Dedicated to supporting refugees and asylum seekers through the asylum process, Supporting and Helping Asylees & Refugees (SHARe) is an all-volunteer, non-profit 501(c)3 based in Norwich, Vermont and Lyme, New Hampshire.
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Team Members
Kathy Beckett had been involved with the work of the Immigrant Support Network, an effort of United Valley Interfaith Project and the wider Upper Valley community, since 2018. She is continuing the work of close support of Upper Valley asylum seekers through SHARe. Kathy is also an organizer for the Welcoming Lebanon Ordinance. Kathy oversees support for two families.
Carolyn Gordon moved to the Upper Valley in 1990 where she enjoyed a career as a professor of mathematics at Dartmouth College. She served for two years as president of the Association for Women in Mathematics, a national organization that promotes equal opportunity for women in mathematics. She was introduced to community-organizing as a member of the United Valley Interfaith Project’s Executive Council and Immigrant Support Committee. As the granddaughter of immigrants and the proud parent of her Guatemalan-born daughter, she is delighted by the opportunity to welcome immigrants to the Upper Valley through SHARe.
Nick Krembs has lived in Norwich, VT since 1974, now a retired carpenter and home builder. Through the years he has been a dedicated volunteer in the Norwich community, supporting the scouts, service clubs, and trails. He volunteered in Annunciation House shelters hosting asylum seekers in El Paso, TX, in 2018 and 2019. During 2019, Annunciation House was receiving 2,000 people a week from Border Patrol detention centers into multiple shelters where volunteers supplied food, a bed, contact with sponsors and travel help. He is a founding member of SHARe and continues to work toward realizing SHARe’s mission.
Bill Ploog has been the coordinator of the Upper Valley Refugee Working Group, a local forum for discussing immigration issues and undertaking actions in support of immigrants. The Group raised funds and donated household items for refugees, provided financial support for families of detained immigrants and hosted educational events. He is a member of New Hampshire Drive Safe, a group advocating for driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants, and he is the Chair of the Board of Directors of SHARe. He grew up in an immigrant family outside of Chicago and has lived in the Upper Valley since 1988. He has taught politics, evaluated projects and training programs, and managed grant proposal development for several colleges, among other pursuits.
SHARe Directors and Officers
Chair: William (Bill) Ploog, Lyme, NH
Vice Chair: Nick Krembs, Norwich,VT
Secretary: Carolyn Gordon, Hanover, NH
Treasurer: Peter Haubrich, Wilder, VT
Director: Dean Seibert, Norwich, VT