It was an exciting day for Heart, Love & Soul. Standing on the shoulders of the Sacred Heart Prayer Group that started Heart & Soul 37 years ago and the hope they brought to our community, we are excited to announce our Daybreak Campaign for Heart, Love & Soul.
Focused on our mission to feed those in need, body, mind and soul, Daybreak will help close gaps in services for our vulnerable sisters and brothers in need.
With area partners, Daybreak will work to straighten the pathways between agencies and weave a more manageable network of services that support clients toward stability and independence. It is a rousing moment for our entire community.
Thank you to everyone who came out to support us; we are so incredibly grateful and blessed by your unconditional support!
A press conference to announce the launch of a capital campaign to support Heart, Love & Soul (HLS) and its planned Daybreak program took place on Friday, February 15 at 10:30 a.m. at 939 Ontario Ave., Niagara Falls, NY.
HLS plans to begin renovating the site of the Daybreak program at 924 Niagara Avenue directly behind Heart & Soul’s current building in May 2019. The new facility is expected to open in Fall 2019.
Daybreak will build upon current HLS services – including a food pantry, daily meal service, case management, and care coordination – by providing additional basic services and dedicated space for partner agencies to deliver client services directly onsite.
“We are excited to move forward on this needed initiative that is the result of years of planning by many service agencies in the Niagara Falls community,” said Sr. Beth Brosmer, Executive Director of HLS. “By bringing a variety of services together in one accessible location, we can improve the effectiveness of our efforts and make a greater collective impact on our community and individuals in need.”
The new center will offer shower and laundry facilities, a multi-purpose community room, computer lab, additional space for case management and care coordination, a reflection room, and offices for partner agencies to deliver a variety of services on a rotating basis. Clients will be able to access services for housing, health and wellness, behavioral health, employment and training, education, financial literacy, legal support, and more.
The press conference launched the public phase of a $3.5M capital campaign to fund construction, startup and operating costs, and an investment fund to ensure long-term sustainability. HLS has raised more than $2.6M to date.
Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M., President Emeritus of Niagara University and Honorary Chair of the capital campaign; co-chairs, Dr. Lyn Dyster and Kelly Besaw; Robyn Krueger, Executive Director of Community Missions; Anthony Restaino, Commissioner of Niagara County Department of Social Services; and Sr. Beth Brosmer, Executive Director of Heart, Love & Soul will spoke at the event.
Mayor Paul Dyster, local councilman Chris Voccio, and representatives from the offices of Assemblyman Angelo Morinello, Senator Robert Ortt, and Congressman Brian Higgins were in attendance.
