Good Samaritan Haven operates two Seasonal Warming Shelters to help Washington County meet the increased need for shelter during the winter months.

Hedding Seasonal Warming Shelter (Barre)

Good Samaritan Haven operates a fourteen bed seasonal shelter at the Hedding United Methodist Church every winter from November to April. Guests are provided a cot, a hot shower, toiletries and a healthy meal nightly. Case management services are available for guests who want support with permanent housing, employment, mental health, recovery, or other community resources.

The Hedding Seasonal Warming Shelter serves adult males. Hours of operations are 9:00pm-7:00am. To schedule an intake please call Good Samaritan Haven at 802-479-2294.

Bethany Seasonal Warming Shelter (Montpelier)

A twenty-bed Seasonal Warming Shelter operates with GSH staff at the Bethany Church in Montpelier. Guests are provided a cot, a hot shower, toiletries and a healthy meal nightly through the generosity of local churches and community members. Case management services are available for guests who want support with permanent housing, employment, mental health, recovery, or other community resources.

The Bethany Seasonal Warming Shelter operates November until April and serves adult males and females. Hours of operations are 8:30pm-8:30am. To schedule an intake please call Good Samaritan Haven at 802-479-2294. Intakes can also be completed at Another Way from Monday through Friday, 9:00am-5:00pm, located at 125 Barre St.

The Seasonal Warming Shelters are a state-funded, “community based alternative” to address homelessness in Washington County.

Can you please help provide snacks, breakfast, non perishable food, and/or desserts for our guests at the Bethany Warming Shelter this winter? Donations should be dropped off at the church at 8:30pm each evening at 115 Main Street in Montpelier. Many of our guests are hungry when they arrive at night, and are very appreciative of a small snack for the evening. Breakfast items are also greatly appreciated. Please note – we do not have access to the kitchen at the church so food donations cannot be refrigerated. Sign up for our our Bethany Warming Shelter Meal Train here.

Good Samaritan Haven’s Seasonal Warming Shelters are funded by the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity’s Housing Opportunity Program Grant (HOP). They are an innovative “community-based alternative” to General Assistance motel vouchers. Reliance on motels as emergency housing has been extremely costly for the state –  Vermont spent $4.3 million in FY15 on GA motel vouchers. More importantly, while motels provide a temporary roof overhead, they are not good public policy for reducing homelessness. Read more here.