Who We Are
The Waterbury Common Market operates under the Community Action Service Team (CAST), a nonprofit organization that's focused on helping people in Waterbury and the surrounding area. We are a 501(c)3 organization whose purpose is to assist lower-income citizens of Waterbury area who are dealing with transitions or other difficult situations; we help them with financial help or food.
Sara Whitehair, Director
Sara Whitehair started as Director of the Waterbury Food Shelf in January 2022. Since that time she has transformed the food shelf, moving it to a much larger, brighter location in the same building, and rebranding it to the Waterbury Common Market, a critical food resource for area residents.
A resident of Duxbury, Sara worked as a coordinator for more than six years at VT Fresh, a statewide program at the Vermont Food Bank that helps community food shelves incorporate fresh food into their offerings. She is thankful to have the opportunity to work closely with her neighbors and improve her community directly.
Arielle Edelman, Market Manager
Arielle has lived in Vermont for about two years, coming from Midcoast Maine, and before that New York City. She has a background in restoration and preservation carpentry, and before that film production. While she enjoyed learning how to build and fix things, Arielle says she always yearned for a job that felt more community-oriented and close-to-home. Her work in film centered around documentaries about human stories and connection, and that's where her heart has always been. She started as a volunteer at the Common Market and soon became market manager. Arielle says that in her first few weeks she's enjoyed meeting so many new people-- volunteers and clients alike-- and learning more about our community and how we show up and care for each other.
Board of Directors
Our board is made up of residents from the local area who are committed to helping their neighbors. Pictured from left to right are:
- Tom Reen
- Norma D'Anca
- Joan Spiegel
- Diane Leavitt, Treasurer
- Peter Plagge, Secretary
- Gregg Simpson, Chairperson
New Board Members Are Welcome!
The Board of the Waterbury Common Market typically meets on the third Thursday of each month. We invite you to get involved. Please send an email to Peter Plagge for more information.