The Upper Valley Haven
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Haven Stories
Former Shelter Guests
Sergio and his two sons
Sergio Colon
When Hurricane Charlie swept through the town of Port Chartlotte, Florida in August 2005, Sergio Colon felt its impact. “The whole community was destroyed.” The roof of the building where Sergio worked with handicapped adults was ripped off from the high winds, leaving Sergio, a husband and father of two, temporarily unemployed. But the real blow came four months later, in December, when his wife suddenly left the family. “There was so much that I didn’t expect.”
The couple was in the process of closing on the purchase of a house. Sergio had already purchased his text books for his spring semester courses at the University of Southern Florida, where he was studying psychology. Though Sergio was making decent money as a hair stylist, he struggled to make ends meet. A diabetic, there were some days when Sergio skipped meals so that he was sure his boys, then 6 and 8, could eat. Sergio reached out to local social services, but felt there was not a lot of assistance for single fathers. “You could go to what they said was a food shelf, but that would mean six cans of mixed vegetables.”
When his good friend said he was moving north to Vermont, Sergio thought that sounded like a good change for his family. He says he witnessed a social decline in his community after the hurricane, and wanted something better for his sons. With some money saved, he secured a rental apartment in the Upper Valley and made the trip north. But when he arrived, the landlord told him the apartment complex he was supposed to move into had been sold.
He and his sons stayed with Sergio’s friend for two months while they searched for another apartment, but the upfront cost of the first month’s rent and security deposit was more than what Sergio had expected. They moved into The Haven shelter last fall when a room opened up. Sergio and his family lived at The Haven for three months before finding a house in White River Junction to rent. “The Haven takes that burden of insecurity off your shoulders, so that you can gather yourself.” His elder son continues to come to The Haven Homework Club four days after school. But as a single parent, Sergio says he still struggles, stating child care for his younger son as his biggest barrier. He is looking for a job in human services, because as he says, “I know the heartache. I know how to provide support.”