The Upper Valley Haven
Be Kind. Be Thoughtful. Be Helpful.
History of The Haven
The Upper Valley Haven was founded in 1980 by five individuals who were clergy and parishioners of St. Paul’s and St. James’ Episcopal Churches in White River Junction and Woodstock, respectively. They saw that the old farmhouse located adjacent to St. Paul’s was for sale, and wanted to turn the run-down, neglected building into a place that could be used as a temporary shelter for the homeless.
Over the next year, the founding group met weekly to pray and discuss their ideas for The Haven. Wanting to be an ecumenical organization, they started to involve members from other churches, including the Methodist, Congregational, and Catholic churches. And on December 14, 1981, The Haven opened its doors to its first guest family, ironically the “Bishops.”
Because of the vision of these founders, over 700 families have been helped by The Haven during their crisis of homelessness. Now The Haven is run by all different types of people who come from a variety of backgrounds. Over the years, our programs have grown dramatically to meet the needs of the Upper Valley community. A Food Shelf and Clothing Room were added in 1983, and educational programming was added in 1989. In 1983, the food shelf served 327 families per year. Now, the Food Shelf serves more families than that every month.
The Haven moved into its new building on Hartford Avenue in White River Junction in May 2004. In addition to doubling the capacity of its shelter to eight families, it also enabled The Haven to provide its other services more efficiently and abundantly. The Haven is currently in the planning stages to build a new shelter for single adults unaccompanied by children. Learn more about the shelter.