We are halfway through February (and halfway through Winter!) and the last few weeks have been a busy time for Beloved Winter Shelter as our region’s Extreme Cold Weather Shelter. We have been open for 26 nights straight when we had been struggling to keep our doors open for just 5 days a week. We couldn’t have done it without you.
It takes a great deal of work to shelter so few of our neighbors, but those of us who show up to do the work are providing more than shelter from the cold. What we lack in amenities we make up for in hospitality. We are giving folks who have nowhere to be a place where they can feel like they belong. Many of our hosts have experienced first hand what it is like to be homeless – what it’s like when there’s not a single place in this world where their presence isn’t questioned, their every move watched, and all that’s expected to be done in the privacy of their own home must be done in public. We take for granted what comes with the roof over our head. While we cannot offer the amenities a home of their own would provide, we do offer a feeling of belonging. A feeling of being home for the night.
An Important Update
Beloved Winter Shelter has received approval from The State of Vermont Department of Public Safety to increase our nightly occupancy from 8 to 12 guests for the remainder of the Winter. This means we can now welcome up to 12 guests every night that we are open.
In a Vermont winter, four additional beds make a real difference. More beds mean fewer neighbors turned away into the cold. We are deeply thankful to our town officials, community partners, hosts, and neighbors who made this expansion possible.
Our Regularly Scheduled Open Hours
The shelter is open Sunday through Thursday nights and closed Friday and Saturday nights. Please call us directly to find out if we are open or closed and if we have beds available. Second hand information has proven to be inaccurate more often than not.
Shelter Hours & Access
We are located at 18 Town Crier Dr. off of Putney Rd. in Brattleboro, Vermont in the Beloved Community Church/First Methodist Church. Enter through the front doors of the church.
• Open 8:00 PM – 8:00 AM Sunday night through Friday night
• 12 beds available nightly, first come, first served (tip: arrive by 7:30p)
• Call (802) 332-6678 after 7:30 PM (or anytime overnight) to check availability
• No curfew — guests are accepted until 6:00 AM
Extreme Cold Weather Shelter Program (ECWSP)
When temperatures drop to -10° or below (with windchill for four consecutive hours), the State of Vermont activates us as an Extreme Cold Weather Shelter, often with just 24 hours notice. During these activations, we can expand to 15 beds.
To find out if we are activated, call 802-332-6678. If activation falls on a weekend when we would otherwise be closed, our voicemail will be updated to reflect that we are open.
Hosts
We are deeply grateful that more and more of our neighbors are showing up for one another. Beloved is not just where the basic needs of shelter and sleep are met – it’s also a wonderful place for togetherness. Our hosts are a part of a community where we put aside our differences and come together in solidarity for what we all know to be true on the most basic level – we are all in this together. Expanding to 12 beds every night requires more steady, compassionate adults to help hold the space overnight and during transitions.
We are currently seeking:
Evening Hosts
• 10PM –12:00 AM Tuesdays
Overnight Hosts
• 12:00 AM –6:00 AM Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur
Morning Hosts
• 6:30–8:30 AM Mondays
• 6:00–9:00 AM Tuesdays, Fridays
Overnight shifts are especially difficult to fill. If you or someone you know can commit to an overnight shift, it would make a meaningful difference in our ability to stay open five nights a week.
To sign up, apply or learn more, please email your availability to:
belovedwintershelter@gmail.com
Beloved Winter Shelter is a project of Vermont Village School, a Brattleboro Food Co-op Community Partner. Hosts are eligible to receive a discount at the Co-op for hours worked at the shelter.
Provide a Hot Meal
Guests often arrive hungry, and a simple warm meal is deeply appreciated. Neighbors are invited to sign up to prepare a meal for up to 12 people.
If you’d like to help, please use our Hot Meal sign-up sheet, and our Meal Coordinator, Lora, will follow up with details. Meal Sign-up link
Donate Supplies
For those looking for a simple way to support the shelter, we’ve created an Amazon wish list to use as reference of what we need. Items can be shipped directly to the shelter, or you can use the list as a guide to shop locally/second hand. When in doubt, we can always use snacks.
Donations may be placed in the black Donation Bin on the right side of the church near the rear of the building, next to the trash cans. This is also where baked goods, snacks and other food can be left. Wish list link
Financial Support
Financial contributions help us maintain our offerings, utilities, supplies, and emergency capacity throughout the season. Here are the ways to make a tax deductible donation through our Fiscal Sponsor (make sure to note it is for the shelter):
memo: Beloved Shelter
Check:
made out to: Skyberry Collaborative
memo: Beloved Shelter
Mail to:
P.O. Box 360 Brattleboro, VT 05302
Charitable Donation:
Brattleboro Hospitality House LTD
memo: Beloved Shelter
EIN: 33-1817562
Whether you are a host at the shelter, cook a meal, donate supplies, contribute financially, or simply share this update — you are part of ensuring that our neighbors have warmth, dignity, and a safe place to sleep this winter.
With gratitude,
Cristina Shayonye
Director, Beloved Winter Shelter
belovedwintershelter@gmail.com
(802) 332-6678
