BRATTLEBORO — Morningside Shelter has appointed a new interim director, Josh Davis, to replace outgoing executive director Paul Capcara, who left for a position at the Brattleboro Retreat.
Davis started working at the shelter on March 9, and Capcara worked with him for a few weeks prior to his departure date.
Morningside board president Elizabeth “Biz” Dana said, “We've hired Josh Davis, [and] the best thing about this transition is everybody is a winner. There are no hard feelings. It's wonderful for Paul, wonderful for Josh.”
Dana said Capcara's move “kind of evolved. Paul and the board would meet every week. We were aware he wanted to work a couple of weekends at the Brattleboro Retreat, and we said absolutely, on weekends, as long as it doesn't interfere with your position with us.”
“We knew he wanted to work with the children at the Retreat,” Dana said. “When they started taking in Waterbury patients [from the Vermont State Hospital after Tropical Storm Irene flooded the facility], they spotted him as having much more potential than just a per-diem [registered nurse]. At about the same time, they realized they needed a manager.”
She said that Davis first “volunteered, then became an AmeriCorps volunteer” as well as a case worker at Morningside Shelter before moving on to other volunteer opportunities.
Davis did not return phone calls from The Commons last week.
Dana said that the shelter is financially “doing really well - unfortunately. We'd love to be the first [nonprofit] in Brattleboro to go out of business.”
That won't be happening anytime soon.
Dana said that shelter has a waiting list, and that it's mostly families.
“Both parents are working in many cases,” she said. “It's not the stereotypical guy drinking who can't get a job. It's mainly people who chose to get married in their 20s and have families, but his job and her job aren't enough money [to live and pay the bills].”
Dana described a program called the “master lease” program, which allows the shelter to work with landlords by holding the lease and helping with move-in costs, which is the first obstacle for many young families just starting out and in need of housing.
Dana said the program helps establish good references for young families who have not yet established credit or good references.
“We hold the lease and if they need it, help with their first month's rent, and follow up to make sure they get the services they need to get on their feet,” she said.
Dana said the program is just getting started and “the board just okayed some money [for the program] from our coffers. The dream is to have a master lease program for families.”
The shelter had a successful fundraising effort at the Harris Hill Ski Jump, and Dana said other regular fundraisers, such as the Hike for the Homeless, held on Columbus Day weekend, continue.