Volunteer Information

Once you have registered to volunteer on VolunteerHub, our Volunteer Service Coordinator Matt Pickell will reach out to you by email or phone within two business days to schedule your tour of and information session about the Haven. If you have not heard from Matt, please reach out to him at mpickell@uppervalleyhaven.org. Note, you will not be able to sign up for any volunteer shifts until after having talked with Matt.

As of Monday, April 17^th the Haven has been encouraging, but not mandating, masking in public spaces. This affects the first floor of our main (Byrne) building, second floor offices of the main building, children’s services (Bev’s house), and development offices. We will continue to require masking in all communal shelter spaces for staff, visitors, and guests.

Your safety and health remain a priority at the Haven. We should all continue to be vigilant regarding potential spread of infection as well as considerate of our colleagues, visitors and those we serve.  To ensure best practices the Haven will:

• Continue to have volunteers, community members, and visitors check in for screening of any recent episodes of illness or exposure to COVID-19 at the main entrance upon arrival.
• Continue to ask that if you have recent exposure or any signs or symptoms of COVID or other respiratory infection that you refrain from volunteering until your symptoms have lessened and you are no longer contagious.
• Ask any staff, volunteers, or community visitors who have coughs and/or a cold wear a mask while in public spaces.
• Have a supply of masks always available.
• Continue to prioritize hand washing and best hygiene practices.
• Require masks in meetings and/or in close spaces if one or more of those involved prefer that masks be worn.
• Continue to offer curbside food shelves in our current location.

Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. We have greatly appreciated all your faith and support in the Haven’s safety protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since the summer of 2022, we have seen an increase in demand from the community for these items. This is happening here at the Haven and at grocery stores in the area, meaning we receive fewer donations. Concurrently with logistical and staffing issues, we have seen a dip in the number of meat and dairy products.

Due to decisions made by the Town of Hartford’s zoning and planning commissions, we are not doing a seasonal shelter this year. Read more about it HERE.

In terms of possible sites for a low-barrier shelter, read more about it HERE, HERE, or HERE.

Volunteer Services is excited to announce that the Haven has started a Volunteer Advisory Committee focused on informing our volunteer services and ensuring that volunteer voice is part of program discussions, decisions, and evaluations. Our first meeting was in early December. This is a new endeavor for the Haven and we are excited to see the possibilities. In addition, we hope this process helps serve as a learning opportunity to improve future systems aimed at including consumer voice in our work. Read more about the Volunteer Advisory Committee HERE.

The Haven is growing. With the increase of gas and grocery prices, we are currently seeing a rise in the number of individuals and households visiting the Haven daily. This increase has led to a wider discussion on campus master planning. Sadly our proposal to the town to add a new building to our campus which would have included a day station and low barrier shelter was denied. Though the denial affected our plans, we still intend to move forward with the building somewhere else.

If you would like to contribute more of your time making community dinners, LISTEN always needs volunteers.

The Haven gets most of its fresh produce from our partner WILLING HANDS, who seeks volunteers to garden and glean fresh vegetables.

Our friends over at GOOD NEIGHBOR HEALTH CLINIC look for, “individuals who are interested in giving their time to support our efforts, whether it is providing care, coordinating, or lending their skills to our organization.”

If building and repairs are more your thing, check out COVER. 

If you would like to contribute your time “to end gender-based violence through survivor-centered advocacy, prevention, education and mobilization for social change in the [Upper Valley],” consider volunteering at WISE.