Author: Aaron Retherford

If you’d like to learn more about homesharing, it’s best to hear directly from our hosts and guests. Our latest video features three of our matches talking about their homesharing experiences. Here’s where you can watch the video.

Congratulations to the winners of the 2025 HomeShare Vermont Experience Vermont Raffle 

We held the live raffle drawing at Media Works on Thursday, April 17 at the Media Factory and here is the list of our lucky winners:

Two-night stay at Blind Tiger Burlington – Suzanne Lourie, Charlotte, VT
Two-night stay at Middlebury Inn – Angelica McLennan, Shelburne, VT
Two-night stay at North Hero House – Elizabeth Sengle, Hinesburg, VT
Two-night stay at Bristol Suites – Mary McKearin, Burlington, VT
Two-night stay at Millstone Hill in Barre and a gift certificate to the Barre Opera House – Madigan Rollins, North Ferrisburgh, VT
An overnight stay at Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee – Bill Driscoll, West Haven, CT
Experience Montpelier Package: Gift certificates to Sarducci’s Restaurant & Bar, Woodbury Mountain Toys, Bear Pond Books of Montpelier and Lost Nation Theater and a Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Caledonia Spirits/Barr Hill Gin – Peter Cameron, Essex, VT
UVM Athletics Package: Four tickets each to UVM Men’s Basketball, Women’s Basketball and Men’s Ice Hockey and a gift certificate to Bluebird Barbecue – Nammu Reddy, South Duxbury, VT
Burlington Night Out Package: Tickets to an upcoming show at the Flynn Theater and a gift certificate to Honey Road/Grey Jay – Adrienne Hoffman, Duxbury, VT
Solo Marathon Package: A solo entry in the 2025 M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon, a gift certificate to Savu and two E-Bike rentals from Local Motion – Kaki Hutchinson, St. Albans, VT
Team Marathon Package: A team entry in the 2025 M&T Bank Vermont City Marathon and a gift certificate to Pascolo Ristorante – Catherine Goldsmith, HInesburg, VT
Fun in the NEK Package: Family Membership to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center and a gift certificate to The Cork & Fork, Hardwick – Sheila Page, Natick, MA

Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket and to our outstanding sponsors:

Shirley and Beth have been homesharing for around three years and really put the fun into their match, including hopping into Petunia (Shirley’s 2006 yellow VW Beetle) to play Bingo every Monday night. They were the subject of a recent piece on Vermont Public by Erica Heilman. You can listen to their story here.

We held the drawing for the 2024 HomeShare Vermont Staycation/Vacation Raffle on Thursday, April 18. The livestream was hosted and produced by Media Factory.

Here is the list of winners of our 13 fantastic prizes:

• Two nights at The Pitcher Inn in Warren – Denise Olsky, South Burlington
• Two nights at the Middlebury Inn – Keith and Penelope Pillsbury, Burlington
• Two nights at the Woodstock Inn & Resort – Christine Curtis and Clyde Stats, Burlington
• Two nights at North Hero House – Greg MacDonald and Wendy Soliday, East Montpelier
• An overnight stay at the Lake Morey Resort in Fairlee – Mary Hanrahan, New York, NY
• $250 Amtrak gift certificate and a Burton suitcase – Amey Ryan, Middlebury
• Round for four and cart at Burlington Country Club – John Pane and Elizabeth Bassett, Charlotte
• Basin Harbor Cruise for up to 48 people aboard The Escape – Faye Longo, South Royalton
• Garden Lover’s Package: Two gardening books by master gardener Charlie Nardozzi, a $100 Gardener’s Supply gift certificate, $250 Runamok Maple gift certificate, gardener’s apron and a $30 Element Nail Salon gift certificate and Spa Kit – Elizabeth Anthony, South Burlington
• Stay Warm Winter Package: A $250 gift certificate to Homeport, a Vermont-made Stave Puzzle, a Johnson Woolen Mills blanket and a plush sheep – Sarah Carpenter, Burlington
• Game Night Package: Four tickets each to UVM Women’s and Men’s Ice Hockey and Women’s and Men’s Basketball, a UVM Basketball Jersey and a $250 Citizen Cider gift certificate – Kathy Gundy, Mohnton, PA
• Pamper Me Package: $100 It’s My Day Spa services gift certificate, a $100 gift certificate for A Single Pebble, a Johnson Woolen Mills blanket and passes to the Shelburne Museum – Allan Hunt and Susi Taylor, Burlington

And thanks to our wonderful sponsors who made it all possible:

Glenn Jarrett and Judy Barber

Homeshare Vermont has a new executive director. After an exhaustive search, Connor Timmons joined the nonprofit on Sept. 5. He succeeds Kirby Dunn, who retired after serving as executive director for 23 years.

Timmons has experience working with children, young adults and families, through the Common Ground Center in Starksboro and the YMCA in his native Montreal.

His two decades of organizational leadership and collaborative management — plus his passion for building intergenerational connections for the betterment of communities — position him to take HomeShare Vermont to new heights.

Timmons looks forward to expanding on HomeShare Vermont’s innovative and holistic approach to mutual aid. HomeShare, he said, is actively making the fabric of Vermont’s communities stronger, one match at a time, and he’s thrilled to be part of it.

“Homesharing is an example of a Vermont value; we pull our neighbors out of ditches, we welcome new neighbors with apple pie; we lend a hand when folks need support. This way of living, of homesharing, has been embraced by this state for the past 40 years,” Timmons said. “It is truly an honor to be picking up where Kirby Dunn left off. I speak for the thousands of people whose lives HomeShare has impacted when I say that we are in Kirby’s debt.”

You can watch Kirby’s interview with Stewart Ledbetter by clicking here.

If you haven’t watched the Raffle Drawing at Media Factory, you can click here to see it.

Click here to read the recent Shelburne News article on HomeShare Vermont written by reporter Liberty Darr featuring HomeShare staff volunteer Cathy Bergeron. 

Click here to enjoy this year’s HomeShare Vermont Staycation/Vacation Raffle drawing on our YouTube Channel.

Here are the great prizes that we drew for:

• 2 night stay at Middlebury Inn, Middlebury
• 2 night stay at North Hero House
• 2 night stay at The Pitcher Inn, Warren
• 2 night stay at the Woodstock Inn & Resort
• 1 night stay at Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee
• $250 Amtrak gift certificate and a Burton suitcase
• Round of golf for 4 and cart at Burlington Country Club
• Basin Harbor cruise for up to 48 people aboard The Escape
• Garden Lover’s Package: Two gardening books by master gardener Charlie Nardozzi, a $100 Gardener’s Supply gift certificate, a $250 Run Amok Maple gift certificate, a gardener’s apron and a $30 Element Nail Salon gift certificate and Spa Kit
• Stay Warm Winter Package: A Vermont-made Stave Puzzle, a Johnson Woolen Mills blanket and a $250 Homeport gift certificate
• Game Night Package: Four tickets each to UVM Women’s and Men’s Ice Hockey and Women’s and Men’s Basketball, a UVM Basketball Jersey and a $250 Citizen Cider gift certificate
• Pamper Me Package: A $100 “It’s My Day” Spa and Salon services gift certificate, a $100 gift certificate for A Single Pebble, a Johnson Woolen Mills blanket and passes to Shelburne Museum

Thanks to the Media Factory for producing and streaming the drawing live.

Many thanks to our generous Sponsors for making this raffle possible!