A Day in the Life...

“Sunrise, sunrise, Looks like mornin' in your eyes…”

Sunrise by Norah Jones is what I wake up to at 7am. Yep, you’ve guessed it! I’m not a morning person - 7am is early to me. I hit snooze for 9 more minutes because that is absolutely going to make me feel more rested, right?

I get ready for the day - head downstairs to get the coffee brewing. Today is Tuesday, July 7th - a work from home day. Most work from home mornings begin with coffee in hand and my journal or devotional as I head out front and sit on the front stoop to start my day slow before the rush of meetings and emails.

After about 15min-30min I head inside to tackle the day. Today I’m working from the kitchen table. First, things first … what does today hold? I pull out my calendar and take a look…

Today is one of those days where it holds a little bit of everything, which makes for a fun, productive day. A Haven is just over three years old and we are growing up fast, we’re learning how to run just like toddlers do! 

My first meeting at 10:15 -12pm is with the Executive Committee of our Board of Directors which includes our Board President, Secretary, Treasurer and myself. This meeting is set up to make the agenda for the board meeting and to discuss any critical needs that the non-profit has and needs to address. It was a great meeting - without the Executive Committee my job would be overwhelming - having a team is key!

Since coffee was my breakfast today, I’m having brunch! I made avocado toast, extra avocado, with an over easy egg on top. 

Next up at 12:30pm a meeting with Liz, our Clinical Director to touch base on the programming side of A Haven. For the last 2 years I have been heavily involved in executing our programs for grieving families. With A Haven’s growth it is time for me to transition out of this side of A Haven. What I have loved about being a part of A Haven from the beginning is being able to do a little bit of everything. By doing so, I know what each role entails which greatly impacts the grander vision of A Haven. In order for A Haven to be sustainable its time for me to step aside and allow our Clinical Team, Liz, Kate, and new group leads (Melanie, Amanda & Tara) along with volunteers and interns carry out the mission of A Haven. Allowing them to do this will allow me the time and focus to partner with our Board of Directors, donors and partners to come up with a strategic plan for our growth and sustainability of A Haven’s future. 

It really is an exciting time. We will be running in our lanes and together we will see our vision of A Haven come to fruition, a permanent location (OUR FOREVER HOME) in the community for grieving children & teens and their families. 

Then at 1:30pm Liz, Kate (Community Services Director) and I did the Welcome video for our online volunteer training. We spent about half an hour introducing ourselves, explaining how A Haven came to be and welcoming NEW volunteers to our team!

Then I had about an hour before my 3pm meeting with Kyle, the chair of our development committee. In about 2 weeks we kick off our 4th Annual Give Grief Hope Initiative! This year we have a goal of $50,000! We are so excited to share about the impact and vital work A Haven provides for the community. All of our services for grieving families are at no cost, therefore our partnership with the community is key.

Finally, to round out the day I made my plan for tomorrow. Closed my computer - went for an hour long walk, drank a lot of water because man the humidity is crazy out there, made some dinner and chatted with family and friends, and was asleep by 11pm to be well rested for another day tomorrow! Goodnight, A Haven…see ya tomorrow!

Written by Michelle Noble, Executive Director