Charter House Coalition was founded in 2005 in response to critical food and housing needs in Addison County. Its programs have expanded quickly since then. We now have a volunteer base of over 750 community members contributing 23,000 hours of service every year.
My time at the Charter House has been one of the highlights of my Middlebury experience. The different programs they have allow for a wide range of volunteer opportunities and give volunteers the opportunity to see how different issues such as food and housing insecurity connect. This past summer I was able to work in the Charter House gardens working with community members to grow food for free community meals. During the winter I enjoy helping cook and sharing meals with those staying at the shelter that night. I always look forward to my time volunteering at the Charter because it almost always involves sitting down and sharing a meal and conversation with people. By volunteering and working with people outside of the college community I have been able to engage with issues of poverty in a way that you cannot learn in a classroom. Being able to work with people struggling with issues of homelessness and food insecurity directly, to hear their stories and to have conversation with them have been my most valuable learning experiences. There is so much Middlebury students can learn by engaging with people outside of the college community. –Kiana Cateriano ‘15.5
To learn more about volunteer opportunities, contact Kiana at acateriano@middlebury.edu or Clare Donohue-Meyer at cdonohuemeyer@middlebury.edu.