Changing Lives
One Donation at a Time On a street in East Lansing there’s a home that’s known to all. Its specialty is helping families who’ve lost their home. Haven House is always ready to get them on their feet, To start their lives all over and help them with their needs. Volunteers are always ready to help them when they can. So give, give, all you’ve got and we’ll do it all over again.
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“I don’t think people are aware,” S. Pat said. “You don’t see families on the street; they might be living with another family member. It’s a strain on the family they are staying with but they have no place to go. While families are at Haven House, children are in school, parents are looking for a job and eventually working to find an affordable place to live.” The shelter uses its funds to help families who are homeless prepare for permanent housing by developing and promoting self-sufficiency, stability, and financial responsibility. In addition to housing, residents receive meals, crisis counseling, assistance with goal setting and referrals to other agencies as needed.
t started out as a simple gesture – selling cookbooks to help a local organization raise funds for its Committed to the work of Haven House in Lansing, homeless families. But it wasn’t long Michigan, S. Pat Newhouse was a star server at the before S. Pat Newhouse’s involvement organization’s Pancake Palooza in February where While her efforts are mostly she was named the People’s Choice Award Winner and love for Haven House – an concentrated on fundraising, S. Pat does for reaching the most supporters. organization providing emergency have opportunities to meet some of the housing and support services for one-parent and two-parent families staying at the home. She is known to dress up as the families with children – grew infinitely. Cat in the Hat every now and again and recalls a grandfather of three who came to the home last year. “If he had gone to a Invited to participate, as a celebrity, in Haven House’s second annual pancake breakfast fundraiser, Pancake Palooza, different shelter, they would have only taken him and put the kids in foster care. Haven House took them all in and they S. Pat left that day only to meet a mom, her small child and were able to stay together as a family. The grandfather had lost her six-day-old baby. “That really touched my heart and his job, and with the help of Haven House was able to find spurred my efforts to try to do my best to help homeless another and eventually housing. They then followed him for families,” she said. a year – helping him to plan his finances and get him back on A Sister of Charity for the past 61 years, S. Pat has his feet. They do great work!” devoted her life to teaching and pastoral care but in her spare Again this year S. Pat was a star server at the Haven House time she has enjoyed volunteering to help those in need. “I Pancake Palooza in February. Joining others in doing “whatever think I got my inspiration to help others during my years in grade and high school, when we raised money for missionaries it takes” to raise the most funds to help homeless families, S. Pat earned almost $5,300 for the organization and was named the in foreign lands by selling magazines, candy bars and making People’s Choice Award Winner for reaching the most supporters. goodies for bake sales,” she recalled. The honor affirms her ability to connect with others and her Her recent efforts have most certainly been beneficial determination to helping the families of Haven House. to the mission of Haven House. The organization depends upon the support of the community to help end homelessness What started as another fundraising challenge for S. Pat Newhouse quickly became so much more. The mission of in the Lansing, Michigan, area. Using her natural friendly Haven House touched her own heart and now many families disposition, S. Pat has been able to raise approximately in need are benefitting from her kindness and outreach. $30,000 over the last eight years for the organization. Just as important is the awareness she has brought to the issue Note: The above lyrics are to the Haven House fight song, written of homelessness as well as the organization through her by S. Pat Newhouse and sung to the tune of the Michigan State fundraising efforts. fight song. V olume I I , 2 0 2 0
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