Super Bowl Square Fundraiser

We have a new winter fundraiser coming out just this week! We are hosting a Super Bowl Squares contest. This is an online event where you buy a square for $50. Each square is assigned two numbers that coordinate to the Cincinnati Bengals and LA Rams scores.

Once all the squares have been selected, we will randomly pick numbers from 0-9 for each team in the Super Bowl, and assign that number to a particular row or column. These numbers represent the last number in the score of each team. In other words, if the score is Cincinnati Bengals 17 – Los Angeles Rams 14,then the winning square is the one with the Bengals number of 7,and the LA Rams number of 4.

Since this is a Fundraiser, 50% of the proceeds will go to the Harbor House of Rochester, and the other 50% will be distributed among the Users with the Winning Square.

To participate go to: www.superbowlsquares.org/HHoR
and pick as many squares as you’d like. Then go toharborhouseofrochester.org to make a payment on your squares. Best of luck to all participants!

Winnings Breakdown for Squares
End of 1st Quarter: $375
End of 2nd Quarter: $750
End of 3rd Quarter: $375
End of Game: $1,000
Payout to Charity: $2,500

THOUGHTS FROM AHARBOR HOUSEGUEST
BY PATTY U.

I was first introduced to Harbor House in Rochester about 3 years ago when my husband needed heart surgery. Being that our family is from Syracuse and have limited funds, I wanted to be always near the hospital and the Harbor House was a wonderful fit for my situation. I ended up staying there4 months while my husband’s situation improved.

Since that time, I have been lucky enough to stay at Harbor House two more times, the most recent being over the past 2 weeks. I cannot describe the feelings I have about the House adequately;  no words alone do it justice. Harbor House gives me a feeling of security, knowing I am within two blocks of my husband. They give you a space with no questions asked and go out of their way to ensure you are okay. Whenever I return to the house after a visit to the hospital and I open the door I feel such a sense of relief. It allows me to stay close yet gives me the space I need to keep myself sane.

The volunteers are fantastic, never encroaching on your privacy but letting you know they are there for you if need be. Harbor House is a rare find and one I am so happy I found being so far from home and needing help to make it through a difficult situation.

A Fond Farewell

Joan Malley was hired on as the Managing Director of the Harbor House when the House opened in 2009. Through her dedication the house became the caring and welcoming home it is known as today. Joan had the perfect character to create this atmosphere with her ability to connect and empathize with everyone who walked through the door.

Joan deeply cared for all the guests who stayed at Harbor House. We can safely say that our guests felt well looked after. Whether it was a joke, checking on a loved one or being a shoulder to cry on, Joan knew how to connect with the guests.

The volunteers often felt the same. It was Joan’s warmth that created a family-like feel amongst the volunteers.

In June, Joan retired from the Harbor House. We here are indebted to the tireless work she put into Harbor House. We can’t thank her family enough for sharing her with us all these years. We give our best wishes to Joan for her future journeys, hoping whatever they hold, they will be as vibrant as her.

Volunteers Needed

When the Covid-19 Pandemic really struck Rochester in March 2020, the Harbor House, along with many others stopped receiving volunteers. This was a hard decision to make because our volunteers are the heart of our hospitality. They are often those who greet our guests when coming home and make sure the house is an inviting place.

We are very excited to say that we are looking to have volunteers rejoin our ranks! Right now, we are seeking hospitality member to staff the house on weekday evening and throughout the weekend.

These team members are the friendly faces to welcome our guests when no staff is at the house. There may be light housekeeping needed, but we understand that everyone is still a little unsure of things with the Coronavirus, so, we will work with your comfort level.

Our weekday shifts typically run between 4PM-9PM and are 2-3 hours long. You can volunteer weekly, twice a month or monthly. The same goes on the weekend, but we need volunteers during the daytime hours too.

We ask that hospitality members who are staffing the house be 18 years or older. But if you know of a teenager looking to fulfill community service hours or they just want to volunteer themselves, you can still reach out. We have opportunities for when staff is here to supervise. If you’re interested in helping families traveling to Rochester for serious medical treatment, then we hope you’ll consider volunteering with the Harbor House. You can find our application online, give us a call at (585) 473-1779 or send an email to
info@harborhouserochester.org to find out more.

Welcome the New Executive Director

Harbor House is pleased to welcome Lawrence Jones as our new Executive Director. He is thrilled to be joining a successful team in providing support for family members of patients being treated in Rochester hospitals. Lawrence was drawn to this position due to his personal experiences, as he was his daughter, Frieda’s caregiver and advocate when she had heart replacement surgery in late 2017. His introduction to healthcare hospitality houses began when he was a guest at Family House in Pittsburgh and continued when he stayed at additional houses in Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and New York City. Thankfully, between good medical care and her resilient spirit, Frieda has recovered well and is back in college, completing her bachelor’s degree.

A Rochester resident for over 25 years, Lawrence previously worked in the not-for-profit sector with the Landmark Society of Western New York, promoting the preservation of historic homes and neighborhoods. In the for-profit sector, he worked developing affordable housing for families and seniors, including the award-winning Fairport Apartments rehabilitation.

Lawrence lives with his wife Vera and son Franklin in the Highland Park neighborhood of Rochester. In his spare time, he enjoys biking, kayaking and local history.

We at Harbor House are looking forward to partnering with Lawrence as the house grows and moves into the future. His drive and excitement can only mean good things for the organization.

Corporate Generosity

In September we received a phone call from Ashley Furniture Homestore. Through 2021 they have been hosting fundraising drives for local charities. They asked if Harbor House was interested in being sponsored in October. We were thrilled by the idea.

Throughout October the sales team told their customers about the Harbor House and their one-night sales event, which doubled as a drive for the house. Anyone who brought in a donation for Harbor House received a discount in turn.

The amount that that came in was amazing. There was an entire table-full of food, cleaning supplies, toiletries, and paper products. Everything our guests could need was there.

During this time we also realized that we needed a new air conditioning unit. Here we were introduced to the team at Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning. The service agent, Jon D’Angelo, explained that Isaac takes great pride in community philanthropy.

Jon not only thought he could get the AC unit donated from their suppliers. He looked into getting two air conditioners and two furnaces to replace our entire system. Jon did what he could and was successful!

In February Isaac will be installing our new heating and air conditioning system to update the house.

It is because of outreach from companies like Ashely Furniture Homestore and Isaac Heating & Air Conditioning that the Harbor House is grateful to call Rochester, NY its home.

Volunteers in the Spotlight:

Board of Directors

A lot goes into providing a home away from home for guests. It takes a team to make sure all comes together, giving guests a reprieve. In June, when Joan retired, the house was left with only Mary as staff. With the pandemic volunteers were minimal too.
Fortunately, the Board of Directors helped run the house and save the day. We remained open because of their effort. They picked up shifts throughout the week for five months. This meant being on call, checking in guests and cleaning.
Harbor House’s Board of Directors is entirely volunteer based. All our members have families and many work full-time jobs. In addition to covering the house and living their lives, they continued with their normal board duties.
Through 2021 the
board truly stepped up making sure things stayed the course. Harbor House’s staff wants to recognize the Board of Directors for their dedication to Harbor House’s mission and guests.