Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Ready
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A Dec. 7 vigil for the homeless will begin at 4:30 p.m. on the Middlebury Green by St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, followed by a dinner at church’s community hall.
VERGENNES | When you ask Elizabeth Ready, former director of the John Graham Shelter in Vergennes, about the holidays and homelessness, you might think her reaction would reflect an overwhelming sense of so much work to be done with so little done. Not so. Despite the increase in homeless around Vermont, Ready remains optimistic.
Having served as both state senator and state auditor, Ready appeared pleased to exit politics and return to Addison County where she could work and do the most good. She now serves as the shelter’s chief financial officer and fundraising director.
“I am a fifth-generation Vermonter and my father talked about the work farms here,” Ready said. “Homelessness has been a part of our state, perhaps not always so visible or as much discussed as today.”
Ready said that there are no loafers at the Vergennes shelter. The staff works hard to help able adults who need their services to find employment. It may not always be full-time or well-paid employment, but it’s a start to get people back on their own feet.
“Nearly all parents (here) are working, but wages are low and the cost of rent is high. The vacancy rate here in Addison County hovers around 1%. So, to afford an average two-bedroom apartment… with rent at $1,009, a person would need to earn $19.35 an hour and work 40 hours a week bringing home $40,240. That’s according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition who does an annual study on housing wages.”
John Graham has served homeless families in Addison County for 40 years, but during that time, the gap between rich and poor has widened.
“The richest 5% of Vermont households have average incomes 9.6 times as large as the bottom 20% of households and 3.7 times as large as the middle 20% of households,” according to Ready. "We are literally pulling apart…”
Ready said the need for homeless services has changed in recent decades.
“Back in 1980 people who faced homelessness were single people who perhaps had lost a job or run into some bad luck,” she said. “Today we see many more families with children who are homeless. At John Graham, we have five houses, all filled with families with children. The need for services is much greater.”
John Graham helps people move from temporary shelter to stable housing.
“But we also help them deal with underlying issues that may cause homelessness,” Ready stressed. “Some people are fleeing violence, or face chronic physical or mental health conditions. Others struggle with addictions and may be in recovery. Many children grapple with adverse childhood events which can scar them with trauma difficult to overcome. Our trained service coordinators help people get permanent housing and then stick with them to help them get or keep a job, work to resolve health and mental health issues, or finish their education.”
Ready and the shelter staff credit local churches for their help as well.
“I hesitate to mention any one Addison County church because they all do such wonderful things to help the homeless and they work with us,” she said.
Ready is upbeat about John Graham’s annual candlelight vigil and sleep out. The event will be held on Saturday, Dec. 7, in downtown Middlebury. The event is kind of a “camp meeting” to increase awareness about local homelessness. The vigil includes hot drinks, sharing, and lots of tents.
“On Dec. 7 a group of hearty souls will sleep out above the Middlebury Falls in downtown Middlebury,” she said. “We hope many will come out for the vigil on the Middlebury Town Green beginning at 4:30 p.m. and there’s a dinner to follow at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church Parish Hall. Some community members will be sleeping out for the 6th year in a row.”
According to Ready, during last year’s vigil, snow fell throughout the night and attendees woke up covered in several inches of cold, wet snow. Other years, low wind chills made tenting a challenge.
“For us it was just a single night,” Ready said. “Each person shares the uncertainty and fear that homeless neighbors often feel: not having a safe place to stay, a door that shuts and locks, a place to go after work or school, a private place of one’s own. It’s amazing how much dread you can feel on a cold, dark night. But in the morning we warm up around the fire, share some coffee, and know throughout the coming year many of our neighbors will get safe housing because we spent a cold night by the falls.” ■
