CVOEO and Howard Center Celebrate New Bridges Recovery Shelter in Burlington for Neighbors Experiencing Homelessness and Substance Use Disorders
The community is invited to join Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO) and Howard Center on Monday, March 9, at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate the opening of the new Bridges Recovery Shelter, a certified recovery shelter in Burlington for people experiencing homelessness and substance use disorders who are seeking a safe, supportive environment during their recovery journey.
Located at 184 Pearl St., the new 12-bed shelter is housed in a building owned by Howard Center and operated by CVOEO. Bridges Recovery Shelter will provide a stable environment where guests can focus on their recovery through peer support, personal growth, and the development of long-term recovery skills. Shelter staff will support guests in their recovery and help them transition successfully to permanent housing.
Paul Dragon, Executive Director, CVOEO, shares, “CVOEO is proud to partner with Howard Center to advance shared solutions that strengthen the health, safety, and dignity of our community. As the first shelter of its kind in Chittenden County, Bridges represents an important evolution in CVOEO’s continuum of programs, expanding our shelter capacity while creating a recovery-centered environment where people experiencing homelessness can stabilize, heal, and thrive. This new shelter represents our community’s commitment to building a more compassionate and responsive system of support.”
Sandy McGuire, Chief Executive Officer, Howard Center, shares, “Bridges Recovery Shelter reflects what is possible when organizations align around a shared responsibility to our community. This collaboration with CVOEO strengthens how we respond to the intersecting challenges of homelessness and substance use by pairing clinical expertise with stable, recovery-centered housing. Howard Center is proud to contribute our space and clinical staff to this effort, helping ensure individuals have access to coordinated care that supports long-term stability. When we work together with purpose and clarity, we not only expand services—we make it clear to our community that help is here.”
Bridges Recovery Shelter is preparing to be a certified recovery shelter. The Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences (VTARR) certifies recovery residences based on the national standard for recovery residence. Certified recovery residences provide safe, ethical, and nurturing housing for people in recovery.
Lacey Smith, Program Director, Bridges Recovery Shelter, shares, “This new shelter strives to merge the elements necessary for people to rebuild after struggling. We are bringing services to the shelter to help people channel their purpose, while providing a comfortable environment to rest and recharge. Society often tells us to strive for balance in life; the balance of the daily grind required of us all, with the hope of opportunities to decompress and take moments of reprieve in between. When you are without shelter, life becomes one thing: the resiliency necessary to survive, while peace becomes a luxury. We look forward to offering our neighbors a place to reclaim their peace and begin again.”
The new shelter is made possible through the support and partnership of the Vermont Office of Economic Opportunity, the Vermont Department of Health – Division of Substance Use Programs, and the City of Burlington.
CVOEO and Howard Center welcome the community to the new shelter space on Monday, March 9, at 11:00 a.m. This gathering also offers an opportunity to honor the quiet, everyday successes of the individuals to be served at Bridges Recovery Shelter—and across the seven additional shelters operated or supported by CVOEO—recognizing that each step toward stability matters just as much as the larger milestones we achieve together.
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About Champlain Valley Office of Economic Opportunity (CVOEO)
As a social services organization with 13 distinct yet interconnected programs, CVOEO addresses fundamental issues of economic, social, racial, and environmental justice and works with people to achieve economic independence. Formed in 1965 to carry out the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964, CVOEO is a nonprofit organization that relies on support from various sources, including federal, state, and local governments, foundations, corporations, and individuals. With a dedicated and passionate staff of more than 300 employees, CVOEO offers a holistic and client-centered approach to serving individuals, families, and communities and provides vital support to 23,000 Vermonters every year. To learn more about CVOEO, its mission, impact, and programs, visit cvoeo.org
About Howard Center
Howard Center has a long and rich history as a trusted provider in the community. With a legacy spanning 160 years, we have been providing progressive, compassionate, high-quality care and supports to those in need. Today, we offer an array of exemplary mental health, substance use, and developmental services across the lifespan. As Vermont’s largest social service organization, our 1,300 staff help more than 19,000 people each year in over 60 locations throughout Vermont in collaboration with dozens of community partners. Howard Center’s 24/7/365 crisis service, First Call for Chittenden County, is available to meet the needs of Chittenden County children, adults, and families in crisis by calling 802-488-7777 or call 988. www.howardcenter.org. Help is here. A United Way of Northwest Vermont Funded Agency.