Dear Friends of LCH,

A difficult but necessary part of life is finding balance between the hardships and the joys that we experience. It can be hard to celebrate a success when grief might be weighing us down. But it’s important to make space for both the excitement and hope we have for the future, while acknowledging that we haven’t solved our societal problems yet. 

Right now is one of those moments for me. With the new hotel room caps and 80-day limits for access to the state’s general assistance hotel program, hundreds of Vermonters have had to leave their safe housing in hotels in September. At Lamoille Community House, 6 of our 21 beds are taken by folks who had to leave a hotel due to this change. We get numerous calls every day from folks who are running out of days in their room, or have already run out and are now living unsheltered in a tent. How do we find balance between the heartbreaking truth our neighbors are having to suffer outside while also celebrating our successes? 

In the last month, four of our guests moved out of the shelter and into stable housing. One of them completed a course that also helped him land a job, which made it possible for him to afford the apartment he’s sharing with another former guest (who also secured employment while staying with us). We’re so glad that he was able to close the door to his own room so he could focus on his class while living at the shelter – something that would have been very difficult to do at our old location. Another one of our guests is currently in college and also has the privacy to concentrate on her courses as well, and she’s receiving high praise from the college for her great work and good grades. We have a guest who is finding routine in being here and takes the time to exercise every day and is working on her nutrition and health. Thirteen of our guests have income – seven of them have employment and six of them are on disability insurance. 

Our shelter is finding a new type of cohesion and consistency in this upgraded space. We’re able to provide activities that the guests enjoy and improve their sense of wellbeing. We host a writing club, a book club, and even had a professional organizer come in to help folks with their rooms. We have a lot to celebrate, the road to getting here was long and difficult, but worth every sweat and tear. 

We invite you to come celebrate our successes with us on Saturday, November 2nd, at Stowe Mountain Report for our fourth annual Raise the Roof to End Homelessness fundraiser. Each day that we show up to do this work is both an acknowledgement of the deepening housing crisis and the grief that comes with that, but also a celebration of the safety and security we provide so people can stabilize and move forward. Help us continue our work by attending our fundraiser, your support is why we’re able to bring hope and security to the people we serve.

Warmly,
Kim