Another Chance. A Fresh Start.

Since 1986, Dismas of Vermont has provided shelter and support to people making the difficult transition from incarceration and trauma. But it does not end there. Residents find something much harder to measure: community and a sense of belonging.

Join us in our mission of reconciliation through five supportive houses across Vermont and, for residents successful in a family-style home, a growing number of step-down apartments.

Together, we can create a more just, safe, and productive Vermont.

Read Our Latest Print Newsletter (Fall 2026)

Our Programs

Dismas offers a family-like community of staff and volunteers, along with structured, supportive daily rhythms and connections with community partners.

Afterward, successful residents can either transition to other housing or choose extended support through our step-down housing program.

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Events

Join us for a speaker series, open house, or annual celebration of residents, volunteers, and partners. Or find us in the community volunteering for the benefit of others.

Join us!

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Volunteer

Founded and sustained by a dedicated, passionate group of prison volunteers, Dismas continues to benefit from the time and talents of hundreds of volunteers each year.

See how you can make a difference. One-time and repeating opportunities are available.

Volunteer

Joshua Jewett

Joshua, a Dismas alumnus, now works as a Certified Peer Support Provider and sits on the Dismas Board of Directors.

"Dismas was the first place where I felt genuinely seen and valued after years of struggling with my addiction, being in and out of homelessness, and incarceration. Walking through the doors at Dismas, I wasn’t treated like a mistake or a file number; I was treated like a person with a future worth investing in.

The routine, the shared meals, the honest conversations around the table gave me space to slow down, breathe, and rebuild myself piece by piece.”

2,311 People Served
337,719 Days of Housing
288,765 Volunteer Hours

Looking Ahead

We will continue to harness the spirit of community, acceptance, and care to meet people’s growing needs. We will continue to create and provide opportunity where there seems to be none. We will lean in where others might back away because the work feels uncomfortable, hard, or too risky.

Our Founder's Reflections

Our inspiration has always been about building community. It’s being in community that is the “secret sauce” that has held us together for forty years.

Sarah's Story

I stay sober because I want to be someone my past self would be proud of. Someone my future self can trust. I want to be present for the people who never gave up on me, even when I gave up on myself. I want to show others that recovery is not just possible, it's worth every scar, every tear, and every hard-fought step forward.

Another Chance.
A Fresh Start.

Together, we can create a more just, safe, and productive Vermont.

Find Out How

Some of the Details

What does it mean that Dismas is a certified Recovery Residence?

All five of Dismas of Vermont's family-style homes are certified as Level II Recovery Residences by the Vermont Alliance for Recovery Residences (VTARR). Dismas of Vermont's VTARR certification acknowledges that Dismas adheres to a code of ethics, provides quality services, addresses a stated need of the recovery community, and offers informed recovery and housing choices. Most importantly, it provides additional tools, resources, and opportunities for Dismas residents and the staff who support them on the journey of substance use disorder and recovery.
Who can live at a Dismas house?

The vast majority of Dismas residents are corrections-involved, but we do have community beds for people coming from other kinds of trauma, such as residential substance use treatment, domestic violence, and sexual trafficking. Residents are largely from Vermont or bordering states. With the exception of the Women's Dismas House, Dismas serves male-identified people.
How is Dismas funded?

Dismas of Vermont has contracts with both the Vermont Department of Corrections and the Vermont Department of Health. That said, this year Dismas must raise $1.5 million in other funding to sustain operations. Vermont averages $368/day to incarcerate a person, $132/night for a motel voucher, and $90-$150/night for emergency shelter. Dismas spends $95/day to house, feed, and provide supportive services to a person.

"I owe a lot of my success to Dismas. I have strived and reached goals I never thought possible."
"Dismas isn't just a home; it is a community.”
"We’re all just trying to reconnect with who we are."

"I’m not just making better decisions for myself, but also for the friends and family that I’ve lost."
"Being in community is the “secret sauce” that has held us together for forty years."
"A fresh start is not a clean slate; it’s a chance to reclaim your story."