Via Community News Service, a University of Vermont journalism internship, for the Other Paper
Living alone as an elderly or disabled person can feel isolating. But thanks to an effort run by the South Burlington Police Department, life can be a little less lonely.
For more than two decades, Project Good Morning has provided a daily check-in for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. It consists of participants calling the police department between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. daily. If they don’t reach out by the assigned time, police dispatchers will call them. If no one answers, an officer will go to the person’s home and even force open the door if needed.
Project Good Morning was started by Wolfeboro, New Hampshire’s Police Department more than 20 years ago after three senior citizens who lived alone died at home over a two-month period. The program has since been replicated in Vermont, including the South Burlington and Middlebury police departments. It was designed to give senior and disabled citizens extra support while still letting them live independently.
Michele Shepard has been a police dispatcher in South Burlington since 2012 and took over as a Project Good Morning coordinator in 2022. Shepard and her colleague Moira Adams take calls from participants daily, a heartwarming start to their mornings.
“They become extra family, especially to the day shift dispatchers, who are the ones who talk to them all the time. Some of them have long conversations with you for years, and that’s my favorite part of it,” Shepard said. “Getting to chat with them is the best part of my day.”
To be eligible for Project Good Morning, participants must be South Burlington residents and live alone. They agree to notify the police department when they are away and provide keys to their residences in case of emergencies. This way, Project Good Morning ensures all-around safety for participants.
Carolyn Chambers is one of six participants in South Burlington and has been part of the program since the fall of 2025. She lives alone with her cat and dog and said she appreciates the novelty of sometimes short, sometimes long conversations with dispatchers.
“I just turned 85, but with anybody living alone, anything could happen,” she said. “I don’t have kids or anybody else that I can check with, so this is nice.”
Marjorie “Marge” Westphal has been part of the program for the majority of her 30 years in South Burlington. Now 91 and homebound, she says that being a part of the program reduces her stress and is comforting to her.
“It made me feel more secure and safer in my community to have a lifeline like that, available at all hours, at all times,” Westphal said. “And my children have benefited by not worrying about me so much.”
Besides the phone calls, Project Good Morning makes a point of celebrating participants’ birthdays by having police officers personally deliver flowers and signed cards.
Though Project Good Morning is primarily implemented for safety reasons, it also provides the simple reassurance of knowing there’s someone to talk to. The dispatch line is open 24/7 for participants to call if there are any issues.
“I’m happy to say I haven’t had an emergency that I’ve had to call them out for,” Westphal said. “It’s been a valuable connection for me.”