Dear Safe Haven for Newborns Friend,
It warms my heart to think that there are so many caring, compassionate folks in the world; and I am very fortunate and grateful to know them. Because of you, our Champion for Newborns Virtual Telethon was a success. To put something of this magnitude together and for it work flawlessly does, in fact, take a village. A village filled with kind-hearted people that gave generously of their time and talents.
I would like to thank Lauren Pastrana, our Mistress of Ceremonies. Lauren is an Emmy-nominated, multimedia journalist who gives generously of her time and talent to help us in our mission to end infant abandonment. She kept the evening moving smoothly and everyone engaged.
A very special thank you to my friend, Max Wyler, President of Accord Productions and his wonderful, professional staff for making the evening a reality.
Thank you to the Silent Auction team headed by Ann McCormick and Cindy Delgado and the rest of the team -- Isabella Delgado, Isis Garcia, Graysy Oramas, Martha Baker, Monica Marin, Odalys Quesada, Patricia Gallardo, Samantha Baker, Sasha Van Dalen, and Shelia Anderson -- who knocked on every door and curated a varied selection of items. And to Tom Raffaele of Simple Software, who behind the scenes made sure the silent auction ran smoothly. As Ann said, “You brought us into the 21st century.”
A special thank you to Gloria Hope, who graced us with her rendition of our national anthem. Gloria, a Safe Haven baby, is now in her first year of college. And to Pastor Jeff Sullivan for the moving invocation.
To all our wonderful sponsors: Accord Productions, Baptist Health South Florida, Bacardi USA Inc., Community Newspapers, Compass Group Insurance, KPDesignz.com, Law Office of Jerome and Donna Hurtak, Miami Writing Services, Memorial Healthcare Systems, Rotary Club Miami Shores, SBS—Spanish Broadcasting System, and Tom and Kathy Shannon Family Foundation.
And our corporate supporters: Anthony Abraham Foundation, Coastal Cares, Cristina Sullivan, Farris Foundation, GMA—Gabe, Mullen, Antonelli & DiMatteo Law Offices, Halo Branded Solutions, Libertore Fund for Children, Quickbooks Professor, Simple Software, Sora Global, and Super Restoration.
Without your support and your belief in what we do, we could not come to the aid of the distressed, expectant mother and her unborn child.
And to all who took the time to share part of your Saturday night with us and generously made a donation, I say — Thank You. The funds raised during the telethon will allow us to continue with our mission to provide the expectant mothers with the services they need. To give them the peace of mind of knowing they are not alone; that help is just a phone call away by calling the Safe Haven for Newborns confidential 24/7 multilingual referral helpline. More often than not, A Safe Haven for Newborns is the expectant mother’s only recourse and their safety net.
We assist pregnant women in their moment of crisis as they make decisions that will have an impact on their lives and that of their unborn child. Some of the resources that A Safe Haven for Newborns offers includes referral to counseling, parenting services, health related issues, shelter, adoption, and confidentially placing their newborn at a safe haven location. All of the services are offered at no charge to her and no questions asked.
So far this year, we have welcomed 11 newborns to the Safe Haven family. What this means to us is that 11 families will be celebrating their first Thanksgiving and Christmas together. And this is because of you.
Thank you for believing in what we do.
Nick
