Spring 2014 - Clare House

NEWSLETTER.SPRING 2014:Layout 1 4/28/14 2:26 PM Page 1
NON-PROFIT ORG
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
LANCASTER, PA
PERMIT NO. 185
342-344 E. Chestnut St. • Lancaster, PA 17602
at Clare House
Phone: 717.291.8967
Contact: [email protected]
Spring 2014
OR CURRENT RESIDENT
Volume 1 - Issue1
Inside this issue:
The New Blooms on the Block
• New Staff...................................1
A lot has been changing around Chestnut Street, and we can’t wait to fill you in on all the
exciting happenings! First and foremost, our staff has been transitioning for the past few
months but we are ecstatic to announce the finalized team— in order of appearance:
• Volunteer Opportunity...........1
• Upcoming Events.....................1
• Presidential Profile..................2
• Perchon Place......................... 2
• Our Vision & Mission.............3
Our Vision:
Our vision is a community where all women and children have a sense of
optimism, confidence, and hope for the future.
at Clare House Our Mission:
Clare House serves homeless women and children in a caring environment,
through life skills training and support, leading to self-sufficiency.
Looking Ahead:
Stay tuned for upcoming events that will be springing up over the next few months!
Stop by our Facebook page to check out some of our Volunteer Profiles! Get to
know the people who help Clare House run smoothly!
VEHICLE NEEDED:
Clare House is sad to say our 1997 Ford F150 that
was donated to us a few years ago is in trouble.We
discovered rusted through brake and fuel lines after
the long winter, leaving us without a vehicle.
Any truck-buffs that want to rebuild her—the
parts aren’t manufactured anymore, but we’ll sell
the truck to you!
Anyone willing to donate a vehicle to Clare
House please give us a call at (717) 291-8967.
• Thank You Community...........3
Upcoming Events:
• May 3rd: Compass Mark
is sponsoring our families so
they may participate in their
annual Riddle Quest right
here in Historic Downtown
Lancaster!
• May 10th: Long time sponsor
The Lancaster Corvette
Club is having a Spring Car,
Truck and Cycle Show at
Root’s Flea Market!
Annette Rosa-Pabón: Life Skills Director
As Life Skills Director, Annette assists families with accessing services and supports to
successfully achieve goals. Her previous work as Community School Director at George
Washington Elementary School played a vital role in transforming the school into what is
now called a “Full Service Community School”. Annette has been happily married to her husband for 28 years, and has a 21 year old daughter as well as a schitzu/poodle named Maggie. In her free time Annette loves taking trips into New York to see shows on Broadway.
Melissa Boots: House Manager
There is nothing more amazing than women empowering themselves. Having previously
worked at a domestic violence shelter in her native Maryland, Melissa was excited at the
opportunity to be part of the Clare House mission. Melissa has been happily married to
her husband, Tim for 15 years and has a beautiful, 12 year old daughter named Jasmine. A
perfect day in Melissa’s opinion would be reading on a hot, sunny beach or hiking followed
by a picnic lunch by a waterfall!
Evalina Dombrowski: Program Director
You can just call her Eva. Our newest teammate is joining us from a background of mental
health services and is eager to contribute a special kind of hard work and positivity to our
teamwork dynamic. Eva has a B.A. In Psychology from Messiah College and spent her time
since graduation working for Philhaven Behavioral health Rehabilitation Services. In her free
time Eva enjoys long boarding, hiking, and visiting her eight month old niece.
NEWSLETTER.SPRING 2014:Layout 1 4/28/14 2:26 PM Page 2
Meet the President: Lisa Greener
Lisa Greener is
happy to be serving
Clare House as the
new President to the
Board of Directors
We have entered a new season here
at Clare House in more ways than one.
With that we usher in a new President
to our Board of Directors. Lisa Greener
holds a B.S. in Accounting and
Management from Lebanon Valley
College and is employed as Director of
Finance for Community Basics, Inc.,
a real estate developer and property
manager of affordable housing projects
in central Pennsylvania.
Lisa has been serving Clare House
in various capacities for the past several
years. She began volunteering at Clare
House several years ago, primarily at
special events and fundraisers. In 2010
she joined the Clare House Board of
Directors and has participated on
the Finance Committee and special
events committees.
PENNY DUTCH FEST: Arts and Music
Festival to Benefit Clare House
Clare House is always excited to partner with local
businesses that promote and encourage a strong sense
of community. Penny Dutch Apparel is one such company
that also has a generous heart for giving back.This
summer they are hosting an event called Penny Dutch
Fest that will feature local artists and musicians of all
genres performing for the benefit of Clare House!
From 1pm-10pm live music will be playing and artists
will have work on display & for sale with partial proceeds
going back to Clare House.There will be a silent auction,
as well as a 50/50 raffle. At past events, like Jazzfest,
donors have been overwhelmingly generous for our
cause.We ask that you faithfully consider any auctionable
items or bundles you can donate to raise money at
Penny Dutch Fest.
A variety of Food & Beverages will be provided for
everyone’s enjoyment at the event. And if you’re interested
in the many ways Penny Dutch serves the community,
you can also check out the Penny Dutch website at
www.pennydutch.com or www.clarehouselancaster.org
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Lisa, as well as the rest of the
Board, has been instrumental in the
revision of our Mission and Vision as
an organization. She has eased the
transition and settlement of our new
staff, and continues to be helpful as
operations start anew in the houses!
Lisa has lived in the Lancaster area
for 14 years with her husband and
daughter. In her spare time she enjoys
going to the gym and playing in the
garden as well as supporting her
husband's business ventures in
thoroughbred horse racing.
It is Lisa’s firm belief that helping
women and their families succeed and
become self-sufficient is essential in our
county’s effort to end homelessness.
Thank You: A note to our community
The past few months have not been easy. We relied
heavily on the leadership of our Board, hard work of our
current Life Skills Director, Annette, and the conviction
that our unique program is a great asset to Lancaster
County and a service that should carry on.
We pulled through a very long winter holding onto
faith that the right staff and opportunities would be provided.
And after a long period of public silence, our prayers were answered
by able-bodied staff excited about our mission, and an overwhelming out-reach from community members and local
businesses who want to sponsor, fundraise, and volunteer
with Clare House.
What kept our mission and our vision alive was the small things;
the little miracles nurtured by a community that believes in what we do.
Without your generosity and continued enthusiasm for what we do at Clare
House, it would have been easy to just give up. But each time surrender seemed eminent a ray of hope would
break through, and renew our conviction to this purpose. Not a day passes without our most sincere gratitude
to the many individuals and groups that continued to encourage Clare House during our period of evolution.
Looking forward, you can expect to see a renewed presence in Lancaster. We are dedicated to our mission
to end homelessness in the long term, and it is a monumental encouragement to know that our community
stands behind us in that pursuit.
A Horse of a Different Kind: Percheron Place seeking residents
One prime example of continued support and generosity is the
recent sponsorship Clare House has received from a local field office
of Percheron LLC. A group of 5 volunteers from Percheron have
Adopted a Room and gave it a personalized Percheron touch!
For those of you who don’t know, a Percheron is a specially bred
work horse originally from France. Our friends at Percheron LLC lived
up to that exact reputation of hard work and devotion to a task, and
we can’t thank them enough!
It took about 3 hours, but a beautiful brand new armoire was
constructed and positioned for use, as well as matching bed spreads
for all 4 beds, wall decorations, and new bathroom mats and
shower curtains.
We are overwhelmed with the generosity and enthusiasm of our
volunteers, but Percheron really went above and beyond with their
sponsorship of room one. Since they put so much into the room we
thought it would only be fitting to name it Percheron Place. Thanks
to the hard work and sponsorship from Percheron LLC, Percheron
Place is open and ready for residents!
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