We are delighted to announce the appointment of Patty Belden as our new Director of Development! With nearly 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership and fundraising, she will play a key role in advancing Boys & Girls Haven's mission to support vulnerable youth. Patty joins us from the American Cancer Society where she served as Executive Director for Kentucky.

Boys & Girls Haven is excited to announce an $80,000 grant from the Clark Family Foundation, Inc., a family foundation based in Naples, Florida, dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of children. This generous contribution will fund critical renovations to the living spaces on our Residential Foster Care campus, ensuring a safe, comfortable, and nurturing environment for the children in our care. We are deeply grateful for the Clark Family Foundation's commitment to supporting the needs of vulnerable youth.

A BIG shout out to Clarinets by Copeland in Shelbyville, KY! Owners Jonathan and Ashley Copeland heard that one of our youth wanted to continue clarinet lessons through our Music Therapy Program and generously donated a brand-new Copeland Clarinet that Jonathan personally built for him. Their gift has made a huge impact on this young man’s life. 

"Reading is so powerful, and my hope is that these kids find healing through books," 94-year-old Beverly Leifer—affectionately known as "Bookmark Bev"— told us during our recent visit.

Bev’s love for the arts has been a constant throughout her life. As a former recreational therapy student, scout leader, substitute teacher, and mother, she deeply understands the calming influence that creativity can bring. Now a resident at Belmont Village Senior Living, Bev prefers to use her artistic talents to inspire others rather than spend time playing bingo or cards. Each bookmark she creates is a labor of love, taking about three hours to complete. She carefully cuts cardstock, crafts unique origami decorations, adds pressed flowers, and finishes each one with an inspirational quote on the back—resulting in a one-of-a-kind keepsake for both avid and beginning readers.

Bev’s bookmarks have traveled the globe, reaching nonprofits in Asia, Africa, and South America, delivered by friends and family. She also donates them to local organizations, including prisons, veterans’ groups, after-school programs, and children’s hospitals.

During our visit, Bev generously gifted us 50 unique bookmarks to share with the kids in our Residential Foster Care Program.

Thank you, Bookmark Bev!

“The Junior League of Louisville hosted a cooking life skills class for the residential cottages, where they taught the youth how to make grilled cheese sandwiches with various toppings and proteins and paired them with different soups. They provided hands-on guidance throughout the process. The youth were highly engaged and enjoyed learning these new skills."

-Ayla Espinosa, IR Manager

As part of our Trauma Resilient Communities initiative, Boys & Girls Haven staff recently came together for a friendly team-building activity centered on self-care. This interactive trivia session provided a fun and engaging way for the team to deepen their understanding of self-care practices, while also reinforcing our commitment to resilience and well-being. It was a great opportunity to connect, share laughs, and support each other in the vital work we do every day.

This October, we were thrilled to have 13 dedicated Kentucky Colonels join us bright and early to volunteer their time painting our equine fence. With considerable manpower, they made impressive progress, covering a large portion of the fence. Together, they contributed a total of 39 hours! We extend a special thank you to everyone involved in the project, and we're grateful for the meaningful participation of a former Boys & Girls Haven resident in the group.

Our annual Trunk or Treat event was a blast, thanks to our incredible youth, staff, and an army of 65 amazing volunteers who helped bring the Halloween spirit to life. A special shout-out to Starbucks for going all out with several spooky trunks, loads of treats, fun games, and prizes (their iconic tumblers!). They even brought costumes last week for the youth and stayed after to help clean up.

We’re also grateful to our fantastic volunteers from Hogan Lovells, Lady Hibernians, Junior League, Rock Vineyard Church, Aetna, JCPS, Sigma Gamma Rho, as well as our Board Members and Staff—your support means the world to our kids. 

We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us for the Legacy Celebration, making it a truly unforgettable night in support of Boys & Girls Haven. Thanks to our incredible guests, sponsors, volunteers, staff, and all who contributed, we came together to create change for the youth we serve.

Your contributions made a powerful difference, and we can’t thank you enough for standing with us on this journey. Here’s to many more successes ahead and to all who share our mission. Thank you for being part of our community and for helping us build brighter futures. 

A special thank you goes to our talented emcees, Tony Cruise and Tony Vanetti, for keeping the evening lively and engaging, and to our inspiring speakers who reminded us of the impact we’re making together. The generosity and energy in the room were inspiring, and because of you, we’re able to continue providing resources, stability, and hope to our young people.

 

On March 1st, 2025, from 9am-12pm, the Mellwood Art Center will host the 12th Annual Gravy Cup, the world’s largest biscuits and gravy competition. More than 30 local professional chefs and home cooks will showcase their best gravy recipes for a panel of professional and celebrity judges and over 800 attendees. Competitors will be divided into three categories: Traditional (pork sausage roux), Non-Traditional (brown, red-eye, chorizo) and Vegetarian/Vegan. Attendees will also vote for their favorite recipe and the winner will be awarded the People’s Choice Award!

In addition to scrumptious southern comfort food, the morning will offer exclusive merchandise, live music, a selfie station, and a cash bar. Younger gravy lovers will love the children’s area, including games, mascots, and face painting.

Want to compete in 2025? Professional and amateur chefs welcome! There is no entry fee, but contestants must bring 8+ quarts of gravy per category and bring their own chafing dishes, serving utensils, & heating equipment (Sternos).

Boys & Girls Haven is a private non-profit agency supporting youth and families in Kentucky through a multifaceted and comprehensive continuum of care. We are trauma-informed caretakers providing six core services: Residential Therapeutic Foster Care, In-Home Foster Care, Transitional Living Programs, Independence Readiness, Haven Family Counseling Services, and Animal-Assisted Therapy. Our mission is to shelter, heal, and teach children and young adults to become resilient members of our community through an integrated spectrum of care.