To protect those without a warm shelter from blistering winds and subzero temperatures, the Upper Valley Haven opened a warming center on Jan. 22. After Vermont reduced funding for emergency cold weather programs last year, Haven staff realized they needed to provide a safe place for people to get out of the cold, volunteer services coordinator Laura Perez said.
The Haven, based in White River Junction, will keep its community services building open from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., according to the warming shelter’s guidelines. The nonprofit organization works to help those struggling with poverty by providing food, shelter, education, clothing and support.
Members of Psi Upsilon fraternity have manned the warming center this term. Fraternity members have volunteered at various Haven programs over the past year.
“It was our first opportunity to go above and beyond and show our commitment to the Haven, solidify our relationship and, most importantly, help out the community,” Psi U president Luke Suydam ’14 said.
The fraternity ensures that there is a volunteer at the warming shelter every day, whether it is a member of Psi U or another Dartmouth student.
When David Lerner ’14 and Benjamin Weill ’14 began as Psi U programming chairs last spring, they aimed to partner with a local organization and chose the Haven, Lerner said.
Although Psi U has raised money for the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth, the fraternity wanted to build connections with the individuals they were supporting, he said.
“We did not feel like we were giving back on a personal level,” Lerner said. “It is a homeless shelter, so we have more opportunities to interact and work with people individually, instead of just fundraising.”
The warming shelter has received local attention due to the efforts of Rev. Steve Gehlert, a Lyme pastor who slept outside his church every night for a week in January to raise awareness for homelessness. Gehlert faced temperatures as low as 9 degrees below zero, the Valley News reported.
Perez spoke to Gehlert’s congregation about the Haven’s volunteer opportunities and warming shelter.
At the shelter, volunteers work six-hour shifts, during which they check in residents, explain the rules and manage the shelter over night. The Haven does not have staff to perform this job.
The Haven is open all year and does not charge for it services. Last year, the organization provided 10,187 people with food, including 3,075 children. Other services include providing clothing and academic opportunities.
Over 600 people volunteer on a weekly or bi-weekly basis throughout the year, Perez said.
In 2013, volunteers tallied up to 32,000 hours. If the Haven had to pay staff, it would cost the organization almost $700,000, Perez said.
“The conversations I’ve had with the people at the shelter over dinner will be some that I never forget,” Psi U member Nikhil Arora ’16 said.
