After seven years as the Executive Director of the Upper Valley Haven, this is my last note to you. I can only begin to share my gratitude to everyone who is a friend of the Haven and for everything you have done that allows us to help the people who count on our presence and help.
It is only through your support that we can accomplish everything we do.
It’s right there in the opening of our mission statement – “With the support of the Upper Valley community, the Haven assists those who are experiencing poverty to be free from hunger, to be housed, and to pursue a self-directed life.”
Through the support of the Upper Valley community, the Haven has been able to rise to the moment time and time again. During COVID we remade our services to keep everyone safe. We were present every day in person because many in our community had to face the challenges of daily living, often alone. This meant making sure people who were unhoused were still welcomed at the Haven where they could still get a meal, take a shower, use the bathroom and experience the connections of human life.
Over the past seven years we’ve expanded our food programs not only at the Haven but also in the community recognizing that not everyone can get to our location and it’s better to support them where they are already gathered in health clinics, schools, recovery support programs or more local food pantries. And just this month, when the federal government suspended its support for its major supplemental food program, the Haven expanded our hours, added staff and volunteers to serve the ever larger numbers of people needing food and secured the resources to ensure we could continue to model abundance and not scarcity.
When local motels increasingly were relied on for emergency shelter, our staff were there to let people know they weren’t forgotten and could be connected to the services they needed. When the City of Lebanon asked if the Haven could operate a winter shelter to reduce budget expense and improve the quality of services, we were proud to partner with them. And when we determined that additional shelter capacity was needed year-round for everyone in need, we undertook the effort to develop a new shelter with the capacity for day services and resources to help people become ever closer to that goal of a self-directed life.
Of course, at every step of my journey at the Haven the staff members were the backbone of our efforts doing the work that allowed the people we serve to imagine a better future. To that I must add my Board of Directors and Board chairs that guided the organization with dedication and imagination to ensure its longevity. As long as it’s needed the Haven will be there for the Upper Valley. It’s been my privilege to be in this leadership role. As I said when I announced my retirement, this has been the best job of my career.
I welcome my successor, Will Towne, to the line of leaders at the Haven. We are only six, each suited to the needs of our time and the Haven’s evolution over the past 45 years. Will is certain to bring exquisite skills and knowledge from his life experiences to date. And he will be buoyed, as I was, by the support he will receive from the Upper Valley and our vision to create a stronger community for all.
My deepest thanks and appreciation,
Michael Redmond
