Staff reports 11:04 a.m.
Tuesday, October 12, 2021 11:02 am
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ROCHESTER - The Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting with Hope on Haven Hill to celebrate the completion of their Red Barn, a new space located at their Haven Hill property.
The Red Barn is a much-needed space that was conceived and built after the space in the main house was outgrown; the new space hosts yoga and other instructional classes for moms and their babies, and it also includes office space for counseling sessions and other administrative activities.
The ribbon cutting event included guided tours of the new space, and the showing of a video featuring some of the moms' stories and interviews with Kerry Norton, Executive Director and Co-Founder, who expressed her gratitude by saying, "I want to give my heartfelt thanks to those who made this possible. Thank you to the Hass and Vanderheiden families for their transformational support. Thank you to the Wentworth Douglas Foundation and providers, The Seacoast Women's Giving Circle, and Mike Rouleau for making this dream of a project a real reality that has made all the difference in the way we are able to deliver care."
Norton also announced that they have launched their capital campaign to build their new "Center for Hope and Wellness" at their Charles Street property, where they will house all outpatient programs as well as life skill groups, a demonstration kitchen, childcare center and more.
They plan to expand housing opportunities with this capital campaign to ensure that the full continuum of health and wellness is available for their moms and babies. They are halfway there, having already raised $1.9 million. They also have an anonymous donor who has pledged $500,000 in matching funds before the end of this year and are selling $500,000 in tax credits to state businesses.