Social Service

• The Hartford Housing Authority 
• Windsor County Partners
• Health Care & Rehabilitation of Southern Vermont
• Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)
• Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA)
• The Upper Valley Haven, Inc.
• Women's Information Services (WISE)
• The Vermont Center for Independent Living
• Vermont Adult Learning
• Visiting Nurse Alliance of Vermont and New Hampshire, Inc.
• The Family Place
• Headrest
• Bugbee Senior Center
• Advance Transit

The Hartford Housing Authority

The Hartford Housing Authority was created in 1977 by the Town Select board to address the shortage of safe, sanitary dwelling accommodations for low-income family and elderly persons at rentals they could afford. We continue to work with this issue. Although time has marched on and many things have changed, our area continues to have a shortage of affordable housing.

• Section 8 Certificate and Voucher Program
• Lead Based Paint Booklet Available
• Handbook of "Renting In Vermont"

        Terry Chesbro, Director

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Windsor County Partners

Our youth mentoring program celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. The Vermont Commission on National and Community Service recognized our milestone with a Governor's Award for Outstanding Community Service while we continued to provide at-promise youth with positive, healthy, and supportive adult role models that help improve our youth's self-esteem, direction, and leadership potential.

Last year we supported 32 mentoring partnerships for children aged 10-17 throughout Windsor County. We served 10 Hartford residents. Our corps of committed Senior Partner volunteers spent over 3,780 hours with these children, providing them with guidance, modeling of healthy behaviors, and fun and wholesome activities and opportunities.

We also sponsored 13 activities allowing all of our Partnerships to get together and share a fun and cost-free activity. Each activity contained an anti-substance abuse component and fostered a congenial and fun-filled atmosphere completely devoid of violence, alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs. Partners especially enjoyed singing holiday carols to nursing home residents, climbing at The Wall, a pool and pizza party, and our 30th anniversary celebration picnic.

Our adult volunteers initially commit to meet for about three hours each week for a year with a child of the same sex. Many mentoring relationships last three or more years. All of our services are free of charge to the volunteers, children and families we serve.

The organization is in the process of finalizing a five-year strategic plan that seeks to expand the organization to support 100 mentoring partnerships by December, 2009. We request continued support of our work to better serve more of our area's youth.

For more information or to volunteer, please contact Mary Beth Heiskell, Executive Director, at (802) 674-5101 or (800) 491-5101 or windsorcountypartners@adelphia.net.

Health Care & Rehabilitation of Southern Vermont

Our agency provided a comprehensive range of community based services to 4,424 residents of Windsor and Windham counties. The services that are available to the residents of your community are as follows:

Outpatient Mental Health Services:

The mission is to provide caring, high quality, cost-effective mental health care for our community at every level of need. Our highly trained staff of professional therapists, social workers, and psychiatrists help individuals and families cope with stress and anxiety, develop their full potential and maximize control of their lives. We make it our paramount goal to ensure that children, adolescents, and adults who come to us receive appropriate, timely care. We are now offering walk-in clinics to any resident who has an urgent need to see a mental health counselor for support and more effective coordination of services.

Alcohol & Drug Treatment Services:

For adults and family members who are adversely affected by the use of alcohol or drugs, we offer a comprehensive program of assessment, inpatient referral, outreach, outpatient treatment and aftercare dedicated to aiding the recovery from chemical dependency and its effects.

Community Rehabilitation & Treatment Program:

The CRT program provides comprehensive services to adults over the age of 18 who are suffering from a mental illness so serious that it interferes with that person's capacity to function in the community. We provide help and information to concerned family members and help clients regain stability and learn how to manage their mental illness, either in a hospital setting or as outpatients.

Community Services Division:

The CSD provides services to people with developmental disabilities and their families. Services are available to people of all ages who have been found eligible, and each person being served receives an individually written program to meet his or her needs.

The Alternatives Program:

A short-term alternative to hospitalization, the Alternatives Program provides crisis stabilization, respite and support to clients with psychiatric disabilities or to any adult experiencing an acute mental health crisis. We also provide a transitional residence for those stepping down from an inpatient setting. Our program provides a very desirable alternative to hospitalization in being less costly and less structured, while at the same time providing individualized attention in a more homelike, community based setting.

Emergency Services:

The Emergency Services Team has a very specific mission to act quickly in critical situations. Specially trained mental health professionals are available 24 hours a day for emergencies. Anyone may use this service when an emergency arises including individuals of any age, family or friends of an individual in crisis; hospitals and nursing homes; police; schools; clergy; businesses and other community agencies.

We thank the board and the citizens of Hartford for your past support and for your continued interest in Health Care & Rehabilitation Services of Southeastern Vermont.

Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

We are here to help community members of all ages connect with volunteer opportunities - whether you're looking to learn new skills, meet new people, meet school requirements, or put your time and talents to good and interesting uses while on seasonal unemployment or summer vacation. Last year, in northern Windsor County, VT and western Grafton County, NH 391 RSVP and Volunteer Center volunteers donated 49,000+ hours through 51 community agencies and municipalities!

30 RSVP & Volunteer Center volunteers from Hartford served over 2,500 hours through agencies in town by:

" Leading free, no-impact weight training classes to increase bone density (Bone Builders)

" Encouraging reading enthusiasm as part of Everybody Wins! (White River Elementary)

" Escorting patients, packaging medicines (VA Hospital)

" Helping make Glory Days! a success.

" Providing clerical support (American Red Cross, VA Hospital, VNA/VNH, and Vermont Earth Institute)

" Decreasing social isolation for frail residents (Brookside, The V.A.)

" Driving people to medical appointments (VT Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired)

" Providing telephone reassurance to elders living alone (Good Morning!)

Additionally, 15 Hartford residents served over 472 hours through other Upper Valley agencies. Plus, volunteers from New Hampshire communities donated over 547 hours through agencies located in Hartford.

Thanks to a Successful Aging Grant from the Council on Aging of Southeastern Vermont, Inc., we have funding through July 30, 2005 to reimburse senior volunteers for mileage to and from their assignments; as well volunteers of all ages with mileage if they are doing volunteer outreach to elders in Windsor County, such as musical entertainment, leading (exercise/craft/adult learning) classes, or doing friendly visiting with elders who are homebound.

Contact us about volunteering and training opportunities through RSVP & Volunteer Center and our community partners. Picture yourself clowning around as part of a troupe, or welcoming tourists to the area, or… Search for other opportunities through our online database at www.volunteersmovemountains.org or email us at rsvp@gcscc.org or call us at 603-448-1825 to set up a time to talk more about your skills and interests.

Teresa Volta, Program Director

Southeastern Vermont Community Action (SEVCA)

Southeastern Vermont Community Action is an anti-poverty, community based, nonprofit organization serving Windham and Windsor counties since 1965.

Our mission is to work collaboratively to alleviate hardships, foster sustainable self-sufficiency, strengthen our communities, and eliminate the root causes of poverty. SEVCA has a variety of programs and services to meet this end. They include: Head Start, Weatherization, Emergency Services (i.e., fuel/utility assistance, food, and shelter), Crisis Intervention, Parent Education, Micro-Business Development, Individual Development Accounts, and Thrift Stores.

In the community of Hartford we have provided the following services during FY2004:

" Weatherization: 35 homes @ 80,186

" Family Services (outreach): 487 services to 122 families

" Fuel & Utility Assistance: $14,110 in assistance

" Micro Business Development services: 3 individuals @ a cost of $824 ea.

" Individual Development Accounts: 2 individuals

" Head Start: 2 families

" Good Buy Store: thrift store providing good used clothing and furniture at affordable prices, with vouchers for those in need.

Community support, through town funding, helps to build a strong partnership. The combination of federal, state, private and town funds allow us to not only maintain, but to increase and improve service.

We thank the residents of Hartford for their support.

Stephen Geller, Executive Director

 The Upper Valley Haven, Inc.

The Upper Valley Haven, Inc., a non-profit shelter for the homeless, was open 332 days during the fiscal year of July 98/June 99. During this time we slept an average of 12 people per night. We also had to turn away an average of two requests for housing per day open. The shelter served 120 individuals which included 30 families and 66 children. The Food Shelf distributed food to 3380 individuals and families at an average of a weeks worth of food per person. This translates into approximately 70, 980 meals.

The free clothing room provided clothing to over 1000 families. The Haven educational programs aimed at getting people back to work and stabilized in housing served 138 individuals and families helping them to gain valuable skills, to grow in self-esteem and to live independently. Their needs to access entitlement programs and other emergency services decreased as they gain new skills.

Our teaching center is used by many helping organizations in the Upper Valley, their programs serving many of the same people we work with. The center averaged about two groups a day, seven days a week. The Haven was supported by over 6000 volunteer hours.

The shelter advocate program started in 1996 has continued to do well and been a tremendous support system and resource for the homeless families staying in the shelter. The program has been expanded to include an aftercare component that allows us to continue to work with families once they leave the shelter.

We have started doing special programming with the children staying in the shelter, providing a playgroup three mornings a week for the 0-5 age group, an after school program two days a week, field trips and special seasonal activities.

The Haven has sought throughout this past year to work in partnership with other organizations to help resolve or meet the needs of many of our families. These partnerships help to get agencies working together and help all concern to save money through the sharing of expenses for needed programs.

The Haven is currently researching the possibility of expansion in the near future. We would like to expand our shelter space and our educational programs as we are still in the position of having to turn away many requests for assistance.

The Board of Directors, the Director and the Staff of the Haven are deeply grateful to all the area residents who have so generously supported our efforts financially, with donations of food, clothing, their time and energy.

We are also indebted to the Town, area agencies, the police, fire department, hospitals, local clergy and their churches and businesses for their support and cooperation in our efforts to serve the Upper Valley.

If you would like to visit the Haven or have a question please contact me at 296-5995.

Mary Feeney, Shelter Director

Women's Information Services (WISE)

WISE has been serving the needs of the Upper Valley since 1971. Our Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs provide a continuum of services and supports for victims and their children with the aim of making the Upper Valley a safer place for families to live. In FY 2004, WISE provided services and supports to over 120 Hartford residents and their children. This is an increase from the 83 residents we served in 2002. We also provided many youth outreach programs on healthy relationships to Hartford middle and high school students.

WISE provides a full-range of services to the Upper Valley through its three programs: Domestic Violence Program; Sexual Violence Program; and our Community Education and Outreach Program.

Services included in our Domestic and Sexual Violence Programs include: 24-Hour Crisis Line; Medical Advocacy; Legal Advocacy; Emergency Shelter; Supportive Services; Information and Referral; Support Groups; Children's Group and Transitional Housing. Services included in our Community Education and Outreach Program includes: Youth Outreach & Schools Program; WISE Library; Tailored Community Trainings; Information Materials; PowerPoint Presentations and Public Awareness Activities.

Support from the Town of Hartford allows WISE to continue to accompany victims of violence and abuse to local court, police stations, and hospitals and provide free services. Our advocates will assist your Police Department whenever they may request our assistance. We work closely with the Hartford Police Department and state offices in White River Junction. This past year WISE collaborated with the Hartford Police Department to reconvene the Windsor County Domestic Violence Task Force. The Task Force meets monthly on topics related to domestic violence.

We want to thank the Town of Hartford for its ongoing support of our work and we look forward to working together with you to make the Upper Valley a safer place to live.

Margaret R. O'Neil, Executive Director

The Vermont Center for Independent Living

The Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL) teaches people with significant disabilities how to gain more control over their lives and how to access tools and services to live more independently. We also conduct public education and systems change activities that promote the full inclusion of disabled people into community life.

An estimated one in five Vermonters has a disability. VCIL, a private non- profit organization, is Vermont's first and only cross-disability center for independent living and the first organization in the state to be directed and staffed by a majority of people with diverse disabilities.

Statewide, from October 1, 2003 through September 30, 2004, VCIL responded to over 2,000 requests from individuals, agencies and community groups for information and referrals on a broad range of subjects related to living with a disability. We provided one-on-one peer counseling to 355 individuals to help increase their independent living skills and life opportunities; provided 401 households with financial and technical assistance for making their bathrooms and entrances accessible to a disabled family member; provided over 345 with personal assistance and/or assistive technology; provided communications equipment to 76 Deaf, hard-of-hearing or speech-impaired individuals through the Vermont Equipment Distribution Program, and delivered meals to almost 555 Vermonters through VCIL's Meals On Wheels program for Individuals Under 60 with Disabilities.

The VCIL central office is located in Montpelier with three regional offices in Bennington, Brattleboro and Burlington. The Montpelier office houses a disability resource library and the toll-free information line, through which answers to disability-related questions are provided to callers from every Vermont community. Our locally-based Peer Advocacy Counselors are available to people with disabilities in every municipality in Vermont.

During FY 2004, VCIL provided direct services to 49 residents of the Town of Hartford utilizing the following services/programs:

" Information & Referral

" Meals on Wheels (for people with disabilities under the age of 60)

" Home and Community Access Program

" Peer Advocacy Counseling Program

" Sue Williams Freedom Fund

" VT Equipment Distribution Program

To learn more about VCIL, call toll-free at 1-800-639-1522

Vermont Adult Learning

Vermont Adult Learning is an educational non-profit which serves individuals age 16 and older who are out of school and in need of basic reading, writing, and math skills, GED preparation, English as a second language, and help with specific goals such as getting a driver's permit or a commercial driver's license. Group study and classes are offered throughout the county. In addition to adult essential skills education, Vermont Adult Learning in Windsor County offers the Adult Diploma Program, basic computer skills instruction, and GED testing.

During fiscal year 2004, we served 58 residents of the Town of Hartford with 926 hours of direct instructional service. We are requesting $999 to support our services to the residents of Hartford. We thank the voters for their generous support in past years.

Anyone interested in our program may call 802-885-5502.

Kitty Stanley, Regional Manager

Visiting Nurse Alliance of Vermont and New Hampshire, Inc.

The VNA and Hospice is like the local police and fire departments - a strategic part of the community's safety net - with services that must be continuously available to anyone in need. The need varies dramatically from month to month and year to year. The VNA provides a comprehensive range of care, requisitioned by hospital staff and physicians, for everyone, regardless of ability to pay. Regardless of ability to pay, we are committed to provide care those uninsured and under-insured individuals residing in the communities we serve to access needed and medically necessary, skilled-level home-health services.

We value the continued partnership with the Town of Harford to help us meet your resident's home care, hospice and family health needs. Town funding accomplishes the following:

" Enables your family, friends and neighbors to remain independent and at home as they receive skilled clinical care during times of injury, recovery from surgery or accidents, disability, whether for short-term and chronic illness. For many such patients, many are addressing multiple medical emotional and social issues at the same time.

" Provides emotional support plus pain and symptom management during terminal illness. Hospice care extends to family members as well. More and more patients want to be at home during their end of life and through Hospice they have that control.

" Provides community-wellness programs and assistance to young families at risk. Clients range from fathers and/or mothers who want to be more effective parents through learning parenting skills or providing a balanced diet; infants and young children who have chronic illnesses requiring long-term support and care.

Visits (July 1, 2003 through June 30, 20043)

Home Care

Skilled Nursing 2,904

Physical Therapy 1,078

Speech Therapy 72

Occupational Therapy 316

Medical Social Worker 62

Home Health Aide 4,675

Homemaker 1,958

Hospice & Private Duty Visits 450

Total Visits 11,515

Hospice

Patient/Families served 24

Maternal Child Health Program

Children 45

Family Support Services

Families Served 12

Individuals Served 43

Home Visits 83

Fatherhood Program, Dads served 6

Clinic Attendees

Flu 202

Blood Pressure 378

Foot 70

On behalf of the people we serve in your community, thank you for your continued confidence.

Susan H. Larman, BSN, MBA

President and Chief Executive Officer

The Family Place

Mission: The Family Place supports the positive growth and development of all parents by offering services that encourage families to build upon their strengths.

The Family Place Parent Child Center serves 22 towns in Vermont as well as numerous NH towns in the Upper Valley. We are committed to promoting the healthy growth and development of families with children aged birth to five. Some of our programs now serve clients through the age of 17. We serve all families, because parenting is the most important role in the community. At the same time, we strive to ensure that our services are available to those families who face significant challenges.

We provide parent education, playgroups, parenting skills, and family support services through home-based and center-based programs. We know that the earlier we reach children and their families, the better the chances are for them to lead successful, healthy lives and make meaningful contributions to their communities.

Family Place Highlights In Fy2004 Include:

" Our Child Care Subsidy Program helped finance child care for 1084 individuals from area towns.

" Our Home Visiting Programs served 896 individuals over the course of the year.

" We offered 4 Playgroups in area towns. A total of 694 individuals participated in and benefited from these playgroups.

" Our Family Fun Events attracted 592 parents and children.

" Our Parent Education Program served 490 individuals with parenting information and informational workshops.

" Through the efforts of Toys for Tots and the generous donations from local organizations and individuals we were able to offer Holiday Assistance to 466 individuals.

" Our on-site Child Advocacy Center has grown in both number of families served and services offered. Children up to the age of 17 are now able to access the program and we now have an on-site therapist, qualified to treat sexual abuse victims. A total of 80 children in the Upper Valley received services this year.

" There were 326 documented telephone calls for information and referral service as well as numerous walk-ins looking for assistance. We also provide a comprehensive web site to assist individuals seeking information.

" Our lending library, consisting of more than 475 books and videos is popular with adults and children alike.

Once again, our primary goal for the upcoming year is to strengthen and financially sustain our existing programs. As part of this effort, we are continuing to work on an earned income strategy for The Family Place.

Dianne Norton, Business Manager

Headrest

To the Citizens of Hartford: We can not thank you enough for your continued support in the fight against substance abuse. The monies that you contribute are used to fund several programs that serves the residents of Hartford along with many other residents of the State of Vermont. Our Crisis Hotline, Crisis Teenline, and the National Hopeline - 1-800-Suicide are manned 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Headrest is 1 of 70 national call-in sites for 1-800-Suicide and we are accredited by the American Association of Suicideology whose headquarters are in Washington, D.C.

Last year we had received a total of 12,000+ calls on our crisis hotlines and this service is funded solely by the local Towns & Cities (like Hartford), the United Way of the Upper Valley, United Way of Sullivan County and private donations. Our crisis hotline has been in operation for 33 years, that's more than 12,000 consecutive 24 hour days of continual service to the Upper Valley.

Our records identify 187 calls were received from individual who identified themselves as Hartford residents, and based on the current trends, we would expect the calls received from the Town of Hartford resident will exceed 200.

Substance abuse has been identified as one of the leading public health issues that we are facing locally and nationally. Studies show that nationally, deaths directly related to drug use have more than doubled since the early 1980's. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found in their 1995 study that "Alcohol is a major factor in the leading causes of youth death - Accidents, Homicides and Suicide."

Once again, we thank you for your contribution and look forward to your continued support.

Michael Cryans, Executive Director

Bugbee Senior Center

The Bugbee Senior Center is a community focal point which has continuously grown over the past twenty-eight years! Presently we are able to offer the following network of comprehensive services: congregate and home delivered meals, transportation, paralegal assistance, health clinics, volunteer opportunities, information and referrals, intergenerational activities, housing assistance, primary case management, advocacy/assistance with social security, Medicare, food stamps, and fuel assistance, arts and humanities programming, recreational activities, exercise and yoga classes, health clinics, and more. Our "CRAFTS" retail outlet is a popular entity. All of our gifts are handmade by crafters over the age of 60. We are well known as a great place to purchase a gift for persons of any age.

During the past year, we provided an ever increasing amount of support helping local elders remain independent and to live in their homes longer and remain contributing members of our community. Our requests for transportation continue to increase as well as requests for home delivered meals to those homebound or convalescing. As the aging population continues to increase we will continually strive to include more successful aging activities within our programs and activities.

UNITS OF SERVICE PROVIDED DURING 2004

18,496 Congregate meals at the senior center

13,016 Home Delivered Meals

11,987 Transportation trips

28 Various health clinics

25,272 Newsletters mailed out

2,203 Client assisted with social service concerns/problems

2,434 Different persons over age 60 served

Our agency is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 to 4:30. Lunch is served promptly at noon. Visitors are always invited to join us. You may reach us at 295-9068 or contact us online at www.bugbeecenter.org. We welcome your inquiries and participation!

Kathleen W. Avery, Executive Director

Advance Transit

Advance Transit, Inc. is a bi-state regional nonprofit public transportation system headquartered in Wilder. Our services include regularly scheduled fixed route service, park-and-ride shuttles, and the Upper Valley Rideshare carpool matching service. Fare-free service is provided due to additional sponsorship from Dartmouth College, DHMC, the Town of Hanover, and the City of Lebanon. The free service has attracted many new riders. 36,961 passenger boarding's were recorded in Hartford during FY 2004, which is a 10% increase over 2003. Even more riders are expected to use Advance Transit next year as many new commercial and residential developments are being constructed on or near the bus routes.

Information on routes and schedules, as well as the Upper Valley Rideshare program, can be obtained at the Town offices and many other locations. Rider information can be obtained by phone 8-4:30 Monday through Friday. If you have internet access be sure to add www.advancetransit.com to your favorites list.

It is our pleasure to serve your transportation needs. Thank you for your continued support.

Van Chesnut

Executive Director