BRATTLEBORO, VT—Brattleboro’s Seasonal Overflow Shelter (SOS) will open Monday, November 18th. After a successful first and second season located at the upper dormitory on the Winston Prouty campus (formerly the Austine School for the Deaf), Groundworks’ staff and Board are grateful for the opportunity to return to the space for a third year.
This year’s shelter will operate the same as prior years at this location: anyone seeking shelter will have to register for a bed through Groundworks Drop-In Center (at 60 South Main Street) between 9am and noon. Access to the shelter will only be permitted through transportation provided by Groundworks. There will be no access to the SOS during the day and walking up to the dormitory will not be permitted. The shuttle will leave by 5:40pm from the Drop-In Center, and all guests of the shelter will be transported back to the Drop-In Center by 7am. Throughout the winter, Groundworks Drop-In Center will have extended hours to ensure round-the-clock availability of shelter both day and night. The Drop-In Center’s extended winter hours are Monday through Friday 6am-6pm, Saturday 6am-noon, and Sunday 7:30am-4:30pm.
The Seasonal Overflow Shelter continues to be a community-wide effort, operated by Groundworks Collaborative, with support from the Brattleboro Retreat, Winston Prouty, local faith communities, scores of volunteer meal teams, and major funding from the Vermont Agency of Human Services’ Office of Economic Opportunity.
“This program is the area’s last safety net for the most vulnerable members of our community,” says Josh Davis, Groundworks Collaborative’s Executive Director.
The primary goal of the shelter, which serves adults only, is to provide easily accessible shelter to prevent the possibility that someone could freeze to death. Capacity will remain at 33 beds.
Groundworks will continue to staff the shelter throughout the season, with two staff on each shift, and two shifts per evening. Laura Chapman is the Coordinator for the SOS and this year’s Team Leader is Elissa Jones. A number of prior SOS staff members have returned for this season.
Those interested in organizing a Meal Team to serve a prepared meal at the shelter this winter should email meals@GroundworksVT.org for more information and to sign up. Anyone with questions can call the Drop-In Center at 802-257-5415 or to the SOS at 802-579-1760.
| For an interview, please contact:
Josh Davis, Executive Director Groundworks Collaborative jdavis@GroundworksVT.org | 802.490.2951 |
