Dan +Shay teamup with Ashley HomeStore Make Families’ Homes Sparkle for the Holidays Two-time GRAMMY winners and current nominees Dan + Shay shared good will and tidings of the holiday season with Safe Haven Family Shelter. The duo’s Dan Smyers and Shay Mooney seized an opportunity to flip the message in their song “Take Me Home for Christmas” on its head and help deserving families by taking home to them – literally. Smyers and Mooney spent a weekend in Nashville alongside members of Middle Tennessee’s premier shelterto-housing program, Safe Haven Family Shelter, giving “home for the holidays” a whole new meaning. The duo, who recently shared the experience with Entertainment Tonight and TODAY, partnered with Ashley HomeStore to provide
interior design services and brandnew Ashley Furniture for three local families moving into housing. Smyers and Mooney were both on hand to meet the selected families and share a special performance before joining them for the makeover reveals. “We at Safe Haven are grateful to Dan + Shay, Ashley HomeStore
and Warner Music Nashville for this amazing opportunity for our families, right at the holiday season,” said Safe Haven CEO Joyce Lavery. “Thank you for providing warm beds, beautiful furniture and personal design touches that give families that have been through so much this year a wonderful place to call home.”
Safe Haven’s CEOReflects on Our Growth and Prepares for Retirement Joyce Lavery, CEO
On June 1, 2009, I began my official duties as Executive Director of Safe Haven Family Shelter. Flexibility, compassion, insight and wisdom, being able to see the organization from 35,000 miles above, and being a connector were capacities I hoped I brought to Safe Haven and served as a catalyst for its tremendous growth.
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When I started, along with Rachael and Jennifer, there were only a handful of other staff. Families stayed in shelter for months, and the homes we owned in the community served as transitional housing where families lived for one to two years. Annually, we served around 35 families. The building (now known as the basement) had a leaky roof, communal bathrooms, resident rooms
next to our offices, and a children’s play area in the middle. Our budget was $500,000, and we had significant fundraising challenges.. While I do not
T H E S A F E H A V E N N E WS L E T T E R
