05/13/2026
All Souls Volunteer Spotlight: Sandy Haddock
By Sandy Haddock
A dear friend, Carol Taggart, introduced me to All Souls Interfaith around 15 years ago. Carol saw that I needed something and I didn’t know what it was. She gave me a gentle push. This invitation drew me in to the All Souls philosophy of finding inner peace, having respect for all faiths, and living in harmony with our precious Earth. All Souls is a welcoming, comfortable place that nurtures whatever spiritual step you are developing on your journey.
I had left my local church upbringing when my mother died of breast cancer in 1981. I was a young mother raising three children, teaching special education full-time and helping with my husband's Shelburne family business, Gardenside Nurseries. I was struggling with my loss, and had no time to figure out what I needed.
Meeting Pastor Mary Abele through the Music & Spirit service was the beginning of my personal journey at All Souls Interfaith Gathering. Her counseling helped me through several family traumas. I also was searching for a volunteer task for community outreach to support others in need.
Thanks to the loving leadership of Pastor Don, All Souls Interfaith is filling a void in my life – supplying life strategies, expanding my connections with other members, and participating in community outreach. I continue to explore where I am along my spiritual journey. Rev. Kim Marie has also kindly supported me over the years.
I have participated in one of All Souls community outreach projects – preparing food for the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS) -- for about 12 years. This involves making sandwiches twice a month for the unhoused. We deliver the food to the COTS day site in Burlington.
Volunteering on the COTS Team is very rewarding. I’m a caregiver and do a lot to help other people. I guess that’s always been a part of me. I feel good coordinating the COTS Team and working with all the volunteers. When I retired from teaching elementary and special education students in Bristol for 37 years, I missed the students and joined a mentoring program in Shelburne called Everybody Wins. Whether it’s volunteering for COTS or serving in the mentoring program, I’m a good negotiator and work to make all people comfortable.
If you’re interested in giving back to the community, I am the contact person to organize new volunteers for the COTS Team. We meet twice a month at the Shelburne Commons location from September to May. Let me know if you’re interested!
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One of a series of stories about the volunteers of All Souls Interfaith Gathering and how their service brings deep personal meaning while serving others. We thank all of our volunteers who help make All Souls a place of meaningful spirituality and connection with others.
