Blogs

We know it’s difficult to keep up with changes to the General Assistance Emergency Housing program. Here is a calendar with our interpretation of the new eligibility criteria.

As I lay on the concrete floor of a large room at the Elks Club, listening to cots creaking, people either snoring or pacing, and the rain from the remnants of Hurricane Beryl pounding on the metal roof overhead, I considered how very lucky we were to be safe, dry, and secure in that moment.

6:00 PM Tuesday Good Sam Co-Executive Director Julie Bond shifted into high alert when Montpelier Police Chief Eric Nordenson contacted her late on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. He asked if Good Sam could run an emergency pop-up shelter for folks camping outside while remnants of Hurricane Beryl came through, exactly one year after the 2023

Our new wellness program, the Building Hope and Resilience Project, has guests painting, meditating, walking outside, and spending time journaling together. And, they are having a great time doing it!   Special thanks to Katie O’Rourke for leading the acrylic painting sessions. “One guest told me she looks forward to it every week and it’s the best

DONATE TODAY Dear Friend, April showers can bring May flowers, but an April snowstorm brought about a desperate situation for one elderly person facing homelessness. This individual was left at the Montpelier Transit Center in the middle of Vermont’s heavy April snowstorm. Wheelchair-bound with significant medical issues, the inability to care for themselves, and loss of

The Boston Globe article, “When Homelessness and Disability Intersect” by Stan Grossfeld, highlights Vermonter Darron Phillips’ extraordinary struggles as a person experiencing homelessness while also requiring the use of a wheelchair and help with daily activities. It also illustrates the challenges for an increasing number of older folks with age-related infirmities who are unsheltered. When

The winter overflow shelter, operated by Good Samaritan Haven at the former Elks Club in Montpelier, will extend its seasonal operation and remain open for an extra month to help meet the need for safe shelter in the area. The new closing date is May 31. Good Samaritan Haven Co-Executive Director Rick DeAngelis stated: “We

APPROXIMATELY 60 PEOPLE IN BARRE DISTRICT WILL NEED TO LEAVE Berlin, VT–Good Samaritan Haven is strategizing on how to best assist approximately 60 area residents who will need to vacate six Washington County motels on Friday, March 15.  The exodus is occurring due to the conclusion of the Adverse Weather Conditions Program, a state initiative

Approximately 50 people gathered in a circle on the Statehouse steps in Montpelier to raise awareness of the homelessness and housing crisis in Vermont. Good Sam Co-Executive Director Julie Bond led a vigil and speak out to talk about the issues unhoused folks face, and remember the ones who died in 2023. Flags placed on

This winter, nearly 500 people are experiencing homelessness in Washington County. Everyone who arrives at Good Sam brings a unique story that contains hardship and grief. It can be a life chapter that is deeply distressing and lonely. A gift from you can change this, and help build a community of connection, care, and compassion.