Role of the Volunteer at Dismas

     Rutland Dismas House could not exist with out volunteers. Founded and sustained by a dedicated and enthusiastic group of individuals committed to providing a positive alternative living situation for newly released prisoners, Dismas House has continued to benefit from the time and talents of hundreds of Vermont residents.

     The daily presence of volunteers in the house is a living link between the residents and the greater community from which they have been separated. Through volunteers, their interest, encouragement, and acceptance, come affirmation, reconciliation and reintegration of residents within our community.

     The ways in which this is achieved are as varied as the volunteers them selves. Love and care are expressed through homemade meals prepared and served Monday through Friday, in painting parties, landscaping efforts, and donated construction materials. Residents, staff, and volunteers work side by side at numerous annual fund raisers: welcoming guests to the Sister Bea Memorial Dinner; and husking corn for the Chew-Chew Food fest are but a few. Other lend professional expertise such as legal advice to policymaking, computer programming skills to organize mailing lists and other information, vocational counseling to direct job-hunting efforts, or grant writing experience to attract much needed funding.

     But above all, Dismas volunteers are friends: friends who believe in the worth each individual, who support the belief through their faithful presence in the house and who share the Dismas mission with others in the community beyond.

     Dismas volunteers are people like you!