARRAN STOKES OF Middlebury, a John Graham Housing & Services coordinator, tends the fire in the Marble Works neighborhood of Middlebury this past Saturday night during the John Graham “Keep the Fire Burning” event there. The annual event usually asks people to sleep out one December night to get a taste of homelessness. This year — with the COVID-19 pandemic raging — hundreds of individuals and businesses contributed, along with a big match from the Vermont Coffee Company. The event brought in a super-impressive $64,808. All funds will go toward supporting people experiencing homelessness and their transition to permanent housing.