The Rainbow Relief Fund is the RBCC's answer to disaster recovery. The fund was created in the wake of the July 2023 flooding of central Vermont. Out of that fund, thanks to the generosity of individual donors and sponsors, we were able to make a real difference in the lives of Vermontors most impacted by the flooding. We replaced flood-damaged washers and dryers, replaced lost clothing, helped folks recapture joy, helped them muck out sodden basements, fed the hungry, and much more.

Since then, we've started our monthly Community Cares Days, which bring together community partners to our center to continue to offer direct support to the most vulnerable in our community. Ultimately, the factors which led to the devastating flooding are still in place, and still a catastrophe in the make. Poverty, a housing shortage, climate change, lack of access to robust health care, and lack of community are pressures that impact our community. At the RBCC, we understand that liberation can only be a product of collaboration with our neighbors. That none of us can truly be free while others are still struggling under oppressive forces.

So while this fund was initially created and used to support flood victims, we are maintaining this fund to support our community dealing with climate-related crisis.

Grants currently supported by the Rainbow Relief Fund:
- Environmental Health Appliances: Provides space heaters, air purifiers, and dehumidifiers.
- Remembering Joy: Small grants designed to recapture moments of pleasure to balance the trauma that comes with crisis. Think things like art kits, show tickets, zoo passes, and the like.
- Laundry Love: Pays to replace washers and dryers damaged in disaster, and pay for laundry services (like a laundromat takeover).