Editor’s note: This story by Bob Audette was published by the Brattleboro Reformer on Sept. 12.
[B]RATTLEBORO — It might be two weeks before residents can return to Groundworks Shelter in the wake of a dryer fire that forced the building’s evacuation.
“The timeline we have at this point is two weeks,” said Rhianna Kendrick, director of operations for Groundworks Collaborative. “With all fingers crossed, hopefully sooner.”
On Monday, just before noon, the small fire caused smoke damage at the Royal Road shelter. No one was hurt, but 18 people have been relocated to the dormitory used for a winter warming shelter on the Winston Prouty campus, the former site of the Austine School for the Deaf.
Kendrick said Groundworks staff is making the tenants as comfortable as possible.
“Housing here is a little different,” she said. “They definitely have privacy, but there’s less common space. It’s a pretty traumatic shift.”
The average tenancy at the shelter is 90 days, sometimes more and sometimes less. While at the shelter, clients meet with case managers and learn about resources in the community that can help them re-establish themselves. Kendrick said the Groundworks staff is making sure those resources are still available while the Royal Road shelter is off-limits.
“We are relocating all the pieces of the program to meet everyone’s needs at the moment,” she said.
Community members can help by volunteering to provide overnight support or by providing food for regular meals.
“We are currently serving breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Kendrick said. “At the Royal Road shelter, tenants are able to store and prepare their own food, but the Winston Prouty space doesn’t accommodate them in the same way.”
The Red Cross is providing family style meals, but will be stepping away to help others in need soon, Kendrick said. “If people are interested in dropping off meal items, the best way is to send an email to volunteer@groundworksvt.org, and we’ll get right back to you,” Kendrick said. Overnight volunteers should also use that email. Kendrick said Groundworks is airing out the Royal Road shelter and working with its insurance carrier to expedite the return of its clients.
In a press release issued Tuesday morning, Groundworks board, staff and residents thanked the Brattleboro Fire Department for its quick response, Winston Prouty for its flexibility and support and the volunteers from the American Red Cross for arriving within 15 minutes and providing lunch and support for residents throughout the transition to the temporary shelter.
Groundworks plans to compile a wish list for needed items and will post the list to the Groundworks Collaborative Facebook page over the next few days.
Groundworks Collaborative is the organization formed three years ago with the merger of the Brattleboro Area Drop-In Center and Morningside Shelter. Groundworks provides food, shelter and supportive services to families and individuals facing housing and food insecurities in the greater Brattleboro area.
