Groundworks Seeking Volunteers for Seasonal Overflow Shelter – Opening November 1st

BRATTLEBORO – Groundworks Collaborative will be coordinating this year’s Seasonal Overflow Shelter (SOS) in downtown Brattleboro at the First Baptist Church, 190 Main Street. The shelter – open each winter from early-November through the end of April – provides a safe and warm place to stay for individuals experiencing homelessness during the winter season. Dinner is provided on a nightly basis.

The Shelter will open for the season on Tuesday, November 1st and will remain open through the end of April.

Groundworks is committed to providing the Overflow Shelter every winter, and is currently entering into the tenth season, however this will be the last year located at the First Baptist Church. According to Groundworks Collaborative’s Executive Director Josh Davis, the organization has “struggled for the past two years with finding a permanent home for the shelter within the downtown footprint, particularly after deciding this past summer not to pursue a project planned for 39 Frost Street.” Through the support of the local and State fire safety officials, the Town of Brattleboro administration, the Brattleboro Police Department, and others, Groundworks identified and vetted over a dozen locations downtown – none of which came to fruition. In the end, Groundworks was able to work with the First Baptist Church leadership, as well as the new owners of the building to keep the Shelter at the church for one more year.

The operation of the Seasonal Overflow Shelter is completely reliant upon volunteers. For the past nine years a number of dedicated individuals have rallied together to help feed and accommodate those in need of emergency shelter. To operate this year’s shelter, Groundworks is once again seeking volunteer support for overnight shifts and meal teams. “We are preparing to open in early November, and need to staff one meal team and three volunteers to support the shelter each night,” reports Rhianna Kendrick, Director of Operations. “We are preparing to get volunteers trained and signed up for shifts as soon as possible.”

Last year’s SOS was made possible by a small pool of dedicated overnight volunteers – about 45 people in total. “We would like to significantly increase that number this year,” said Kendrick. Groundworks provides training, as well as on-site and on-call staff support for volunteers. “The overnight shifts are perfect for night owls, students, or people that work a night shift – we also rely heavily on retirees,” said Kendrick. “This is a community effort and couldn’t happen without huge volunteer support.”

Groundworks is actively recruiting volunteers for overnight shifts and meal teams. Those interested in volunteering for an overnight shift should contact Rhianna Kendrick at volunteer@GroundworksVT.org or 802-257-5415. Anyone interested in providing meals can contact Meal Team Coordinator Jenna Lanoil at meals@GroundworksVT.org.

If you would like more information, or to make a contribution to support the operation of the Seasonal Overflow Shelter, please visit www.GroundworksVT.org.