Under Cover: Bus Shelter Project Brings Neighbors Together

At the end of last summer, Conor Teal saw a need in the community, and he put his brain to work to fill it. Off of Sykes Mountain Avenue heading into downtown White River Junction, on the corner of Walsh Avenue, kids in the Chambers Village mobile home park wait every day for the school bus to pick them up in the morning.

Teal, who works at COVER Home Repair & Store in White River Junction as the volunteer coordinator and assistant crew leader, noticed their predicament on his morning commute to work: “Adding a space for them to stay dry as they started their school day felt necessary to do,” he said. So, as an independent service project at the end of his AmeriCorps service term in August, Teal set to work to find a solution.

First, Teal asked the park owner, Toby DeBattiste, for his approval of the idea. DeBattiste was interested from the start, and he “gave me free rein to do what needed to be arranged to make it work out,” Teal said. Then, Teal checked in with the Town of Hartford to check on the feasibility of building a bus shelter in that area. “I have to give special credit to the Hartford planning department,” Teal said, “in particular, Jo-Ann Ells, for guiding me through the requirements, gathering and sending documents, and connecting me to appropriate resources and other staff.”

At first, Teal was gearing up to build the structure himself, with the help of tools and materials in the shop at COVER, but, after news of his planned project circulated within the community, Adams Carroll of Advance Transit recommended an already-built bus shelter at Yestermorrow Design School in Waitsfield, VT. “They had one built through AARP funding, but had to cancel its installation due to a siting issue,” Teal explained. “I told my idea to their executive director, Britton Rogers, who supported moving it to Chambers Park.”

Now that the shelter had been secured, all Teal had to do was arrange its pick-up and delivery, which he achieved with the help of Carriage Shed in White River Junction, and Advance Transit, who helped cover the transportation costs. “It was a smooth delivery process and placement,” Teal said. “The shelter is a striking complement to the neighborhood and a promotion of artistic design that White River Junction continues to represent.”

Since it was installed, the bus shelter has been a welcome addition to the park. Rebecca O’Connell, who has three kids, said, “It’s been a game changer.” Kathryne Severance, another Chambers Village resident and a student of COVER’s “Construction 101” course, said it’s been great to be able to wait with her child for the bus and not have to worry about standing outside in the elements. “It’s just tough to start your day in the cold or the rain,” she said.

One of Teal’s personal goals is to help make public spaces more available to people, and the bus shelter project has been a perfect example of that. “I’m glad the kids are making use of it, and really, it can become a great public hub for the residents,” he said. Besides serving as cover for those waiting to be picked up by transportation, it’s also become a place of socialization, play, and community. Since its placement, Teal has ‘modded’ the bus shelter with an indoor bench and a metal ramp donated by COVER, making it wheelchair accessible. The creativity doesn’t end there – “All kinds of additions could be made,” Teal said. A trash receptacle is next on the list, as the kids are keen to respect their new sanctuary and keep it clean. Next – Garden boxes? Chess table? The sky’s the limit.

In the fall, I was lucky enough to visit and work alongside Teal and residents of the community to install an entry step for easier access to the bus shelter. I got to see a truly inspiring display of community as parents and children worked together to help – leveling the step, holding it still to screw in, even problem solving as one helper came to the rescue with some scrap pieces of wood, and of course, testing it out to make sure it was in good working order.

At the end of the day, Teal proves that one good deed goes a long way, sparking positive change and bringing people together in the pursuit of a common goal for the greater good. So roll up your sleeves and find a need, lend a hand. You never know what might happen!

To read more about COVER Home Repair & Store’s mission and volunteer coordinator Conor Teal’s work there, check out the “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion” article on pages 6-7.