Enterprise Winter 2024

ENTREPRENEURS FIND SUPPORT LAUNCHING DREAMS, P. 18

THE BUSINESS MAGA ZINE OF THE UPPER VALLEY

TWO NEW SHELTERS IN THE WORKS, P. 10

ENTERPRISE

GROWING, CHANGING Catch up with the latest Upper Valley business news

Winter 2024 FREE

CONTENTS

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

Winter 2024 d ENTERPRISE

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SETTLING IN The Family Place’s executive director starts as milestone anniversary year nears.

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SOLID HANDOFF Har tford Chamber leaders, current and former, make a strong team.

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Housing advocates support two new homeless shelter projects.

Claremont Glassworks is handed to the next generation of the family.

West Central Behavioral Health looks to expand services as staffing increased.

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New Family Place executive director discusses new role, plans for future

By PATRICK O’GR ADY

Valley News Correspondent

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

N

ORWICH — As she settles into her new role as executive director of The Family Place, Stephanie Slayton has her eye on the nonprofit’s upcoming 40th anniversary next year.

“I think it says a lot about an organization that has been serving the community for 40 years and has grown significantly and is well known and respected,” said Slayton, who started with The Family Place on Oct. 1. “We are getting ready for the next 40 years and what that looks like based on our strategic plan is about leaning into how we help families have a bigger voice in our community and our work.”

The Family Place, which serves communities in the Upper Valley, offers several programs designed to meets its mission of “promoting healthy growth for families with young children, teaching essential skills and strengthening positive relationships.” To that end, Slayton said they have started a family advisory council.

“We are working with those families to better understand how we can serve them and things they would like to see us offer the community,” Slayton said.

“We are also working on creating better access and awareness of our programs because the Upper Valley has a lot of rural areas and it can be hard to reach those families that live in the smaller villages and towns,” said Slayton, who lives in one of those small villages, South Strafford, with her husband and three children. “So how do we make sure we are outreaching to those places and making sure people who would benefit, know of our services?”

If there is a model for transitioning leaders at an organization, The Family Place would appear to have a solid example.

Slayton, 47, was hired to replace Nancy Bloomfield, who stepped down after eight years, and the two worked together on the leadership transition with their roles overlapping. Slayton said she and Bloomfield had collaborated on projects previously through Dartmouth Health and the Couch Family Foundation in Hanover.

“We were able to plan an overlap pe-

COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH

Stephanie Slayton is the new executive director of The Family Place in Norwich. riod of about two months,” Slayton said in a phone interview about the transition of executive directors at The Family Place. “We met prior to my start date to help me be a little more prepared and oriented and the first month (I was here) we met as well.”

The transition was well thought out and planned. Slayton said Bloomfield guided her through a structured calendar of tasks she had to learn and some of the curriculum. Bloomfield’s departure did not end the transition process.

“Once I was on board, there is a leadership team here,” Slayton said. “They met with me weekly.”

Slayton also reviewed the strategic plan with the leadership team, the financial structure and the revenue streams, the community partners and the network of 15 parent-child centers The Family Place belongs to that meets regularly.

“There are requirements and assessments that go along with the that, so I am gaining an understanding of what that network is,” she said.

Bloomfield and Slayton, who previously was the executive director at TLC

Family Resource Center in Claremont for three years, talked about the similarities between the organizations which led to Slayton applying for the position.

“I grew up in the Upper Valley and went to Hartford High School,” Slayton said. “I have always worked with children and families in my career and I have admired The Family Place for many years.”

Her background as a teacher and social worker served her well at TLC and also will at The Family Place.

“I really gained an understanding of the ecosystem that impacts families,” Slayton said. “So when I was at TLC, during my time the organization doubled the number of staff, doubled the number of programs and participants, the budget more than doubled. We went through this tremendous growth and it really worked with our leadership team to create programs that were sustainable and leadership opportunities for staff.

Her first year at TLC, Slayton oversaw the renovation of a new space on Pleasant Street in Claremont.

“At The Family Place there is that same opportunity to create pathways to leadership for our teams, help deepen our impact and work in the community with things like program evaluations. I think we are also poised in The Family Place for tremendous growth.”

Slayton said she has experience in building “infrastructure” of a nonprofit, including finances, human resources and administration.

“Because I got to do that at TLC, I am able to bring that experience here,” Slayton said.

In addition to focusing on growth — last year The Family Place served more than 1,600 children — Slayton said she wants to “invest in our employees.”

“Right now, with the rate of inflation, it can be hard for nonprofits to keep pace with wages so I want to be sure employees can support their families.”

Overall, Slayton said the transition went extremely well and she is excited to be back working where she grew up.

“It is lovely to come back here and have an impact on the community I grew up in,” Slayton said.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

Retired Hartford Chamber director and new director discuss leadership transition, priorities

By PATRICK O’GR ADY

Valley News Correspondent HARTFORD — Leadership transition in any organization whether private, public or a nonprofit can be a bumpy road for a number of reasons — including a sudden resignation or dismissal, management disputes or a decision to take the organization in a different direction.

Conversely, transitions can be smooth — almost seamless — when there is an overlap of new and outgoing leaders who share a vision for the

organization backed by a board. Another plus is when they have worked together in the past.

Not only did Hartford Area Chamber of Commerce’s outgoing Executive Director PJ Skehan work with his successor, Havah Armstrong Walther, for a few weeks before officially retiring Dec. 1, but the two already had a working relationship.

“Part of the draw to the chamber for me is I have loved overlapping and working with PJ over the years,” said Armstrong Walther, who owns a small business, Occom Properties, with her

husband and has lived in Hartford for 23 years. “He has made it easy to access information as a small business owner and connect with other people when I needed networking help.”

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“In my opinion, when you have a big changeover in leadership such as the process we are in, your first year is about maintaining stability in the organization, that members are happy, events are going well.

So now it is about continuing what PJ has built.

Then the next year is about maybe changing some things.

The third year is when you begin to make it your own.”

HAVAH ARMSTRONG WALTER president of the Hartford Chamber of Commerce

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

HARTFORD FROM 6 Skehan, who ran the chamber for 10 years, spent three weeks helping Armstrong Walther in her new role.

“We went through all the financials and the budget process. Those are the most important parts,” Skehan said. “On a regular basis she and I touch base and I give her feedback and will continue to for some time.

Havah has experience working with nonprofits and has the advantage of working for the chamber.”

About eight years ago, the chamber was between administrative assistants and Armstrong Walther, who had summers off as the outreach coordinator for the Hartford Area Career and Technology Center (HACTC), worked about eight weeks under Skehan. She later co-founded a nonprofit consulting group, Start Change, where she served as its lead consultant, working with area nonprofits on managing capital campaigns, development plans, strategic reports and executive mentorship.

Before joining the chamber, Armstrong Walther was interim director at Spark Community Center in Lebanon.

Havah said Skehan has given her some very helpful advice about the chamber and its future.

“PJ has done an amazing job laying out his ideas and insights about the direction the chamber could be going and exploring in the next few years,” Armstrong Walther said.

“The business community has seen a lot of change post-COVID and there are things affecting chamber members that are worth finding out about.

“PJ and I have talked about outreach to members and the local business community and town, the direction of the Quechee Gorge visitors’ center and focusing on the annual

COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH

Havah Armstrong Walther

balloon festival in Quechee.

“So he has had a lot of insightful advice and direction that he has shared with me,” Armstrong Walther said.

Skehan said the chamber, which has an annual budget of around $380,000, has continued to evolve and change to meet the needs and expectations of the members.

“You join an organization because you want to get value for your membership,” he said.

When he started, Skehan said the chamber could offer medical insurance and that was a big advantage.

But that benefit went away when the Affordable Care Act became law and Skehan said many chambers of commerce in Vermont lost about 25% of their memberships with that change.

That led to the need to not rely solely on membership dues but instead look to raise money with more events such as the Quechee Balloon Festival — which has around 10,000 attendees each year.

“That is probably the biggest change,” Skehan said, adding that vision and dental health insurance is still available, but they do not attract as many members as before when they offered medical insurance.

The Hartford chamber is open to any business — not just those in the Upper Valley. Some members, who live as far away as Burlington, join for networking purposes.

“That is one of the nice things about a chamber is that it should be giving you networking access to the business community where it is based,” Armstrong Walther said.

Looking ahead, Armstrong Walther is eager to learn and build on Skehan’s successes in the years ahead.

“In my opinion, when you have a big changeover in leadership such as the process we are in, your first year is about maintaining stability in the organization, that members are happy, events are going well. So now it is about continuing what PJ has built. Then the next year is about maybe changing some things,” Armstrong Walther said. “The third year is when you begin to make it your own.”

Regardless of any changes years down the road, Armstrong Walther and Skehan agree that the chamber has to maintain its role as a valuable resource for the area’s small businesses.

“A lot of our members are small businesses, mom and pop operations, and we are here to help them because they usually don’t have the capital,” Skehan said.

“We have done a good job listening to the members. We get feedback but most importantly we are a resource for businesses, financial and other wise.”

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

Emergency shelter projects supported by housing advocates Upper Valley Haven to provide operational oversight to both locations

By REBECCA BAILEY

Vital Communities Communications Manager

I

n Upper Valley’s dark housing landscape, two bright lights have recently appeared: two emergency shelter projects. One is in the process of opening in Lebanon to serve people through mid-April, and another, a year-round, 24-hour facility approved by the Hartford Planning Commission, is slated to open in 2025, if all goes well.

The 15-bed Lebanon facility, while

owned by the City of Lebanon, will be staffed and operated by the Upper Valley Haven, the White River Junction-based nonprofit that has provided temporary shelter for families and adults since 1981. The new 20-bed Hartford facility will be both owned and operated by the Haven.

Both projects will involve many other partner organizations.

As a nonprofit involved in seeking local housing solutions and a near neighbor of the Hartford project, Vital Communities applauds both

these developments. Both projects are “low-barrier ” shelters open to any person seeking emergency housing, regardless of their sobriety or substance use. There is no background screening of guests or requirements to complete paperwork.

As the City of Lebanon’s webpage about the shelter states, “The goal of this shelter is to save lives. Shelters also provide an opportunity to work with people who are unhoused and help them consider their futures and connect to essential community

“Some of those folks have full-time jobs and are living in parking lots near their fulltime jobs. Others have struggled with substance use and have done a lot of couch surfing but can’t rely on friends and acquaintances for a place to stay every night because they can’t put their friends’ housing at risk. So it really becomes a need for survival planning, and every day the priority is, ‘Where am I going to spend the night?’ ”

transient individuals, they were residents of the Upper Valley, or greater Lebanon who had lived here and lost their housing, who are working here and have no housing,” Goodwin said.

“They are our neighbors. One of the myths about emergency shelters is, ‘If you build it, they will come,’ but the reality is, we are trying to offer an emergency housing option for our neighbors.”

Since Goodwin went to the Lebanon City Council in May stating the immediate need for emergency winter shelter for at least 15 people, the project has proceeded uncannily swiftly. The shelter, housed in a building at 160 Mechanic St. that was renovated to the Haven’s specifications, was scheduled to open in January.

“Given that the Haven’s project has been approved, that will provide additional shelter beds year-round, but we predict there will be a further need,” Goodwin said. “The City of Lebanon continues to look for options for sites for its own year-round shelter. So we are making steps in the right direction but we are not finished.”

If all goes as hoped, construction on the Hartford shelter will begin this summer and the facility will open in 2025. About 100 clients — individuals or families — in the Haven’s service area of communities in northern Windsor and southern Orange counties are experiencing or at risk of homelessness, according to Michael Redmond, the Haven’s executive director.

The Haven’s 66 beds — 46 for families and 20 for adults without children — stay filled. In addition, the Haven coordinates services for more than 40 people in their region who are housed in motels through a state program that is expected to end in April.

“Come April, we don’t know where those folks will go if they are not housed by then,” said Cherry Sullivan, director of shelter and clinical services at the Haven. “We also see that because of a variety of reasons, including the lack of affordable housing but also the persistent and chronic health and mental health needs of the people we are serving,

that they end up staying with us longer than people did in the past.

It’s good on one hand — they are stabilizing their health — but it means we have less availability to move people into our shelter. So we have a bigger need for the emergency shelter.”

“We get calls every day from people looking for a place to sleep,” Redmond said. “Routinely it’s because the state doesn’t have a room in their allotment of available motel rooms or they are on a do-not-rent list at a hotel, or they just don’t know where to turn and it’s after hours.

We get those calls every day — more during the winter but we get them year-round. Also, we see people coming here for daily showers — where are they that they can’t take a shower? They are in their cars, they ’re camping in the woods.

They ’re sleeping on a buddy’s couch but don’t have access to the bathroom — who knows, but we have people coming in here every day.”

From 2015 until March 2020, when it was shut down due to COVID guidelines, the Haven ran an emergency winter shelter, turning its dining room into a 15-cot dormitory each night.

“The need for emergency shelter has absolutely increased over the past few years but it’s not a new need,” Sullivan said. “When we ran the emergency shelter, it was full the majority of nights we were open.”

But more than simply replicating that previous emergency shelter, the new one will be a hub of services that can help unhoused people move toward greater long-term stability.

“What’s different about this North Main Street project is that it provides a safe space but also can be open for day programs. That’s important because we can really collaborate and coordinate with so many partners in our community to bring services in — job training, mental health, behavioral health, substance use,” Sullivan said.

“We’ve created space in the design of that building to allow for that.

That’s the new next layer, how to continue to do this work and do it well as a community.”

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services. ... Housing ends homelessness, so the goal is to help shelter guests obtain housing.”

We wanted to hear from some of the people who have helped make them happen. We started with Lynne Goodwin, human services director for the City of Lebanon, overseeing housing assistance for Lebanon residents, among other services. When Goodwin started in her job 10 years ago, she said, the bulk of requests were for help paying rent and mortgages so as not to lose housing.

Starting in 2019 and increasing steadily since then, the majority of requests have come from people who had already lost their housing and need shelter.

“We were finding that existing shelters were full and simultaneously the ability to secure new housing almost flatlined because of the lack of affordable housing,” Goodwin said. “People were staying in shelters longer and there wasn’t the turnover you would see with people moving on to permanent housing and beds opening up.”

The city started spending a significant portion of its housing assistance budget on housing people in motels.

Last January, a “point-in-time” count found 16 people in Lebanon living outdoors, in cars, tents or improvised shelters. To perform the count, people fan out in pairs, going to places people in the past have tended to camp or sleep in cars overnight, and also following tips.

They heard people’s stories.

“Some of those folks have fulltime jobs and are living in parking lots near their full-time jobs,” Goodwin said. “Others have struggled with substance use and have done a lot of couch surfing but can’t rely on friends and acquaintances for a place to stay every night because they can’t put their friends’ housing at risk. So it really becomes a need for survival planning, and every day the priority is, ‘Where am I going to spend the night?’ ” This priority crowds out other pressing needs such as employment and mental health or addiction care.

“Those 16 individuals that we found unsheltered — they weren’t

Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

LYNNE GOODWIN human services director for the City of Lebanon

BUSINESS’S FUTURE STAYS IN FAMILY Claremont Glassworks founder discusses turning company over to stepsons

By PATRICK O’GR ADY

SEE GL ASSWORKS 14 VALLEY NEWS - JAMES M. PATTERSON

Matt Steele, left, checks the shipping label of a piece of shower door glass carried by his brother Jonas Steele, middle, and Tucker Derosier, right, at Claremont Glassworks in Claremont, on Dec. 29. in April, the Steele brothers took over the business that specializes in flat glass installation and repair from their dad, Keith Raymond.

Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

LAREMONT — Keith Raymond learned a lesson years ago the hard way. It was one he remembered as he thought about selling his business, Claremont Glassworks, and retiring.

Unlike the last time, when Raymond sold his previous glass business to a large, regional company, he had to look no further than his two stepsons to find the right people to buy Glassworks and carry on the commitment to craftsmanship and to the community.

Raymond said he was thinking about selling and retiring a few years ago, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit and demand “got crazy,” — forcing him to delay retirement plans until about a year ago.

“I threw it out to (my stepsons) and said I wanted to retire and asked if they wanted to take over the business before I try to find someone else,” Raymond said during an interview with his stepsons, Matthew and Jonas Steele, at Claremont Glassworks on North Street. “We came up with a plan to make it work and I signed it over to them on March 1. I worked part-time for six months before retiring in October. This is what I wanted. I always ran it as a family business.

“I really didn’t want to sell to somebody else,” Raymond said. “I tried that before and they came in and told me to lay people off. They didn’t have any roots in the community.”

Volumes have been written on the perils of selling a family business to other family members, particularly when the prospective new owner has had no experience in the business.

Raymond had no concerns with that dynamic as Matthew and Jonas, combined, have spent more than 35

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

C

Valley News Correspondent

VALLEY NEWS - JAMES M. PATTERSON

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

Claremont Glassworks employees Corey Oxland, right, hands parts for a retractable screen to Roger Rumrill, middle, while loading vans for the day's jobs with Shawn Eitapence, back left, and Matt Steele, left, in Claremont on Dec. 28. In April, Steele and his brother Jonas took over the business, started in the late 1990s by their dad, Keith Raymond.

“They understand that community commitment is important.

The nice thing about a family business is your children watch the way you do things. They may not keep it exactly the way it is, but they have ingrained in them how to do things.”

KEITH RAYMOND, founder of Claremont Glassworks

Family business built around community Reflecting on that difficult experience nearly 30 years ago, Raymond said when a company does not have roots in the community, employees don’t have the same value to the owners.

“They forced me to lay off people who were like family to me,” Raymond said. “I didn’t agree with that so I quit and started my own business (Claremont Glassworks) in 1997.”

Selling to Matthew and Jonas Steele gives Raymond the peace of mind he was looking for.

“They understand that community commitment is important,” Raymond said. “The nice thing about a family business is your children watch the way you do things. They may not keep it exactly the way it is, but they have ingrained in them how to do things.”

The new owners say they share a management philosophy on all aspects of the business and they work as a team on everything from scheduling work to managing employees.

“It has been presented to us for so many years on how to run it, run it right, be fair to your employees,” Matthew Steele said.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.

Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

years at Claremont Glassworks.

Matthew Steele, 40, began working full-time at the business in 2003; Jonas Steele, 38, joined full-time in 2008.

“We work very well together,” Matthew Steele said. “If he has a lot to do, I can take some of it or he will take work from me if I need it because we have been doing it for so long and learned from Dad how to install everything and do it right.”

“It is a joint effort,” added Jonas Steele. “We work together to make sure to do what needs to be done.”

Claremont Glassworks offers installation on a wide range of products including new and replacement windows, overhead doors, garage doors, retractable screens, shower enclosures and retractable awnings.

The business, which Raymond started in 1997 with his wife, Alison, and his parents, today employs 12.

Raymond said when they look for new hires they like to bring on people who want to learn the trade, perhaps right out of high school, so they train them in their methods.

“We have been very lucky in a tight labor market finding people who can do what is expected of them,” Matthew Steele said.

Raymond got into the glass business in 1974 when he ran the glass department for a Claremont store.

Seven years later he opened his own business, Twin State Glass, with two family members, selling auto glass, commercial storefront windows and replacement windows for houses.

When a regional glass company opened a store in Claremont, Raymond said he doubted there was enough business in town for three glass companies (American Plate Glass was also operating in Claremont) so he sold to the newcomer and took over management of the store.

“They were a large corporation and did things differently,” Raymond said. “They didn’t allow me to do things with sponsorships in Claremont as much as I wanted to.”

In 1997 he learned the hard lesson: The company decided it was only going to do auto glass so the upper management told Raymond to lay off all but three of the nine employees.

“They told me to lay off everybody but the three best auto glass guys,” he said. “It was just going to be an auto glass company. They had been bought by a national auto glass chain. So that is all they wanted to do.”

15

GL ASSWORKS FROM 12

West Central Behavioral Health interim CEO discusses workforce challenges

‘Creating better access and really getting the best talent we can’

By PATRICK O’GR ADY

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

Valley News Correspondent LEBANON — His title may be preceded by interim but with the pressing challenges of increasing demand for mental health services and the struggle to hire new staff, Alexander J. “AJ” Horvath is being proactive as he guides West Central Behavioral Health during its search for a new CEO. “Some of what we want to do is improve access,” said Horvath, who assumed the interim role of president and CEO in October. “We have a lot of innovative ways to do that. We are working diligently to be competitive in the labor market to find good talent and are looking to partner with other similar organizations in our communities of Lebanon, Claremont and Newport.

“So really it is about partnerships, creating better access and really getting the best talent we can,” Hor vath said.

Horvath, of Enfield, brings a leadership background to his position that has included the interim title, outside of health care, as part of his consulting business. He also comes on board with a familiarity with West Central, having worked there in an information technology role for a couple of years in the mid 1990s. Horvath, 55, replaces Roger Osmun, who left the position in October.

With a degree in business operations, Horvath has worked as a CFO and director of operations at Clara Martin Center, the mental health center serving Vermont’s Orange County and had been in administration at Dartmouth Health since 2010, before being hired to lead West Central. Horvath will remain in the interim position until a new CEO is hired, which could be six to 12 months or longer.

He is not a candidate for the permanent position.

“When you come in in an interim role, the job is different but similar in a lot of ways,” Horvath said.

COURTESY PHOTOGRAPH

Alexander J. “AJ” Horvath is the interim CEO of West Central Behavioral Health.

“As we are adding staff, we are reaching back out to our referral sources and opening as much access as we can to our communities again.”

ALEXANDER J. “A J” HORVATH, interim president and CEO of West Central Behavioral Health “The challenges are continuing to move the organization forward in a positive direction while also leading it through a time of change and uncertainty because a new leader is coming in,” Horvath said. “There is a certain level of management of those things simultaneously that are challenging in an interim role.”

West Central has a staff of 140 and offers a variety of mental health services for all populations. Its biggest hiring need is for clinical providers.

The mental health field has seen a strong increase in demand brought about in part by the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with workforce challenges seen just about everywhere in the Upper Valley, Horvath said.

“I think mental health is particularly challenged in attracting a workforce for a few reasons,” Hor vath said. “The community of mental health is working with our most disadvantaged population. Our clients are wonderful people and they have struggles most of us don’t have.”

There is a lot of competition for different types of mental health jobs including schools, private practices and at Dartmouth Health, where pay and benefits are usually better, Horvath said.

“It is a combination of workforce challenges, supply of people and competition in the field,” Hor vath said.

Other factors preventing the mental health field from attracting new workers to meet more demand are higher costs and stagnant reimbursements.

“Where health care really struggles, whether it is community mental health or a hospital, is our costs continue to go up with demand for labor and inflation impacting other costs but our fees for reimbursement do not increase at the same rate,” Horvath said. “What happens then is health care organizations tend to struggle more in keeping up with market forces because revenues do not keep pace.”

West Central also relies also on

private pay clients and insurance as well as “a cadre of generous people who contribute to our organization,” Horvath said.

Medicaid reimbursement rates are scheduled to increase the next two fiscal years, 2024 and 2025, with the state budget that passed in June.

When people call they may be told that it can be a wait until they see someone, which could be a few weeks or a month or more, Horvath said.

“Demand for services has been extremely high in the adult population, adolescent population and children as well,” Horvath said, adding that he sees improvement with new hires.

“As we are adding staff, we are reaching back out to our referral sources and opening as much access as we can to our communities again.”

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

GIVING IT A SHOT

COURTESY UPPER VALLEY BUSINESS ALLIANCE

Running Water Recreation, which offers bounce houses and archery tag, among other activities, opened around a year ago in Bradford, Vt. A look at some new businesses in the Upper Valley.

Story begins page 19

A

new year and new resolutions for some people may include starting a business.

According to the US Census Bureau, more than five million new businesses were started in 2022. And that is a trend that has been steadily increasing year after year, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The Small Business Administration counts 33,185,550 small businesses in the United States. The agency’s definition of a small business is one that employs between 1 to 500 people.

Small businesses employ 61.7 million Americans, totaling 46.4% of all private sector employees.

Starting a business has been likened to giving birth and evokes many of the same feelings: excitement, trepidation, exhilaration and downright fear. Similar to having a newborn, you are likely to lose sleep as you grow and nurture your business – and have moments of sheer panic when things do not seem well.

However, for many small business owners, once they became entrepreneurs, they could not imagine doing anything else.

Gordon Boddington, of Orford, is hoping to launch his business in 2024.

Boddington is currently the creator of HeyUpperValley, an online social media presence where he promotes interesting local businesses, places to visit and events throughout the Upper Valley. In 2020, Boddington had been working in hospitality as sales director of a hotel. Hospitality was his second “new beginning,” after a successful career in social services. But then the pandemic. The hotel where Boddington worked, like many throughout the Upper Valley, was shut down for the rest of 2020 and into 2021. Boddington decided that he wanted to change careers as hospitality was susceptible to volatility in the wake of a pandemic.

“A lesson I learned while working in social services is that sometimes you make good or bad decisions, but you need an opportunity to make the decisions,” Boddington said. Knowing that he wanted to eventually have his own business, Boddington decided to enter an MBA program at Plymouth State University. He is set

to graduate in May. “I thought about the areas where I had been successful,” Boddington said. “I’m great at networking. I love working with people. During the pandemic, I had been building an online community with HeyUpperValley and started it to encourage people to support small businesses. I would seek out new entrepreneurs and try to connect them to other small businesses so they could help each other.”

Boddington is hoping to launch a social media consulting business that will help small businesses leverage their social media.

“I had done some social media consulting before but now after my classes, and connecting with the Small Business Development Center, I have a better sense of what I want to do and not do,” he said. “I love meeting new people and learning what they are passionate about. I love helping them to take it to next level or connect them with others who can help them.”

Meanwhile, Boddington is still promoting the Upper Valley with @ HeyUpperValley on Facebook and Instagram.

Passion for work is a recurrent theme among new entrepreneurs. Je Austin and her son Joe, of West Lebanon, launched Co-Biography based on a passion for sharing people’s stories. Co-Biography creates personalized histories and biographical publications developed through conversational interviews and collaboration. Austin works with people to discover their personal histories or family histories and write them into a biography.

“I had the idea for Co-Biography for 15 to 20 years,” Austin said. “The idea came from how I framed working with people and learning their stories. I had published a book and I realized how much I loved seeing it in print and the process of gathering people’s stories.”

Austin had written a book through the Brattleboro Words Project. Helping people to find their voice is truly Austin’s passion.

“I saw the opportunity in that many people felt unheard or disconnected. And I thought I could help them feel heard by gathering their stories and writing them down,” Austin said.

For Mike Morrissette, of Bradford,

Vt., helping others, especially kids, is his passion. Morrissette and his wife, Kelly, own Running Water Recreation Center in Bradford. Running Water Recreation Center offers indoor archery tag, bounce houses, pickleball and mini golf. They also host birthday parties and an archery tag league for adults. RWRC has been open for a year.

“We started this venture so we could help more people,” Morrissette said. “I had worked in several industries but most recently I worked with special needs kids. And one day, I was online looking for activities that I could do with them. I saw the archery tag and the closest place to do it was in Boston. So my wife and kids and I drove to Boston to try it.

When we arrived, my wife said, ‘You know with something like this, you could touch more people.’ With the archery tag, you have to work as a team and be part of something larger than just yourself. It teaches a lot of great lessons.”

Having completed his first year in business, Morrissette said he has learned many lessons about starting a business.

“Realize before you start the business that it’s going to be hard work,” Morrissette said. “Seek out help in areas where you are not knowledgeable. And don’t be afraid to seek out help. Treat the business like your child. You have to nurture it.”

Like Boddington and Austin, Morrissette sais that finding a network of supportive people is important to the success of launching a business.

“Starting Running Water was a lot of work. It took a lot of people’s hands to get the space ready,” he said. “Even now a year later, it’s still a learning curve. I look at a lot of other businesses and try to learn from them how they structure things.”

The fear of rejection when launching a business is always present.

Both Austin and Boddington acknowledge the fear but said that preparation and research, along with finding a supportive network have been key for pushing past trepidation.

“I have a fear of failure,” Austin said. “But I had talked with people about starting Co-Biography and had received positive feedback. I had also worked in consulting for businesses, SEE NEW BUSINESSES 20

19

By TRACY HUTCHINS

Upper Valley Business Alliance executive director

Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

New beginnings for Upper Valley entrepreneurs pursuing their dreams of business ownership

COURTESY UPPER VALLEY BUSINESS ALLIANCE

Running Water Recreation, which offers bounce houses and archery tag, among other activities, opened around a year ago in Bradford, Vt.

Business center helps entrepreneurs turn their dreams into a reality

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

NEW BUSINESSES FROM 19 so I had a good understanding of what was involved in starting a business. Having a supportive network is really important.”

Boddington added: “I’ve failed and succeeded before. The thought that no one will want what I’m offering scares me. But I know I will make some good connections.”

Morrissette said that what has surprised him the most about being in business for a year is that he had thought it would take off quicker.

“When I do something, I jump all in,” he said. “So, I am learning to be patient with the timetable. But it’s growing. Word of mouth goes a long way.”

Having the stamina and patience

to launch a new business is real. According to the Small Business Administration, the five-year mark for a new business is pivotal. Only about half of new businesses will reach 5 years, and only 1 in 3 will still be in business at year 10.

Still, the dream of owning a business is one for many people and there are many resources for entrepreneurs, many of which are free of charge. The Small Business Development Center is a subset of the US Small Business Administration and has advisers that will work with you one on one to develop your business plan. The SBDC is free and present in every state.

Locally in the Upper Valley, there are regional development corporations that also offer education and

lending services for new businesses.

In New Hampshire, contact Grafton Regional Development Corporation, and in Vermont contact Green Mountain Economic Development Corporation. And don’t forget about your local chambers of commerce.

Chambers have a large network of partners from government agencies to lenders, to professionals who can help you.

The phrase used often for raising a child is that it “takes a village.”

The same can be said of starting a business.

Morrissette, of Running Water Recreation Center, said it best.

“It’s your dream,” he said. “You need to make other people see your dream, your business, the way you see it.”

Claremont Savings Bank’s commercial lending team earned the “Loan Participation of the Year ” award from the New Hampshire Business Finance Authority.

The team was cited for the award because of its partnership with the business finance authority to help finance Montshire Packing, a meat processing facility located in North Haverhill.

Little Rivers Health Care, based in Bradford, Vt., was named 2023 business of the year by Cohase Chamber of Commerce. Gary Scruton, of Haverhill, NH., was named the chamber’s 2023 Citizen of the Year.

Business changes, openings Amie and Callie Freak, who own Briar Patch Landscaping in Croydon, purchased Kathan Gardens in Newport, from Chris and Jill McIntyre. Katham Gardens will continue to offer gardening supplies, gifts and plants. They have plans for expanding the business’ offerings, including which products it offers.

Fox Hollow Antiques & Trading Post, owned by Mark Harper, opened at 5378 Route 5 in North Thetford in the former Northboro Market space.

More information: foxhollowantiquesandtradingpost.com.

The Works Café has opened at 25 S. Main St. in downtown Hanover, in the space previously occupied by the Canoe Club. It will be open daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. More information: https://workscafe.com/.

Business events The 2024 Vermont Economic Conference is scheduled to take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 30, at University of Vermont Dudley H. Davis Center at 590 Main St., in Burlington. More information about the event, hosted by the Vermont Chamber of Commerce, can be found at vtchamber.com/economicconference.

Business hirings Gage Eastman, has been hired as

a branch relationship manager at Bar Harbor Bank & Trust’s Woodstock location. Eastman was previously general manager at Key Chrysler in White River Junction.

Nonprofit news The Arts Bus, a Randolph-based nonprofit organization, was awarded a $50,000 grant from the Vermont Children’s Trust Foundation to purchase a new bus to bring arts activities to children throughout the Randolph area.

The Hanover Conservancy board of directors elected three new members to serve on its board: Jesse Casana, an archaeologist and anthropology professor at Dartmouth College; Silvia Holman, a Spanish and English as a second language teacher at Richmond Middle School; and Erich Osterberg, a climate scientist in the earth sciences department at Dartmouth. The trio replaces Ann Malenka, Kelley Lemay and Jim Wooster.

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon has earned an international “Baby-Friendly ” designation from Baby-Friendly USA, a nonprofit organization that oversee the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.

The Public Health Council of the Upper Valley elected six new board members to serve on its board: Mark Bradley, executive director of the White River Council on Aging and the Bugbee Senior Center; Amanda Jordan Smith, program lead for Volunteers in Action (ViA) at Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center and a DEIB consultant; Shaun Mulholland, Lebanon City Manager; Alisha Robinson, HR business partner and coordinator for Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital’s diversity, equity, and inclusion program; Andrea Smith, substance misuse prevention coordinator, Community Health Improvement at Dartmouth-Hitchcock; and Kym Williams, a public health strategy consultant specializing in community-engaged research, program design, and evaluation. They replaced departing board members Roberta Berner, Nicole Cole-

man, Dan Fraser and Katie Kobe Kent.

Plymouth State University’s annual teddy bear toss, which took place at men and women’s hockey games in December, collected 1,077 stuffed toys for the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Moosilauke Visions, an Orfordbased nonprofit organization that promotes programs that build strong communities, donated $100,000 donation to the Hanover Improvement Society to put toward the renovation of Campion Rink in West Lebanon.

Sally A. Kraft, vice president of population health at Dartmouth Health; Joseph L. Perras, CEO and president, Dartmouth Health’s Cheshire Medical Center; Susan E. Mooney, FACOG, CEO and president, Dartmouth Health’s Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital; and Jennifer E. Gilkie, chief communications and marketing officer, Dartmouth Health, have been selected to join the 2024 class of the New Hampshire 200, New Hampshire Business Review’s (NHBR) biennial ranking of the Granite State’s top business leaders.

Vincent Freeman, of Underground Recording Studio in Randolph, earned the 2023 Vocational Award, and Siobhan O’Shea, of Quest Labs/Little Rivers Health Care in Bradford, Vt., earned the 2023 Arnold Spahn Community Service Award from the Clara Martin Center, a mental health center that serves Orange County residents. Additionally, Jenny Beaudin, a substance use/criminal justice clinician and medication assisted treatment coordinator at Clara Martin, earned the 2023 Martin Family Excellence Award.

Mt. Ascutney Hospital and Health Center earned the 2023 Performance Leadership Award from Chartis, a national health care consulting firm. The award is given to organizations tha display success “in quality, outcomes and patient perspective in rural hospitals.”

Email business and nonprofit announcements to biznotes@ vnews.com for inclusion in an upcoming edition of Enterprise.

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Business awards

Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

BUSINESS NOTES

Volunteer Job Opportunities Please help us keep this list up to date. Send requests for volunteers by email to calendar@ vnews.com, or by mail to Volunteer Jobs, c/o Valley News, P.O. Box 877, White River Junction, Vt. 05001.

For more information about this list, call 603-727-3221. The complete Volunteer Jobs list can always be found on the VALLEY NEWS website: www.vnews.com.

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Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

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ACTS Honduras in the Upper Valley: Seeking volunteers: medical/ dental, educational, agricultural, youth leadership experience, with interest in serving. 603-795-2624, 802733-6074 or info@actshonduras.org.

Adult Learning Services in West Lebanon: Assist students in basic reading, writing and math, High School Equivalency, and English as a second language. No experience required.

603-790-8518, dlaffin@ sau88.net, gcoleman@sau88.net or nhadulted.org.

Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital in Lebanon: Visit homebound patients in partnership with the Senior Care Team or provide certified dog therapy to patients and staff. Contact Community Health and Relations Officer Liz Swanton at 603-802-0821 or swantone@apdmh.org.

American Precision Museum in Windsor: Docents needed for two- to three-hour shifts to answer questions on history of machine tools. Assist with exhibit, building and garden maintenance. lyordy@americanprecision.org or americanprecision.org.

American Red Cross Disaster Action Team: Assist in responding to emergencies in the region. Help those affected by home fires and floods by making sure their most basic needs, including food and shelter, are met. Sign up at redcross.org/volunteer. 802-735-8842 or erica.fuller4@ redcross.org.

American Red Cross Blood Donor Ambassadors: Greet, register, and support blood donors at Red Cross blood drives in the Upper Valley during one five-hour shift per month. Sign up at redcross.org/volunteer. 802-735-8842 or erica.fuller4@ redcross.org.

AVA Gallery and Art Center in Lebanon: Greet and assist visitors, make sales and help with gallery openings, among other tasks. No art experience required; training provided when necessary. avagallery.org or 603-448-3117.

Bayada Hospice in Norwich: Visit patients in their homes, assisted living facilities or nursing homes. Duties may include reading, letter writing or preparing light

meals. Hours are flexible. 802-5262380.

Bugbee Senior Center in White River Junction: Deliver Meals on Wheels in Hartford, Thetford and Norwich. Serve on the waitstaff, help set up dining room, greet visitors at reception desk, assist in the kitchen and call bingo games. 802-295-9068.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire: Advocate in court for the best interests of children who have experienced abuse or neglect. Training provided. Commit approximately 15 hours a month. casanh.org.

Central Vermont Basic Education in Randolph: Tutor students in literacy, GED instruction and English language learning. 802-728-4492 or cvabe.org.

Chore Corps: Support older adults by making small repairs, delivering food, setting up electronics and stacking firewood, among other tasks through AmeriCorps Seniors program in Grafton & Sullivan counties. Must be 55+. 1-877-711-7787, rsvp@gcscc.org or gcscc.org/rsvp.

Claremont Opera House: Usher, promote shows and help out on committees. volunteer@cohnh.org or 603-542-0064.

Claremont Train Host Association: Volunteers needed to meet and greet Amtrak passengers twice a day at the Claremont Junction stop.

Email claremontstationhosts@ gmail.com for more information.

Classicopia: Assist at concerts for a nonprofit chamber music organization. Volunteers needed on a regular or substitute basis. 802-369-0856, daniel@classicopia.org, classicopia.org.

Court Appointed Special Advocates of New Hampshire: Volunteer guardians ad litem needed to advocate for the best interests of abused and neglected children in family court. Commit approximately 15 hours per month, including visits with children and court appearances. casanh.org.

Court Street Arts in Haverhill: Help with live performances in Alumni Hall, including setting up, taking tickets and clearing tables.

603-989-5543 or alumnihall.org.

Cover Home Repair in White River Junction: Assist with home repair projects in the Upper Valley or with donations in the store. No experience necessary. Professional leadership, tools and safety gear provided. 802-296-7241, ext. 3 or coverhomerepair.org.

Daniel Webster Council, Boy Scouts of America: Assist area scouting units in New Hampshire or help start a new program. Training provided. Application and back-

ground check required. Nhscouting.org, 603-854-8585 or Tyler.Yankey@Scouting.org.

Empower UP! Windsor Central Mentoring Program: Become a mentor for youth ages 8 to 17 for one to two hours per week in a school and community-based program. 802-4571317 or wuhsms.org/index.php/more/ wcsu-mentoring-program.

Evergreen Singers: Alto, and bass singers wanted to join hospice singing group that performs for people in nursing homes, and their caregivers. Must be able to sing a capella in small groups. Rehearsals take place 4 to 6 p.m. every other Sunday at the United Church of Christ at Dartmouth in Hanover. Anna Alden, 802-356-0363.

Everybody Wins! Mentoring: Program matches adult readers with children in six elementary schools.

Readers meet for one lunch hour each week. 802-229-2665, everybodywinsvermont.org or info@everybodywinsvermont.org.

Fort at No. 4 in Charlestown: Work in the gardens and assist with sales and customer service in the Visitor ’s Center. 603-826-5700, info@ fortat4.com or fortat4.org.

Friends of the Morrill Homestead: Assist with gardening, programs and events such as the Apple and Cheese Harvest Festival. 802765-4288, director@morrillhomestead.org, morrillhomestead.org.

Gifford Medical Center in Randolph: Greet and assist patients at registration, help at Menig Nursing Home, or assist with a variety of office duties. 802-728-2324 or giffordhealthcare.org.

Girl Scouts of the Green and White Mountains-Four Rivers Community: Training provided for adults willing to be troop leaders, train other adults, manage product sales and other tasks. girlscoutsgwm.org.

Good Beginnings of Central Vermont: Support new parents in the Randolph area as they recover from birth and navigate feeding, siblings, sleep deprivation, and more. info@ goodbeginningscentralvt.org, 802595-7953, or goodbeginningscentralvt.org.

Good Beginnings of the Upper Valley: Provide weekly in-home respite visits for two hours to a family with a newborn for 12 weeks. Flexible schedule. Volunteers are matched with a family in their community and free training is provided.

603-298-9524 or gbuv.org.

Good Morning Telephone Reassurance: Connect with older adults, address isolation and safety through AmeriCorps Seniors program in Grafton and Sullivan counties. Make

calls from home between 7:30 to 9 a.m. five days a month. Must be 55+.

1-877-711-7787, rsvp@gcscc.org or gcscc.org/rsvp.

Greater Sullivan County Medical Reserve Corps: Medical and nonmedical volunteers needed for emergencies and community support activities. Training provided.

Visit nhresponds.org and select “Greater Sullivan County” to sign up.

Greater Upper Valley Trout Unlimited: Assist with tree plantings, fly tying lessons, river clean up days, river habitat restoration projects and school events to help conserve, protect, and restore the Upper Valley’s cold water fisheries, along with their associated watersheds. guvtupres@ gmail.com or greateruppervalley.tu.org.

Hartford Community Restorative Justice Center: Serve on a reparative panel or work with folks re-entering the community from incarceration. The center provides programs to repair the harm caused by crime and conflict in the community. Flexible hours. Training provided. 802-291-7173 or mwalker@ hartfordjusticecenter.org.

Hartford Dismas House: Cook and share a weeknight dinner with residents at a transitional home reconciling former prisoners and society. tom@dismasofvt.org, 802-6988661 or dismasofvermont.org.

Hartford Historical Society: Help maintain documents and artifacts; collect local histories; and assist with maintenance and light housekeeping at the Garipay House Museum. 802-296-3132 or hartfordhistory.org.

High Horses Therapeutic Riding Program in Sharon: Volunteer opportunities both in and out of the ring. 802-763-3280 or highhorses.org.

Horse Meadow Senior Center in North Haverhill: Deliver meals to homebound older adults (mileage reimbursement offered). Assist with meals and activities at the center.

603-787-2539 or gcscc.org/horsemeadow.

JAM – Junction Arts & Media in White River Junction: Training provided for volunteers to produce Upper Valley events. uvjam.org or info@ uvjam.org.

Lake Sunapee Region VNA & Hospice: Spend a morning or afternoon assisting with the Good Day Respite program for people with memory loss, assist patients and families as a hospice volunteer or help in The Renaissance Shoppe, the resale shop that benefits the VNA. 603-526-4077 or lakesunapeevna.org.

Latham and Peabody Libraries in Thetford: Work with the public or

Upper Valley Haven in White River Junction: Assist with community service programs, including the food shelf (stocking, filling orders, cleaning produce) or cooking (on or off-site). uppervalleyhaven.volunteerhub.com or 802-478-1865.

Upper Valley Hawks Special Olympics: Coaches, coaching assistants and volunteers needed to assist with nine sports over three seasons.

Greet athletes, help with set-up, timing, measuring and other sports-related tasks. uvspecialolympics@ gmail.com or 802-291-2624.

Upper Valley Humane Society in Enfield: Opportunities include dog walking, cat socialization, kennel cleaning, general cleaning and special events, among other tasks. 603448-6888 or info@uvhs.org.

Upper Valley Senior Center in Lebanon: Deliver meals to homebound older adults (mileage reimbursement offered) and assist with meals and activities at the center.

603-448-4213 or visit gcscc.org/uppervalley.

Upper Valley Land Trust in Hanover: Help with annual visits to conserved lands, trail maintenance, ecological restoration, growing food and providing firewood assistance throughout the Upper Valley. 603-6436626 or uvlt.org.

Upper Valley Music Center in Lebanon: Assist with work in the music library or office, support events or serve on planning committees. 603-448-1642, info@uvmusic.org or uvmusic.org.

Upper Valley Trails Alliance: Help at annual events, maintain trails, collect trail data, assist with office work, grant writing, graphic design and photography. 802-649-9075 or uvtrails.org.

Valley Court Diversion Programs: Represent your community in the restorative justice process by serving on community restorative panels in the Upper Valley. Volunteers represent the voice of the community and help participants understand how their actions have affected others. Training is provided. 802-2955078 or vcdp.org.

The Vermont Institute of Natural Science in Quechee: Volunteers needed to assist with welcoming visitors to the Forest Canopy Walk and provide simple seasonal lessons (April to October). vinsweb.org, 802359-5000, ext. 221, or volunteers@vinsweb.org.

Veterans Affairs Medical Center in White River Junction: Interact with veterans as ambassadors or escorts. Roles include clinic aide, parking lot shuttle driver, inpatient visitor with hospitality cart, café/store aide and drive for Disabled American Veterans nonprofit. 802-295-9363, ext.

5392, or va.gov/white-river-junctionhealth-care/.

Visions For Creative Housing Solutions: Mentor adults with developmental disabilities. Assist with fundraising, landscaping, cooking or other activities in Enfield and Lebanon. 603- 632-7707 or kestes@visionsnh.org.

Visiting Nurse Association and Hospice for Vermont and New Hampshire: Visit patients in their homes, assist with administrative tasks in the office and help at special events and community wellness clinics, among other tasks. 802-478-4690, VNH_HOSVolunteer@vnhcare.org or vnhcare.org.

Volunteers in Action in Windsor: Assist residents in Mt. Ascutney Hospital & Health Center’s service area, with tasks including transportation. 802-674-5971 or mtascutneyhospital.org/careers/volunteersaction.

White River Partnership in Royalton: Collect water quality data, steward river access sites and participate in river cleanups along the White River. christian@whiteriverpartnership.org or whiteriverpartnership.org/get-involved.

Willing Hands: Recover, grow and glean food from farms, grocers, and bakeries, to reduce food waste and end hunger in our communities.

Work in the gardens, glean at local farms or help with food sorting and special pickups. volunteer@willinghands.org, 802-698-0265 or willinghands.org.

Windsor County Mentors: Mentor youth ages 6-18 through schoolor community-based activities for one to two hours each week in Windsor and Sullivan counties. Mentors screened and trained. 802-674-5101 or wcmentors.org.

Windsor Public Library: Work two hours weekly at the front desk.

Computer and people skills needed.

802-674-2556 or windsorlibrary.org/ volunteers.

WISE in Lebanon: Help end gender-based violence by volunteering on the 24/7 crisis line or providing outreach in the Upper Valley community. Training provided. 603-4485922, ext. 117 or volunteers@ wiseuv.org.

Woodstock Community Food Shelf: Help out at food pantry that is open 4-6 p.m. Monday, 1-3 p.m.

Wednesday and 10 a.m.-noon Saturday. 802-457-1185 or woodstockcommunityfoodshelf.org.

Woodstock History Center: Collections, library and archive work available. Assist at the Old Time Fair and greet visitors. Open June to October. 802-457-1822, info@woodstockhistorycenter.org or woodstockhistorycenter.org.

Valley News, Saturday, January 20, 2024

tonradio.org.

Royalton Town Band: Openings for musicians of all ages and experience. Rehearsals begin in April for the summer concert season.

MarieBlaas@gmail.com or srtownband.org.

RSVP Bone Builders exercise classes: Free training for new volunteer co-leaders through AmeriCorps Seniors program in Grafton and Sullivan counties. Must be 55+. 1-877711-7787, rsvp@gcscc.org or gcscc.org/rsvp.

SafeArt of Chelsea: Artists and instructors wanted for Healing Arts for Women programs, as well as for event and office support. 802-6853138 or safeart.org.

Safeline in Orange and Windsor counties: Community outreach, fundraising, food drives, and answering the hotline (20 hours of training provided) for a domestic and sexual violence, and anti-stalking advocacy organization. 802-685-7900, ext. 307 or safelinevt.org.

Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park in Cornish: Work in the museum shop, help out in the formal gardens and act as a docent in the historic house. 603-675-2175, ext. 100 or nps.gov/saga.

Senior Solutions of Windsor County: Visit with older adults as a Senior Companion, Vet to Vet, Friendly Visitor and other programs.

Be an in-office assistant and work on special projects. 1-802-885-2669 or seniorsolutionsvt.org.

Spark Community Center in Lebanon: Teach a class or one-time seminar and help organize or serve at a Friday Fun Night. Clean and organize art supplies and games. director@sparkcommunitycenter.org or 603-678-8619.

Sullivan County Humane Society in Claremont: Help with morning cleaning and chores, transporting, fundraising events and grant writing. Also, catsitters are needed.

603-542-3277 or sullivancountyhumanesociety.org.

Thompson Senior Center in Woodstock: Receptionists, wait staff and Meals on Wheels drivers. 802457-3277 or thompsonseniorcenter.org.

Upper Valley Aquatic Center in White River Junction: Become a fitness center greeter, swim meet helper, Splash Camp counselor or help to keep the center clean. 802296-2850, ext. 108.

Upper Valley branch of Merrimack Valley SCORE: Business mentors wanted to advise existing and startup clients. Lead workshops or help with administrative tasks. score.org/volunteer- opportunities, 603-666-7561 or info199@scorevolunteer.org.

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behind the scenes on materials, spaces and events. 802-785-4361 or thetfordlibrary.org.

Lebanon Opera House: Assist with performances by greeting patrons, ushering, hanging posters, scanning tickets and other responsibilities. 603-448-0400 or volunteer@ lebanonoperahouse.org.

Listen Community Services: Assist in the food pantry, dining hall and thrift stores in Lebanon, White River Junction and Canaan. listen.volunteerhub.com/vv2.

Lutheran World Relief Quilters in Hanover: Help create quilts that are donated to disaster victims around the world. Training and materials provided. 603-643-3703 or office@oslchanover.org.

Lyme Town Band: Openings for musicians of all ages and degrees of accomplishment.

Email thelymetownband@gmail.com.

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock: Positions are available for all ability levels and include trail ambassadors, visitor services, gardening and special events. 802-457-3368, mabi_visitorservices@nps.gov or nps.gov/mabi/getinvolved/volunteer.htm.

Mascoma Area Senior Center in Canaan: Deliver meals to homebound older adults (mileage reimbursement offered). Assist with meals and activities at the center.

603-523-4333 or gcscc.org/mascoma.

New England Healing Sports Association: Assist with a yearround adaptive sports organization to bring recreation opportunities to individuals of all ages with any disability. Training provided. Help directly with athletes, serve as office assistants, and equipment management and fundraising. 603-763-9158, info@nehsa.org or nehsa.org.

New London Hospital: Help support patient- and family-centered care through the emergency room, gift shop, recycling program and hospitality cart. Training provided. newlondonhospital.org or 603-5265133.

Orford Senior Services: Deliver meals to homebound older adults (mileage reimbursement offered).

603-353-9107 or gcscc.org/orford.

Randolph Area Food Shelf: Work in the storefront stocking shelves and interacting with shoppers; pick up food donations from local farms and stores; and help organize and support special events/initiatives.

802-431-0144, volunteer@randolphareafoodshelf.org, or randolphareafoodshelf.org.

Royalton Community Radio: Host on-air programs, provide technical support and assist at events.

802-763-2700, wfvr.org or info@royal-

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