The Bridge - Montpelier, VT's community newspaper

Bridge to Central Vermont Flood Recovery

The Bridge is a fiercely independent nonprofit community newspaper that covers Montpelier, Vermont – the smallest state capital in the U.S., with just 8,000 residents – and nearby towns. We are reaching out now for emergency support following historic downtown floods that threaten The Bridge's survival.

For 30 years, the Bridge has strived to build community, encourage respectful debate, and provide trusted information. With a tiny staff and the help of many volunteers, we publish a lively, informative issue twice a month. The paper is free. We distribute it on newsstands and mail it to everyone in our zip code.

We had already been facing many of the same revenue challenges as small newspapers across the country, many of which have shut their doors. Then, on July 10 and 11, downtown Montpelier was devastated by its worst flood in almost 100 years. Our historic downtown business district, which is mostly made up of small, family-owned stores and no national chains, has been put out of operation for weeks, if not months.

We are a 501c3 organization and get support from many donors, but most of our revenue comes from advertisers, including many of those impacted by the flood. Like them, The Bridge needs extra support at this time to fulfill our crucial role. Your emergency gift today will keep our timely news free and available for everyone.

As Montpelier and central Vermont recover from the flood, the Bridge plans to be an essential partner throughout the rebuilding efforts. Its coverage will include: the latest information on flood relief resources, opinion pieces and articles on ways to increase flood resiliency, stories and photos of our friends and neighbors as they confront the damage and work toward recovery, reports on Montpelier City Council and other key government actions, and updates as businesses reopen and we celebrate our reinvigorated downtowns.

We would dearly like to stay in business and serve as a bridge to recovery for central Vermont.

Please donate now to help us survive and thrive!