I first heard about the Haven from a local judge when I was struggling to keep custody of my two grandsons. I knew that I would have to go to a homeless shelter if I wanted to keep custody of the boys. On February 7th, 2009 my boys and I moved into the ‘green room’ in the north pod at the Byrne House Family Shelter. The first day of living at the Haven was hard; I felt like I had lost control of my life. After three months of living at the Haven and working together with my case manager, Jodi, I had saved enough money to move my family into transitional housing. My life was now moving in the right direction!

Then on October 1, 2010 I was sexually assaulted in my apartment. I began seeing my assaulter’s face everywhere and had horrible nightmares. I decided to move the boys and myself to my sister’s house in Pennsylvania; but she soon kicked us out on the street just two days before Christmas. Because we weren’t residents of Pennsylvania, the state sent us back to Vermont where we stayed with a friend until I got a housekeeping job at a local hotel. My grandsons and I lived in one of the rooms until DCF found out I did not have permanent housing and took my grandsons from me and placed them in foster care.

I became extremely depressed and felt totally alone. The staff at the Haven noticed me struggling and asked if I would be interested in volunteering in the Clothing Room. The only thing I had was the Haven; and everyone there made me feel important, safe and secure. I would come every day I didn’t have to work and they really helped me get through the hard time. There was always a friend I could talk to; no one judged me for what I’d say or do; and Haven staff helped guide me in the right direction.

After months of saving money, Nancy Griffin, a community case manager at the Haven, helped me find an affordable two-bedroom apartment. Having stable housing allowed me to regain custody of my boys. I continued to work at a local hotel, volunteer at the Haven and sent my boys to the Haven’s After School Program. My life was back on track.

Then in November of 2012 I was diagnosed with cancer and thought I was going to die. The Haven helped me every step of the way providing meals, and care for my grandsons, while I went through chemo and then surgery. Luckily, doctors believe they were able to remove all of the cancer. Unfortunately, during surgery a nerve in my shoulder was damaged and now I am struggling to regain full use of my arm so that I can begin to work again in housekeeping at the hotel. I feel that there is nothing I can’t face when I have the Haven’s support. I’ve learned so much from staff and volunteers about setting goals, regaining self-esteem and becoming independent again. The Haven is my second family. Truly.

——
Doreen’s story is one of true strength and resilience. She volunteers in our Clothing Room and helps with communications mailings. Her grandsons are always her very first priority even as she struggles to stay healthy.

The uncertainty of her diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease 3 years ago led Gay to retire from Casey Family Services. Being able to continue to contribute to the community in a meaningful way has been an important part of her wellness plan. While working in the Food Shelf she has had the chance to help so many people; single moms with babies, single dads with teenagers and veterans to name just a few. Just recently she had the opportunity to help an elderly woman through the Food Shelf who had Parkinson’s disease as well. The woman’s hands shook so intensely she couldn’t even take a sip of water without spilling it; a side effect of not being on medication; something that was too expensive for the woman to afford. While this was hard for Gay to see, she was able to refer the woman to one of the Haven’s Case Managers who was able to help come up with a solution.

“I would encourage anyone who has ever thought of volunteering to come in and meet with Laura. She will share information with you about volunteering, and she will also listen and learn about you. She always gives you a choice between the variety of activities that you can be involved in. You never know who you will meet, or what may happen on any given day at the Haven, but you can rest assured that you will always leave with a sense of gratitude.”

Learn more about volunteer opportunities…

If you can’t see the video, click here.

Sally Thursby started her time as a volunteer in our Food Shelf. After spending some time at the Haven she realized that the Haven’s staff experienced a considerable amount of physical and emotional stress working closely with those in need. That is when she proposed offering a new volunteer service at the Haven: Massage and Body work for staff!  For more than 3 years she has been coming in every month to offer staff the gift of relaxation and wellness through her healing touch.  Over a year ago Abraham Oort followed in Sally’s footsteps and has been bringing his skill of Shiatsu and Cranial Sacral Therapy to staff to help them to take care of themselves as they strive to take care of others.

Thank you!

Each term Tuck students volunteer their time for a day to help a local non-profit. Here at the Haven we have been blessed with the ongoing support of Tuck students through their once-a-month volunteer effort of preparing dinner for the guests at Hixon House. We were also thrilled to have their additional help the morning of February 23^rd. One group of students spent the morning preparing food to be used for meals at Hixon House, while another group steam cleaned our Hixon House’s dining room furniture. Thanks so much for your continued and enthusiastic support of the Haven!

But, I would like to tell you about my experience at the Haven. My husband, Bill and I moved to Wilder almost two years ago from the Burlington, VT area. My husband worked down there while I continued working as a music teacher in Charlotte, VT. Then my world crashed down. I found that I have a malignant brain tumor. This was not part of my plan. In one day, my career was over, but I knew that something good would happen. I am a positive person and a dedicated worker and I hoped that my life would take a different path.

I had surgery in Boston, and recuperated in Wilder until I had a serious seizure. I was hospitalized for a month in Burlington and at Dartmouth-Hitchcock. It was a difficult time, but finally, I was home!

After several months of recuperating, I needed something to do. My husband and I went to visit the Upper Valley Haven in hopes that we could find a place where we could make a difference by volunteering.

When I met Laura, the volunteer coordinator at the Haven, I was taken by her gentle demeanor and immediately knew she would understand my situation. You see, word-finding, problems with memory and other such things could be difficult for me. Laura thought that I could be a food shelf volunteer and that I would be enveloped by the Haven staff. The people there are wonderful. They check in with me and make sure that everything is fine. They remind me to take my pills! We laugh and work hard. If I didn’t have the Haven and the support it offers, my quality of life would decrease.

“As you give so you receive” perhaps can be written accurately here. I give my time as a volunteer in spite of a difficult medical situation. The Haven supports me with friendship, meals after my hospitalization and an opportunity to work in the community.

____________________________________

Ally has been volunteering at the Haven for more than 6 months.