Just over a year ago, the Haven community gathered to honor Sara Kobylenski for her extraordinary service as Executive Director. Then board chair, Merritt Patridge, announced plans for a fundraising campaign to recognize Sara’s service and record of accomplishment during her nine years at the Haven. Gifts to the Sara Kobylenski Sustainable Haven Fund would support the thousands of people in poverty served by the Haven by allowing strategic investment in people, programs, and the capital needs of the Haven’s Hartford Avenue campus. The Board of Directors and Haven leadership team set about having conversations about this special fundraising effort with people who shared the view that the Haven is a singular and valuable resource to the Upper Valley and that Sara was an extraordinary leader.
The Haven is extremely pleased to announce that we have reached our goal of securing $1.2 million in gifts and pledges to the Sara Kobylenski Sustainable Haven Fund.
Sixty-five people made gifts to the Campaign. These funds will be invested over the next four years in three key areas to ensure that the Haven remains ready to meet the challenges of today. We’ll provide advanced training in trauma-informed care and other evidence-based practices to address the greater complexity of the needs of our clients. We’ll be able to undertake renovation and replacement projects on our Hartford Avenue campus. Repairs to the Byrne Building roof and siding are planned for next spring, for example. We’ve already added external lighting and air conditioning to the second floor. We’ll now have funds to commission special planning studies in which we can address the space and program needs of the future. The fund will help us replace technology we need to be efficient in the delivery of our services. We will be able to provide seed money for the development of programs, services and future funding strategies to address emerging trends and vital needs in the public, nonprofit and private sectors with positive impacts on the health and welfare of our constituencies.
We offer our deepest gratitude to all the donors to this Campaign for their faith in our mission and belief that we will be good stewards of these gifts. We will provide periodic updates on the uses of the Campaign funds and our investment in the Haven staff, programs and services.
Michael Redmond Stacey Chiocchio
Executive Director Board President
