The Upper Valley Haven
Be Kind. Be Thoughtful. Be Helpful.
Haven Stories
Staff & Board
Sara DeMont
Board Member | Hartland, Vermont
When Sara DeMont began volunteering at The Haven five years ago after retiring from teaching at the Ray School in Hanover, NH, her mission, as she recalls, was to help other people. What Sara quickly realized was that the balance between giving and getting in her volunteer work is blurry. “I can’t imagine not having The Haven as part of my life.”
Sara has served on The Haven Board of Directors for three years, and is currently chair of the task force working to secure a site for a new Haven Shelter for single adults. She volunteers at the Food Shelf every Thursday morning. Through this work, Sara has had many heartfelt interactions with visitors, including a time when tears streamed down an elderly mans’ face after she helped him bring his groceries to his car. “It was his way of saying thank you. He doesn’t know what he did for me that day.”
“I can’t imagine not having The Haven as part of my life.”
Sara says that there is “an energy that echoes within the walls of The Haven. The staff and volunteers accept people where they are in their life and help them move forward. It is an energy of passion, responsibility, safety, a feeling of tension leaving as guests find comfort here.”