Help Your Neighbor by Volunteering at the Charter House Emergency Winter Shelter
Too many families and individuals in our area are living in tents, cars, under bridges, and under decks. As winter approaches and the nights get colder, just getting by each day becomes increasingly difficult. Our community has been providing safe haven for many of these neighbors for the past eight winters through the Charter House Emergency Winter Shelter. Charter House expects to host 22 - 26 adults and children each night this winter. This program exists in large part because of the outpouring of support from across Addison County, including students at Middlebury College. Charter House will open this winter on October 15 and must be staffed 24/7, largely by volunteers. While many dedicated volunteers return year after year, new volunteers are always needed. There are many ways to contribute including: (1) staffing the building during the day for 2 – 3 hour shifts or, if you are a night owl, overnight; (2) helping with registration and food preparation for the dinner meal; (3) donating prepared meals, bread/rolls, and fruit/cookies/deserts; (4) donating blankets and adult size winter clothing especially socks, boots, and gloves; (5) making a financial contribution to support the cost of operating the shelter (Charter House Coalition, PO Box 344, E. Middlebury, VT 05740).
Charter House is a place where community comes together and all who enter are uplifted. If you would like to learn more, information/training sessions will be held at Charter House at the following times:
Wednesday, October 5, 1:00 pm
Thursday, October 6 at 7:00 pm
Saturday, October 7 at 9:30 am
Friday, October 14 at 9:00 am
Saturday, October 15 at 9:30 am
The first 30 minutes of these sessions will be devoted to discussing opportunities to support the food and housing programs of Charter House Coalition. For those interested in volunteering to staff Charter House, training will follow the information session and will take about 60 minutes. New volunteers are always paired up with experienced volunteers for their initial sessions.
Please consider supporting our community in this way. Charter House is a happy place that brings joy to all who are part of it. Please contact Samantha Kachmar (mskachmar@gmavt.net) or Doug Sinclair (jdsinclair@ripton-coop.net; 989-9746) if you have questions or would like to discuss any aspects of Charter House. You can also visit www.charterhousecoalition.org to learn more about our eight different food and housing programs.
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