This April 16, A Great Way to Help Our House

“A Horse with Wings” is an adorable boutique-style shop located on University Ave. in the Neighborhood of the Arts. There you’ll find an assortment of urban chic home decor, scarves & clothing, jewelry, wall art, unique soaps & lotions, signs, and pet & animal related merchandise.

Owner John Haldoupis also offers many of his one-of-a-kind creations for sale, such as artistic pillows, extraordinary lamps, paintings, and unique ornaments, all under his brand name Adorned in Moonlight. Many amazing gifts and articles of clothing are tucked away in beautifully-staged settings as shown in the photos here. And the prices are affordable.

With the Easter Holiday and Mother’s Day just around the corner, you might  think there couldn’t be a better reason to visit the boutique, but there is! On Tuesday, April 16, 2019, from 5 to 7 pm, champagne and munchies will be available and 25% of all sales will be donated to the Harbor House. Thank you, John!

What a great evening out this will be! And even if you can’t make it on April 16 between 5 and 7 pm, you can still participate because from April 17 to April 30,
shoppers who mention the Harbor House during their transactions will also earn the 25% donation for the House.

Why is “A Horse with Wings” willing to donate such a large percentage of its sales? Store Manager Linda explains that being able to give back to the community is very important to the store. Please mark your calendars and share this with your friends and family! It’s a great chance to have fun while fundraising.

Thoughts from a House Guest
Three days before Christmas I was advised that my husband Rich needed to be transferred from Syracuse to Strong Memorial Hospital. When the transport team arrived, one member asked whether I had plans for lodging in Rochester, and handed me a Harbor House brochure. I called from the ICU waiting room.

At first it seemed like the House was full, but later I got a call from Mary saying that a room was available.

I was greeted by a cozy fire, tasteful furnishings, a clean environment and sympathetic and understanding Mary. Now I realize that she stayed later than her shift that evening, to make me feel welcomed and supported. The Harbor House was my Christmas miracle.

Months later I remain, and Harbor House is indeed my safe haven. Proximity to the hospital, caring volunteers, the camaraderie between residents, and of course remarkable Joan have provided me an anchor of comfort and hope. My deepest thanks to the Harbor House.

An Unexpected Surprise

Our main goal has always been to offer unmistakable hospitality to those who enter through our door. We open our hearts and House to families when they really need it. The general consensus among the staff and volunteers is that we
make the most impact on families that stay here on a long-term basis. But a family that stayed here last Fall made me rethink that sentiment.

Right around Halloween, a sweet woman named Sandy found her way to our House. She had come from the Buffalo/Niagara Falls area and needed a place to stay for a few nights while her husband was having surgery. She stayed for just two nights. We had some nice chats and she seemed to be at ease with the Harbor
House surroundings. After the critical days had passed, she felt comfortable enough to commute from home during the rest of her husband’s recovery. We said our farewells with the hope that one day our paths would cross again for better reasons.

We simply did not realize how she had felt about her brief stay at the Harbor House. Unbeknownst to us, Sandy shared her experience with her husband and their friends at the Moose Lodge, located in Grand Island, NY. To show their
appreciation for the care she and her husband had received while in our fair city, they held a fundraiser to benefit the Harbor House.

I’m always happy when past guests call me to tell me they’re in town and would like to stop by. It’s one of the best parts of the day to see a former guest at the door with his or her recovered loved one. The joy it brings to all of us is indescribable.

When I received a call from Sandy saying that she and her husband wanted to visit, I was very happy. They had come to town for a follow-up appointment and
wanted to swing by. I welcomed both Sandy and Mike into the house and we spent a few minutes chatting. After a while, they told me they had brought something for the house and handed me a check from the Women of the Moose. I was stunned at the generosity of this group, especially after finding out that they had organized an event for our benefit.

It was a reminder that we often do not realize the impression we are making. Thank you Sandy and Mike for sharing your experience with the Grand Island Moose Lodge. We are truly touched by your outpouring of generosity.

Every little bit helps! When you shop online, log in to Amazon through “smile.amazon.com” and choose us as your charity: Harbor House of Rochester. Amazon will donate 0.5% of every eligible item you purchase directly to us!

Pub Crawling for a Cause

On February 9th, a blustery winter day in the ROC, the Harbor House held its Annual Mend a Broken Heart Pub crawl. A hardy, enthusiastic group of crawlers made its way down East Avenue and visited some of Rochester’s favorite venues.

The afternoon started at Salingers, where the energy is always pumping throughout the room. Trivia was the first event, led by the dynamic and talented emcee Angel Diaz. The teams were fiercely competitive and they were all ready to dig deep and answer challenging questions in hopes of becoming this year’s champions.

From Salingers the crawlers made their way just a short distance to the Temple Bar and Grille where the vibe is welcoming and there’s always plenty of room around the bar. Those who were brave enough took a shot at karaoke. You never know what might happen when people pick up a mike—it may be good, and it may be so bad that it’s hilarious. We had a little of both types of performances
this year, which makes karaoke so entertaining and popular.

Between these two bars we held our traditional “Nurses versus Doctors” bartending competition. It was a tight race even though it was one against three, with Dr. Storozynsky holding his own against three nurses. In the end, the nurses were the winners, but the important thing is that the competition raised a healthy sum of money for the Harbor House.

The evening finished at Flour City Station. It has a great stage and a nice, open feel that encourages people to mingle and have a good time. The crowd revived itself with some pizza from Salvatore’s, and the Jeff Acker Trio kept the party going strong with a great performance.

By the end of the crawl, we could count the day as a win. Crawlers raised money to help the Harbor House and went home happy that they’d had fun while fundraising.

This year is the ten-year anniversary of Harbor House welcoming people through its doors. In that time we’ve provided over 11,000 nights’ rest to families when they’ve needed it the most. We need to celebrate!

And the BEAT goes on… to the rescue! On Saturday, September 21, 2019, we’ll gather at the Monroe Golf Club in Pittsford for our annual fundraiser. Maureen McGuire of Channel 8 News will be our host, and Scott Hetsko of Channel 13 will
be our our live auctioneer. Mark your calendars! Hope to see you there!

Volunteers in the Spotlight:
Marianne Sexton

If you have ever visited the Harbor House, you know that it is located in a beautiful city neighborhood, just two short blocks from URMC. We feel very lucky to be so conveniently located, but there is another way that we are truly blessed and that is that we have been fortunate enough to be surrounded by fantastic neighbors.

Marianne Sexton is one of our neighbors on Rossiter Road. She volunteers at the house on Saturday mornings—a time slot that is typically very hard to fill. She chose this time because she knew it was challenging for me to find help on Saturdays and wanted to do the most good. That in itself tells you a lot about her. She is reliable and has brought a lot of joy to the house with her Saturday visits. Our guests love being in her company. Marianne gives them a great start to their
weekend with her welcoming spirit and kind heart.

We are extremely lucky to have the support and friendship of our neighbors on Rossiter Road and also on the roads surrounding the house. Thank you, Marianne, for being a wonderful volunteer and a great friend of the Harbor House!

April is “National Donate Life Month,” to encourage people to register as organ, eye and tissue donors. We also honor those who have saved and healed lives
through the gift of donation.

Make sure to wear blue and green on April 12, 2019 to help promote organ donation. We have met so many people who are waiting for an organ, or whose lives have already been impacted by the gift of organ donation. Take a minute to
register at: www.PassLifeOn.org, and make your wishes known. You’ll be a hero to someone.