|
|
Bursary Recipient Testimonials
To everyone at the Haven Foundation
I am writing to you a month after I completed my Come Alive course at the Haven Institute, a month I spent taking in my surroundings, breathing, and gaining new perspective on my life. My experience at Come Alive opened the door for me to new ways of connecting to people and new ways of approaching the challenges that come to me. I am now learning to appreciate a stillness in my life and I can recognize the growth process that I am involved in.
I would like to thank the Haven Foundation for making this experience possible. The generosity of the Foundation has provided me with a stepping stone that I will now use as I make those further steps in my lifelong journey.
Come Alive March 2008
I could never have imagined being given the incredible gift of attending a Haven Core course like Phase 1, but it manifested itself totally at the right time of my life. I was so ready to do the work! It wasn't easy. Not too many things are in my life, especially when the changes are as profound as mine were.
Yes, there was pain, anxiety, hurt, anger and so forth, but these are feelings emotions that need to be left and experienced. I opened myself to them with help from the learning I was given with "breath work" and "grounding" in the safe and supportive environment of the of the Haven Program.
I am more aware of what is happening in my body now, which gives me insight into myself and communication with others. I still have a lot to learn (more than I realized before I took this program) but it is a life long journey which I am now ready to participate in. I now finally know I am worth the effort and through the kind and generous spirit of Bursary donations I can now value and appreciate my life.
Thank you from my heart for making this possible.
Warm thoughts.
Phase I March 2008
It is with a grateful heart that I write to thank you for the bursary that permitted me to complete Phase 1, Part B this month. This most recent journey to the Haven helped me accomplish exactly what I wanted: to center myself again after a difficult year. I feel physically better than I have in many months; my MS symptoms are definitely lessening.
It had never occurred to me to ask for help to attend part B, though I couldn't think I would be eligible. A big learning for me: sometimes if you (I) ask for what you want you (I) will get it!
Words cannot express my gratitude.
Phase I March 2008
Since March of 1983 when my husband of two decades slid out of my life without notice, I have silently, grimly stoked the fires of my anguish and rage. In the safety of this course, I seized the opportunity to give voice to those black feelings. The next morning I wept, and realized that I'd hung on to my rage to keep alive my longing for the promising young man I'd married so long ago. Now both feelings were gone. I felt satisfied and peaceful at last.
Anger, Boundaries & Safety April 2008
Just a few weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in Phase 2. I write now to express my gratitude to those that made this possible for me.
It was 26 days of challenge, struggle, effort, tears, anger, grief, laughter, joy, delight and grace. I believe that I used every crayon in my box. The pictures I and we drew were a full range of colour; some in shades I'd never seen before.
As with my Phase 1 experience some 10 years ago, I found the Haven to be just that; a "haven" safe enough to slow down and peer beneath the surface; a place where my basic needs were cared for by others so I was able to allow myself to authentically feel.
I felt nurtured and noticed by friendly support staff. I love the very aesthetically pleasing surroundings, both domestic and wild. And I especially felt met, guided and heard by those that facilitated our learning.
What I learned about self and other already makes its way into my everyday consciousness and thus touches those around me. My life partner and little girl are those that will benefit the most, next to me. As I am more gentle and accepting of my ways in the world, magically I seem to extend the same gift to them.
My summer students, starting next week, all 16 of them along with my fulltime 100 plus colleagues here at Yukon's Department of Environment are also the recipients of the Foundation grant that I received. To be working with - collaborating, stewarding, mentoring - so many folks in often intense times requires a healthy sense of self and sensitivity to the wants and needs of others. In Phase 2, living, breathing, eating, cuddling, playing, processing, laughing and crying with the others has contributed enormously to my desire and ability for sincere and honest relationship. I am more fully human.
And thus as I can better accept and express my human nature, the "green" nature that surrounds me will benefit too. This amazingly accurate mirror of the natural world will receive even more constructive rather than destructive behaviour from me, more connecting and less separating, more loving and less fearing.
I deeply thank those whose choices allowed me these experiences. I was truly hesitant to ask for any financial support, old Irish conditioning. And yet when I found the courage I was met. A door opened wide. I was welcomed and I stepped through.
May many others experience a similar opening.
Thank you Rose and all those quietly in the background whose generosity is changing the world.
Phase II March 2008
Dear contributors to the Haven Foundation
Thank you dearly for your gift of sponsoring me to attend Phase 1. I remember sitting and thinking near the end of Phase 1, 'Wow, I have learned so much during this experience, it is really incredible. There has been more potential learning in this than many people get in a lifetime.' Without getting into too much detail about what I have
learned, here is a sample:
- I have greatly increased my self-awareness and self-compassion
- I have tamed my striving down to a much more healthy level
- I am facing more and more the shadow that I carry and have repressed knowledge of for so long
- I am aware of my tendency to be obsessive and am learning to channel my obsessiveness in ways that are healthy for me and others
- my communication abilities have greatly increased
| |
This is huge gift for me personally, and I bring this into my work with people. I am trained as a counselor, and have gotten my education through the formal university education system. I am saddened to say that I believe that that system does not do much to encourage counsellors' own need for personal healing and growth through my experience at the Haven, I am more able to approach the people I work with every day in wholeness, presence, and integrity. The point is, that the gift you have given to me, travels through me and into others who I am daily in contact with.
So much gratitude for all your support.
Phase I March 2008 |
I would like to express my gratitude towards everyone who has donated to the financial aid program at the Haven. There are times in peoples' lives when they are ready to grow and move on to a better way of living and they just don't have the means to do so. For me, I feel like I have been living in a dark cave for so many years, searching for a way out but kept going deeper into it. Being given the beautiful gift to come to The Haven has given me direction and a bright light to lead me out of my dark cave. Thank you all so much, it was a life changing experience and I would love the opportunity to come back again.
Come Alive March 2008
Thank you all for your kindness in helping C participate in the "Come Alive" course. It was very meaningful and helped her so much. I especially want to thank Rose - she was so kind and pleasant and helpful over the telephone.
(Recipient's Mom)
Come Alive March 2008
I was blessed & thankful to receive a bursary to attend the Come Alive course at the Haven Institute in January 2008 ... I learned so much about myself & I feel happier & better able to function with boundaries & tools I took home with me. It was the most amazing experience of my life & I am a senior. I learned I can change life long habits that are not serving me any more... now am making plans to attend 2 more work shops offered at the Haven. I will be returning to the Haven for many years to come. I did good hard work, learned lots, met wonderful friends, danced, laughed, loved the food, loved the staff. Special thanks to all the great leaders & Elfi Dillon-Shaw for their acceptance & kindness. I feel truly blessed, it was my first best bursary I have ever received.
Come Alive January 2008
I just wanted to take the time to thank you for the amazing opportunity to attend the Come Alive this past August. I have had a while now to process everything and put everything I've learned to use in my life over the last couple of months. Going to the Come Alive has totally changed my life already! I am so grateful for the opportunity to have gone especially because it would not have been possible without the bursary program. Words cannot even describe the gratitude I have for you and everyone else who made it possible A very special thanks to Wendy and Susan. I learned so much in such a short time from them. They opened up so many new possibilities for me; I am deeply honoured to have worked with them. I would love to come back again soon, if everything works out- hopefully in the spring when I'm finished school.
Thanks again...I am very grateful.
Come Alive August 2007
To the generous donors of the Haven Foundation:
Thank you so very much for your financial donation(s) which made it possible for my children to attend an incredible summer week of Dance and Games for Kids with Denise Goldbeck.
Your donations really do reach people who need them. Little hearts and souls are mending as a result of your generosity.
Thank you again for your gifts of kindness through the Foundation.
An appreciative mom, Dance and Games for Kids, 2007
'I recently attended a session of Come Alive at the Haven, for which I was extremely fortunate to receive financial aid. As a young person dealing with cancer, the cost of this program, while certainly not unreasonable, would have been prohibitive for me at this time. I simply did not have the necessary funds and yet was so keen to attend. I just knew it would be so good for me and so when I heard about the option of financial aid, I figured I would give it a shot.
Well, happily I was accepted! And I must say that not only was my attendance of Come Alive 'good for me', it really was one of the most inspiring, transformational and important experiences of my life. I will never ever forget it and I take the experiences I had there and the people I met with me everywhere I now go. I had been trying to work through various issues I feel contributed to my illness and the program was more helpful in this capacity than I could have imagined. The unconditional support for total self-expression was so liberating and healing. The Haven is a totally magical place and I would highly recommend it to anyone! If we all attended even just one Come Alive session, I know the world would be a better place: I saw personal triumphs and transformations taking place right in front of me all week and had that very thought on several occasions…
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for accepting me for financial assistance to attend this program. Please know what a great difference this has made in my health and life overall. And I hope to be seeing you there again someday soon, whenever my finances and other circumstances permit.
And I would certainly love to one day make a contribution to your aid program so that others like me can continue to benefit from this generous support. It is certainly my plan to send along a donation when more prosperous times come my way'.
CK Come Alive March 2007
'I just want to say a deep heartfelt thank you to [those] involved in my application for financial assistance. Without your acceptance, the cost of the course, although certainly reasonable, would have been prohibitive for me at this time given my health circumstance. I felt it would be very beneficial for me to attend at this point in my life and wow, I could not have imagined how right I was...it is a total understatement. It was more than I could have hoped for...it's like having an instant second family and second place to call home. I certainly hope to be able to return to this safe haven one day and further expand my horizons.' 2007
'I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for all your hard work and dedicated time that you put into Haven. I am very grateful that you were able give me a bursary for the Come Alive I just attended. I will most definitely be giving a donation to the foundation, when my financial situation gets better.'
C.P 2007
|
|
|
