Thru the Lens: Houlihan Lawrence provide funding for HELP Haven

When Nancy Seaman, chairman of Houlihan Lawrence, visited the facilities of HELP Haven, a New York emergency shelter that provides temporary housing and job training for victims of domestic abuse and their children, she realized that the children's facilities in the city-owned building were deeply in need of TLC. She quickly marshaled forces at Houlihan Lawrence to draw up plans and provide funding. Agents and the community generously donated school supplies. But the two rooms - the children's day care and the teen center - required more than just cosmetic work. New floors, a new ceiling and new furniture were all needed and work had to be completed in three weeks in order to avoid disruptions of service for the mothers and children HELP serves. That's when Houlihan Lawrence got lucky. They connected with Patrick Gorham, a local contractor at Joyce Interiors who has handled high end properties such as the renovation of Le Bernardin, Trump International, St. Regis and the Grand Hyatt. He is also a member of the Scarsdale Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 1394. He visited the site and scoped out the situation. The result: Pat's group, along with several other local home renovation contractors, dedicated their time and efforts to transforming this space into a welcoming and safe place for victims and their families - all in only nine days. The rooms are complete and currently being enjoyed by the children and teens. On Tuesday, October 29th, some of the children, aged 2-4 years old, from HELP Haven took a trip to visit the firemen of Scarsdale Uniformed Firefighters Association Local 1394 and presented them with a handwritten thank you card to show their overwhelming gratitude. The children wore firefighter helmets, pretended to steer the fire truck, sprayed the hose, learned about all the equipment and tools firefighters use, met with local policemen for a tour of their station and ended the day with a special Halloween luncheon pizza party at the Houlihan Lawrence corporate headquarters in Rye Brook, N.Y. Rachel Halperin, Executive Director of HELP Haven, was present, expressing sincere gratitude to the firefighters and taking in the children's laughter and smiles. "There are no words that adequately describe how truly grateful we are to all those involved in this generous task," said Rachel Halperin, Executive Director of HELP Haven. "The rooms are already up and running, and it's a joy to see how excited the kids are to use their new welcoming and safe space." The visit ended with two firefighters sliding down the pole to applause and ear-to-ear smiles. A longtime supporter of the HELP organization, Houlihan Lawrence also held a back-to-school supplies drive and with the help of the local communities, agents succeeded in collecting over 60 backpacks filled with supplies for HELP locations.