Friday, May 17th, 7pm–11pm

$10 at the door, or purchase a ticket online here

Come celebrate The Haven’s first annual concert to benefit the day shelter. We work to reduce homelessness by initiating creative solutions and coordinating regional resources and services. The Acoustic Showcase promises to be an evening of the very best singers and songwriters around! Refreshments will be available at the event. Here’s some more info about the performers:

Alex and Amelia of Mountain Man

Recently back from a world tour with Feist, Alex and Amelia will sing songs in the sparse and haunting style that has characterized them as indie-folk legends. This is a rare show, not to be missed. Their last public performance was on Prairie Home Companion, and what a blessing it will be to have them fill The Haven’s sanctuary with their unparalleled hymnal beauty. (www.mountainman.bandcamp.com)

Caleb Stine

Caleb Stine’s music has been described by The New Yorker as “appropriately trainlike–steady and powerful,” by The Baltimore Sun as “Truly compelling.” His confessional singing style and intricate guitar finger-picking will be accompanied by local bassist Lee Johnson an pedal steel powerhouse Dave Hadley. (www.calebstine.org)

Red & The Romantics

Charlottesville’s own songster Erik the Red teams up with local musicians Steve Riggs and Betty Jo. This band has established itself as a rightful heir to American masters such as Hank Williams and Johnny Cash. Their sound is as warm and timeless as firewood and whiskey. (www.redandtheromantics.com)

Contact: Lee Johnson, Event Coordinator at The Haven: 434.973.1234, ext. 107; lee@thehaven.org

For the better part of a year now, The Haven has provided shelter for visual artists Victoria Long, Chicho Lorenzo, and Liz Kleberg. During their time here, each has engaged with The Haven’s community in creative, compassionate, individual, and inspiring ways. For example, one Wednesday morning I walked into the dining room an hour after breakfast had ended and found Victoria in the brightly lit sunroom sitting with a couple guests at a table covered in drawing paper and different types of brushes. The group was working on a beautiful collaboration, a collage of visions that seemed diverse, immediate, and somehow unified all at once. Here are a couple quick snapshots:

The atmosphere around them as they worked was calm, intent, and positive.  The room, normally used for meals and a place to organize one’s  belongings, had been transformed into an interactive space. While I watched them work, a few others gathered. We discussed what they were doing and how we each interpreted the images. Many different narratives, concepts, and philosophies were considered.  With a few simple art supplies and someone with an intentional project, community had been created.

Victoria and Liz were kind enough to answer a few question about making art at The Haven:

An Interview with Artist-in-Residence Victoria Long

1. What drew you to this residency?

I was drawn to the Haven residency because it offered artists both a beautiful sunlit studio to make their own artwork and the opportunity to engage in art activities with the guests. I believe art can be a catalyst for community-building, so I was especially interested in how that could take place in a meaningful way at the Haven.

2. What has been meaningful to you during your time here?

There has been so much for me that has been meaningful during my residency. First, meeting the guests and getting to know them little by little since September has made me feel more connected to Charlottesville at large. For example, when I see a guest from Haven elsewhere in town, I can stop to say hello instead of walking by as if we are strangers. But also it has helped me see the issues that we as a whole community are facing, like affordable housing, more clearly. Second, interacting with the other artists who use the studio as well as the Haven staff and the New City Arts staff has been inspiring and fun.

3. What has been challenging?

I think the most challenging part for me was actually starting my art activities with the Haven guests. I wanted to spend the first part of my residency volunteering in the kitchen or at the welcome desk to get to know people before I tried to start art activities with guests at the Haven. But I felt so shy that it was hard for me to ever feel like I was ready! I finally did, though, and now I hold a weekly collaborative drawing activity for two hours on Wednesday mornings. I tape a big piece of paper to a table in the sunroom, bring out black ink and bamboo brushes, and invite guests to draw together. The drawing is a pretext for gathering strangers together and then hopefully those social interactions bleed into everyday life. A common remark that people make when they first approach the table is “I’m no artist” but once they actually pick up a brush, I noticed that those remarks tend to vanish and people just focus on the act of drawing itself. The first time I organized this activity, a guest named M drew for almost an hour. He was initially wary of participating, but once he got going, he would periodically exclaim that it was really relaxing for him and put his mind at ease.

~~~

 

An Interview with Artist-in-Residence Liz Kleberg

1. What drew you to this residency?

I was drawn to the residency at the Haven by it’s community-centered spirit.  I loved the idea of physically being downtown in the midst of all types of activities within the city.  The Haven functions within this atmosphere as a vibrant hub of activity as well, involving all types of people serving different purposes, intended for the good of the city and its people.  Being an artist in this environment is stimulating and exciting, challenging the artistic tendency to withdraw and isolate.  I am motivated by the energy the Haven generates, and the spirit of community that it fosters. 

It has been challenging at times to maintain a practice that is mostly private, while being intentional about interacting with others sharing the Haven’s space.  At times I struggle balancing focused studio work with the desire to build relationships with others– staff, guests, and volunteers.  It is a good problem to have, however, because the Haven is constantly buzzing with life

~~~

A Happy Harvest

The Growing Season Is Almost Here!

Join Us Sunday, March 3rd for Garden Day at Patch

“There’s always next year, right?” RJ asks.  He’s standing across from me at The Haven’s welcome desk, rubbing his hands back and forth.  The rings on his fingers clink together like ice. It’s an early winter day outside, and we’re talking about last summer, what we got done in Patch, our community garden, and how we can’t wait to get back at it. He mentions the recent write-up about the garden in C-Ville Weekly—“We’re celebs, man,” he says—and I admit that I haven’t read the article yet. What’s really on my mind is the question he just asked: There’s always next year, right? The significance of that question, to me, lies in its rhetorical nature, its hopefulness, how it illuminates Patch’s purpose.

When I first met RJ, he didn’t think he had a next year. Between health problems and serious depression, he couldn’t imagine a minute other than the last painful one he’d lived through. And then came the spring and the beginning of his up-swing. I don’t give full credit to the garden for his recovery, but I do believe it influenced the speed and consistency of his improvement. Putting a small seed in the ground and then watching it grow is nothing short of inspiring. To water a plant is to acknowledge a need beyond your own. Getting out of your own pain and serving someone or something else—that’s huge healing.

In fact, some recent studies have shown that close proximity to living plants can enhance a person’s mental and physical health. One study took place in a psych ward, where the patients were given flowers and then divided into two groups. One group watered their own plants, while the other group had nurses do it for them. In an article for The Atlantic, Amelia Borofsky writes about the study’s conclusion: “On measures of depression before and after the experiment, the patients who watered their own plants showed the most improvement.” This message relates directly to what the garden means to RJ, and how it represents one aspect of The Haven’s dynamic approach to restoration of health and hope.

Last summer, a couple days after harvesting over four-hundred pounds of potatoes, I sat down to breakfast with RJ and some friends. He stuck his fork into a hash brown, held it up and told everyone that it was home-grown, hand-cut. “I own this breakfast,” he said. The sense of pride that comes along with that kind of ownership is transformative. It can teach us to live responsibly, to share what we have with others, and to believe that there will be a next year.

Patch’s first official gardening day this year will be Sunday, March 3rd from 1pm until 5pm. We’ll be weeding, composting, and preparing the soil for another great growing season. Come on out and bring a friend!

The time is here for the 2nd annual Run for Home to benefit The Haven! We had a really great time last year and are looking forward to another successful event so come one, come all. This is a family friendly event so children 12 and under are FREE! If you have any questions, contact Stephen Hitchcock at stephen@thehaven.org

Location: Race day registration and check-in will be at The Haven on the corner of N First St. and W Market St in downtown Charlottesville.

Date & Time: Saturday, February 23 – 7:30 AM

Entry fees: Preregistration: $20 ($15 for students), children 12 and under – FREE | Day of the event: $25

Registration:

1. Online: www.thehaven.org hit the Click & Pledge button on the right side of this page and follow the instructions

2. By mail: Download the entry blank below, fill out the bottom portion of it, and mail it or drop it off with payment at:

The Haven, 112 W Market St. Charlottesville, VA 22902. Make checks payable to The Haven

Run_for_Home_entry_form2013

3. Race day: Register the morning of the event at The Haven from 6:30 AM to 7:15 AM

Note: entry fee is $25 on the day of the event

Course: Both the run and the walk will begin on the downtown mall and meander through the surrounding neighborhood.

Prizes: All entrants will receive an official Run for Home bag filled with goodies!

•Prizes donated from generous local businesses awarded to top 3 male and top 3 female overall 5k finishers, and top male and female runners in each age group.

Information: this website will be your home for any information and updates regarding the event.

•If you have any questions, please contact Stephen Hitchcock at The Haven at stephen@thehaven.org. During business hours, you can reach him at (434) 973 – 1234 extension: 118

****A complimentary breakfast will be served at The Haven for all entrants following the run/walk.****

Some pictures from last year’s Run for Home:

•A wrap-up of our wonderfully successful Haven Harvest Dinner

•Loads of good news about our guests

•Some well-earned recognition for one of our beloved volunteers, Carolyn George

•An inspiring story about one woman’s path out of homelessness

•An exciting announcement about our artists-in-residence

•Amazing final tallies on a successful garden season

•The Haven’s wish list, winter is here and we depend on the generosity of this community for toiletries, socks, detergent, etc

If you would like a copy mailed to you, please feel free to contact Gabe at gabe@thehaven.org

Click here to read on: 

Haven Newsletter November 2012

Open Knowledge Collaborative (OKC) and Thomas Jefferson Area Coalition for the Homeless (TJACH) have collaborated to create an interactive information resource on our homeless community members. “Homelessness in Our Community” presents up-to-date data in a vivid format. This new infographic uses graphical design elements in lieu of the more traditional static bar chart. The web version of the infographic includes links to data as well as additional resources and reports about the causes and prevention of homelessness and is available at http://www.okcollaborative.org/infographic/homeless2012 or via short link at http://bit.ly/V640iN.

This is a great way to look at complicated pieces of data without getting bogged down in the numbers. The pictures tell an important story about homelessness in our community – for most people it is transitional, a lot of people experiencing homelessness work, most people are from here or have really strong connections here. The data pushes back on stereotypes or biases that are commonly held like – people come here from out of state because our services are so appealing or all homeless people panhandle or you can’t do anything to change homelessness. You can really see that these things just aren’t true. This data offers HOPE! If homelessness is transitional for most folks, then it is worthy of our attention, effort and investment!

Many thanks to the good and wicked smart people at Open Knowledge Collaborative for their efforts on this front!

Open Knowledge Collaborative (OKC) is a Charlottesville based non-profit founded in 2011 on the principles of informed decision making, openness and transparency, and community-wide collaboration. Open Knowledge Collaborative partners with non-profit organizations, local governments, foundations, and research institutions to assist in creating dynamic information resources for our community and to improve information communication within organizations and coalitions. OKC’s Data C.A.U.S.E. is guiding others as they work to Collect, Analyze, Use, and Share data, and then Evaluate program and services information. We are the ones who turn cold, hard data into accessible, shareable information. Open Knowledge Collaborative understands that information sharing is at the center of every collaborative effort.

After graduating from UVA with a Studio Art degree, Patrick Costello spent another year in Charlottesville doing a Fellowship with the art department. He then spent some time gallivanting about, during which he worked for a puppet theater and also learned to print textiles. Although gallivanting is certainly his most developed skill, Patrick returned to Charlottesville in 2010 to co-found C’ville Foodscapes, a worker-owned business that designs, installs, and maintains food-producing gardens in and around Charlottesville.

The purpose of the grant was twofold. Firstly, we at The Haven strive to provide our guests with a wide array of enriching activities to engage in while they are here. To that end, Patrick volunteered at the front desk to get to know our community and every Thursday, collaborated with Susan Patrick to work on art projects alongside our guests. Together, they drew portraits, made cards, and most importantly, built relationships through positive interactions full of support and encouragement. Just the act of making art is going outside of the comfort zones for a lot of our guests, but our hope is that taking this risk in a safe environment motivates them to take other challenging positive steps in their lives and reminds them of their personal value and of what they are capable.

The second objective of the grant comes from one of our founding goals here at The Haven, which is to provide a space for people in need in our area. Similar to our guests experiencing trying times in their lives, it is difficult for artists to acquire a place to hone their crafts and create. Providing Patrick with a studio allowed him to focus on making his art while surrounded by a supportive and inspiring community. Additionally, opening our space up to Patrick opens the door for many others who may not otherwise engage in volunteering at The Haven.

In Patrick Costello’s own words:

“Susan and I wanted to work with the folks at the Haven to make a collaborative art project. We thought it was important that it would remain in the space upon completion, and that it may be able to change over time. We settled on “Haven Faces” — this large-scale any-media “painting” — because we thought it would allow for people to approach it in many ways. You could write, draw, collage, or paint on the board.  Susan and I started by outlining a crowd of empty face shapes so that each participant could have a dedicated space to make their own contribution. The mural is about whatever the artists bring to it. There was an explicit lack of direction in terms of content.  Our main goal was to help make something that expressed individual notions of creativity or beauty in the context of a larger composition.”

A huge thank you to Patrick Costello, Susan Patrick, Maureen Lovett, and all the guests who participated to brighten the walls of The Haven.

Haven Inaugural Newsletter April 2012

Location:

112 West Market Street, Charlottesville, VA

Services:

Breakfast meal, short-term storage, showers, laundry facilities, computer access, living room, community garden and referrals to on-site service providers offering substance abuse assessment, mental health peer support, financial literacy and counseling, legal assistance, public housing applications, resume development and job search coaching, overnight shelter, health advocacy and navigation, social service such as food stamp screening, and others.

Hours:

Our current hours are as follows:

Monday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Tuesday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Wednesday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Thursday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Friday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM

Saturday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Sunday 7:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 1:00 PM – 5:30 PM

History:      

The Haven is housed in a beautifully renovated church on the corner of First Street and Market Street, across from Lee Park, one block from the downtown site of the Jefferson Madison Regional Library and around the corner from the Downtown Mall. This building is a gift to the community by Tom Shadyac, who purchased and renovated the building to create a safe place for the homeless to get services. The Haven is grateful for Tom Shadyac’s ongoing support of this important work.

112 West Market Street

Charlottesville, VA 22902

434-973-1234