As for the Good Samaritan Haven, the homeless shelter in Central
Vermont, I do believe they would have found the help they needed there,
especially if they had reached any of the staff, but even the
volunteers would have been some help. In the past, we have handled
bigger problems than three elderly dogs -- either taking them home
ourselves, or finding some help for them while the owners worked out
their housing situation. I have three dogs myself and would not have
been able to sleep if I had known about them.
Shelter is not only shelter; it is a contact for the help each person
needs to get back on the road to normal. While a person is at the
shelter, they are welcomed -- a great start -- given hospitality and
comforts of a home, such as washing machines, clean secure sleeping
arrangements, good hot food served by volunteers who cooked for you and
are glad to share with you. Then comes the more important, if less
pressing services. Someone with real skills, experience and compassion
will interview you to find the areas you need most help with and then
helps you to focus available resources to achieve your goals.
Good Samaritan Haven is a faith-based initiative, but faith is what we
are about, though we ask nothing of you but your cooperation on your
behalf. It is true that we generally are only open 6 p.m. to 7 a.m.,
but our efforts on your behalf are ongoing, and you are not left in the
cold in the meantime. One resource we always have is referral to
appropriate services, and we do have a limited amount of money to help
in things that do not duplicate available services.
Perhaps anyone from the Valley Rotary or the Waitsfield Church might
have been able to recommend us because they recently donated to our
capital fund to improve our facility, and have been addressed with
literature or a personal visit from a spokesman for our services.
I do want to congratulate Ms. Leotta for her tremendous efforts and the
people who did offer their help in this situation. I am constantly
amazed by the wonderful energy we Vermonters put into a cause for any
underdog or any situation where we feel someone is not getting their
fair share. Good Samaritan Haven was called into being by just such
people, and being presently manned by staff and volunteers that find
the need to serve is a huge part of who they are at the deepest levels.
Please, please do not lose faith in state agencies or resources. While
I do not personally represent them, I do work closely with many, and on
any good day you should have hit the mark on any of the calls you made.
Most agencies are part of a local or state Continuum of Care where
agencies come together to discuss available resources and to question
each other to learn information valuable to serve or refer people to
appropriate services. Some of us, at various times, have some funds
available to help certain situations, and some of us have donation
money we may use with some discretion. Sometimes, along with various
churches, we can cobble together enough funds to meet these needs all
at once, but more often we make small efforts to assure those in need
that there are people who care and sometimes this encourages people to
redouble their own efforts.
Funds are short and precious, and we try to spread them around where
they will do the most good. At times, it does seem that there is help
for anyone except the ones we are trying to help, but that is only
perception and not reality. The Haven address is P.O. Box 1104 in
Barre, or at 105 N. Seminary Street, and the phone number is
802-479-2294. Don't give up but be persistent in calling or looking for
the help you need. We are short staffed, but we are there to help.
Paul A. Mascitti is director of Good Samaritan
