i miss u

your mac n cheese kept me going and I fear the going has gotten tougher

please come back

https://preview.redd.it/3c7gcbk39duh1.jpg?width=1200&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38eb990e8f266dd0c21fc08f2e34fa7c2966b633

I didn’t start building this because I thought Vermont needed another website. I started because two people I care about asked me for help, and I didn’t know what to tell them.

A coworker was ready to look for substance-use treatment but had no idea where to begin. I sat down and started researching programs, phone numbers, eligibility, and what the next step actually looked like. Around the same time, a friend was dealing with homelessness. I watched them spend time and energy they barely had calling places, reaching dead ends, and trying to understand programs that didn’t seem connected.

Their situations were different, but I kept seeing the same thing: help existed, but finding it was too hard — especially when someone was already exhausted, scared, or trying to survive.

I’m a student working two jobs and studying here in Vermont to become a substance-abuse counselor. I don’t have a big team or a big budget. I built Our First Step Connect in the hours around school and work because I wanted someone in that moment to have a clearer place to start.

The app is free and privacy-first. It brings together starting points for recovery, mental health, housing, food, safety, benefits, support meetings, workplace rights, and other local needs.

Try it: https://ourfirststepconnect.org

I also started a $5,000 GoFundMe to pay for resource verification, accessibility work, real-user testing, hosting, and basic outreach: https://gofund.me/09b1b4ba7

This is an independent, founder-led startup, not a nonprofit, and donations are not tax-deductible. If you can’t donate, trying the app and telling me what is missing or confusing would honestly mean a lot.

I know a website can’t fix a crisis or replace the people already doing this work. I just want the first step to be a little easier to find.

This does not replace 911, 988, medical care, legal advice, or counseling.

Is anybody else having water issues? Seems like all on my street are.

Black and white dog with black collar, I couldnt get close enough to it but its right at the bottom of the exit splitting from Essex/Winooski