The Dodge House VT

10/13/2026

🏠🇺🇸 WITH EVERY SUCCESS STORY COMES ANOTHER STORY OF HOPE. ❤️

One of the most rewarding parts of what we do at The Dodge House is watching a veteran reach the point where they're ready to move into permanent housing.

They pack their belongings, turn in their keys, and move on to the next chapter of their lives.

And then?

We get ready to welcome someone new. ❤️

When a new resident is preparing to arrive at The Dodge House, there is a little routine I go through.

A laundry basket gets filled with everyday essentials. Fresh sheets, a blanket, a pillow, and towels are gathered. The room is cleaned the bed is prepared, and everything is made ready foe the next person who will call this place home.

They're simple things.

Things many of us probably don't think twice about having in our own homes.

But when someone is coming to us after experiencing homelessness, having a clean bed, fresh linens, and some basic necessities waiting for them can mean a lot.

It's one less thing they have to worry about.

One less thing they have to figure out.

And hopefully, one small way of letting them know they are welcome here.

Of course, preparing a room is only the beginning.

Once they're settled, the real work begins. We start talking about goals, identifying barriers, connecting with resources, and figuring out what needs to happen to get them into permanent housing.

Because the goal has never been for our veterans to stay at The Dodge House forever.

The goal is for them to leave here with stability, resources, and confidence to move forward independently.

And when one veteran moves on, we have the opportunity to open the door for another.

So today, I'm gathering sheets, folding towels, filling a laundry basket, and getting a room ready.

Nothing particularly exciting.

Just another ordinary day behind the scenes at The Dodge House.

But for the veteran who will be walking through our doors, it could be the beginning of something extraordinary. 🔑❤️🇺🇸

10/04/2026

🦌 HE BOUGHT HUNTING GEAR...

You bought a gala ticket.

We're calling it even. 😂

Opening weekend of hunting season is coming, and while plenty of people will be heading into the woods...

We're giving the rest of you a pretty good reason to make plans of your own. 😉

✨ Text the group chat.
👗 Put on something you feel good in.
🥂 Grab your girlfriends.
🚗 Leave the hunters to their very early alarms.

And come spend Friday night with us at the 1st Annual Keys to Hope Gala benefiting The Dodge House! 🔑🇺🇸

For $50, your ticket gets you an entire evening out:

🍴 Heavy hors d'oeuvres included with admission
🎶 Music & entertainment
🎁 A silent auction packed with some INCREDIBLE items
💰 50/50 raffle
🎤 Keynote Speaker J.T. Dodge
🍸 Cash bar
❤️ And a night spent supporting Vermont veterans experiencing homelessness

And ladies...

Have you seen some of the silent auction items we've already started revealing? 👀

We're talking getaways, experiences, gift cards and plenty more that we haven't even shown you yet.

So while someone else is comparing trail cameras, tree stands and whatever else apparently requires another trip to the sporting goods store...

you could be bidding on a weekend getaway. 😂

Bring your best friend.

Bring your sister.

Bring your coworkers.

Bring the women you've been saying “we seriously need to get together” to for the last six months.

Or make it a date night—because the men who aren't disappearing into the woods are absolutely welcome too. 😂

📅 Friday, November 13, 2026
🕕 6:00–10:00 PM
📍 Rutland Elks Lodge
🎟️ $50 per person
👗 Business casual

And the best part?

While you're having a great night out, you're helping The Dodge House continue providing transitional housing and support to veterans working toward permanent housing and stability.

Good friends. A great night. An even better reason to go out. ❤️🇺🇸

🔑 Get your Keys to Hope tickets here:

https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/keys-to-hope-gala

Now send this to the group chat.

Hunting weekend plans: handled. 🦌💃🔑

10/02/2026

👀 SILENT AUCTION SNEAK PEEK!
We're back with another item you'll have the chance to bid on at our Keys to Hope Gala! 🔑

🍞 $150 King Arthur Baking Gift Card

Whether you're stocking up on baking essentials, treating yourself to something delicious, or shopping for the baker in your life, this one has plenty of possibilities.
And yes...we fully expect some competition for this one. 😉

🎁 Value: $150

A huge thank you to King Arthur Baking Company for supporting The Dodge House and the veterans we serve. 🇺🇸

Want the chance to take this one home?
You've got to be in the room.

🎟️ Keys to Hope Gala tickets are $50 per person
📅 Friday, November 13, 2026
📍 Rutland Elks Lodge
🕕 6–9 PM

Tickets:
Purchase Keys to Hope Gala tickets: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/keys-to-hope-gala

And this is only Silent Auction Sneak Peek #2. We have plenty more to show you. 👀🔑

10/01/2026

🇺🇸 THE 1ST OF THE MONTH AT THE DODGE HOUSE

The first of the month means one thing around here:

It's BIG restock day. 🛒

This isn't our regular weekly grocery trip. On the first, I make two stops and stock up on some of the things that keep both sides of The Dodge House running.

Today's first stop was Price Chopper.

I shop separately for our men's and women's sides as much as possible, using the lists they've given me and keeping track of what each side of the house needs.

And apparently everyone needed water this time. 😂

So much water, in fact, that we needed an entire second cart just for cases of it.

Then it was on to Walmart for some of the less exciting — but very necessary — parts of running a home:

Paper towels.
Toilet paper.
Trash bags.
Cleaning supplies.

And somewhere in the middle of all of that, there are the little things that make this feel less like running a "program" and more like running a home.

Like hunting down blueberry waffles because the guys asked for them...

and finding the very last box. 😂🙌

Today's first-of-the-month restock came to:

🛒 Price Chopper: $247.21
🧻 Walmart: $84.02
🇺🇸 Total: $331.23

And this is just one piece of what it takes to operate The Dodge House.

When people support us, their dollars don't only fund the big things.

Sometimes support looks like helping a veteran navigate benefits or apply for permanent housing.

Sometimes it helps keep the lights on and the heat running.

And sometimes?

It looks like milk, eggs, bread, toilet paper, clean laundry, bottled water...and the last box of blueberry waffles.

Because while our residents are working toward permanent housing, The Dodge House is home.

And these wonderfully ordinary things are part of what makes a house feel like one. ❤️🇺🇸

09/30/2026

👀 SILENT AUCTION SNEAK PEEK!

We told you there would be a silent auction at the Keys to Hope Gala...
Now we're ready to start showing you what's waiting. 🔑

🏨 One-Night Midweek Stay at the Woodstock Inn & Resort

This incredible package includes:
✨ A one-night midweek stay for two
🍳 Breakfast for two
💰 Value: $500

And this is only one of the items you'll have the opportunity to bid on November 13.

Want a chance to take this one home?
You've got to be in the room. 😉
🎟️ Gala tickets are $50:

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/keys-to-hope-gala

A huge thank you to the Woodstock Inn & Resort for supporting The Dodge House and the veterans we serve.

09/29/2026

💎 DIAMOND SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT 💎

The Dodge House is incredibly grateful to recognize American Legion Post 31 as a Diamond Sponsor of our 1st Annual Keys to Hope Gala with an extraordinary $5,000 sponsorship.

When organizations step forward at this level, they aren't simply sponsoring an event.
They are investing in our mission and helping The Dodge House continue providing transitional housing and support to veterans experiencing homelessness.

We are grateful to American Legion Post 31 for standing behind the veterans we serve and for helping us build our very first Keys to Hope Gala.

Thank you, Post 31. 🇺🇸

🔑 Join us November 13 at the Rutland Elks Lodge.

🎟️ Tickets: $50 per person
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/keys-to-hope-gala

09/28/2026

🇺🇸 MONDAYS AT THE DODGE HOUSE!!

For our male residents, Monday is **Resident Meeting Day**.

Each residents has an individual, private meeting with me, with up to an hour set aside specifically for them.

When a veteran first arrives at The Dodge House, one of our initial meetinfs is about getting settled.

**How are things going?

**Do you have questions or concerns?

**What brought them to this point?

And, most importantly:
**Where do they want to go from here?

Together, we begin identifying the goals that help move them toward permanent housing and greater stability.

After that, our resident meetings become regular opportunities to check in on those goals.

🔑 What have you accomplished since we last met?

🔑 What are you currently working on?

🔑 Are you stuck somewhere?

🔑 Is there something you need help navigating?

🔑 Does a goal need to change because circumstances have changed?

Sometimes progress means accomplishing something big.

Sometimes it means figuring out why something isn't working and finding another way forward.

And, sometimes, a resident simply needs a private place to talk about somwthing happening in the house or a personal struggle they're trying to work through.

**That is why these meetings matter.**

The Dodge House provides transitional housing -- but transitional housing is about more than having a roof overhead.

It's about having a safe and stable place to work toward the next goal:

🔑 Permanent Housing 🔑

Today, like most Mondays, part of my day will be spent sitting down one-on-one eith our male residents, checking in on where they've been, where they are now, and what comes next.

It's one of the quieter parts of what happens behind the doors of The Dodge House.

But it's an important one. 🇺🇸

09/26/2026

🔑 **WHY KEYS TO HOPE?**

When we began planning our first major fundraising event, we knew we wanted it to represent more than one evening.

We wanted it to represent **what happens after a veteran walks through the doors of The Dodge House.**

For a veteran experiencing homelessness, getting inside is only the beginning.

The goal is stability.

It is having a safe place to sleep while figuring out what comes next. It is working through the barriers that led to homelessness. It is connecting with resources, rebuilding income, addressing needs, applying for housing, and beginning to believe that permanent housing is possible again.

And eventually, it is something beautifully ordinary:

**A key.**

A key to an apartment.

A key to a home.

A key to a place that is theirs.

That is why we chose the name **Keys to Hope.** 🔑

The Dodge House provides transitional housing and support to veterans experiencing homelessness, but our ultimate goal isn't simply to provide a bed.

**Our goal is to help veterans reach the point where they no longer need us.**

Where they can turn a key in their own door and begin their next chapter.

On November 13, our community will come together for the **1st Annual Keys to Hope Gala** at the Rutland Elks Lodge.

This is our first major fundraising event, and every person who attends becomes part of helping us continue this work.

🎟️ Tickets are **$50 per person** and include heavy hors d'oeuvres.

The evening will also feature:

🔑 Keynote Speaker J.T. Dodge
🎁 Silent Auction
💰 50/50 Raffle
🎶 Music & Entertainment
🍸 Cash Bar

We hope you'll join us.

Because sometimes hope looks like support.

Sometimes it looks like stability.

And sometimes...

**it looks like a key.** 🔑

🎟️ **Purchase your Keys to Hope Gala tickets here:**
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/keys-to-hope-gala

📅 Friday, November 13, 2026
📍 Rutland Elks Lodge

Please share this post and help us spread the word. 🇺🇸

09/24/2026

🎟️ **TICKETS ARE OFFICIALLY LIVE!** 🔑✨

We are excited to announce that tickets are now available for **The Dodge House 1st Annual Keys to Hope Gala!**

📅 **Friday, November 13, 2026**
📍 **Rutland Elks Lodge**
🎟️ **$50 per person**

Join us for an evening dedicated to supporting The Dodge House and the veterans we serve.

✨ **The evening will feature:**

🔑 Keynote Speaker **J.T. Dodge**
🍽️ Heavy hors d'oeuvres included with admission
🎶 Music & entertainment
🎁 Silent auction
💰 50/50 raffle
🍸 Cash bar

**Purchase your tickets online here:**
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/keys-to-hope-gala

This is The Dodge House's **first major fundraising event**, and we would love to fill the room with members of our community who believe in supporting veterans as they work toward housing, stability, and new beginnings.

Every ticket purchased helps support the work we do for veterans experiencing homelessness right here in our community.

Whether you're joining us with friends, coworkers, family, or colleagues, we hope you'll spend the evening with us.

🔑 **Unlocking the door to housing, stability, and new beginnings for homeless veterans.**

🎟️ **Tickets are available now:**
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/keys-to-hope-gala

Please help us spread the word by **sharing this post!**

Join The Dodge House for our 1st Annual Keys to Hope Gala on Friday, November 13, 2026, at the Rutland Elks Lodge.The Keys to Hope Gala brings our community…

09/24/2026

🛒 It's Grocery Day at the Dodge House!

This morning was one of our regular grocery runs for the house, and looking at this cart, I thought it was worth sharing a little glimpse into the everyday life here at the Dodge House.

When people hear The Dodge House, they may think about transitional housing, homelessness, case management, or veterans' services.

But, sometimes, what we do looks a lot more ordinary than that.

It looks like a grocery cart.

It looks like making sure there's milk in the refrigerator, something for breakfast in the morning, food to pack for lunch, and ingredients to make dinner.

It looks like residents deciding what sounds good this week, figuring out what we already have at the house, and making sure there are options everyone can eat.

Because The Dodge House is not just a program!

For the veterans who live here, this is home while they work toward what comes next.

And home includes all of the wonderfully ordinary things the rest of us do every single day -- grocery shopping, cooking, dinner, arguing over who finished something and didn't put it on the grocery list.

There is a lot of serious work that happens between these four walls. Housing applications. Appointments. Benefits. Employment. Care management. Goal setting. Preparing for independent living.

But, there is also breakfast. A hot cup of coffee. Conversation around the kitchen table. Laughter. Community.

This is just a small piece of life at The Dodge House!

So, what is in your cart today?