David's Refuge

David's Refuge Our vision is to become a community nationally recognized for empowering caregivers to lead their fam David battled Batten’s for thirteen years.

David’s Refuge was started in memory of our son David, who was born November 02, 1988. He was a typical, healthy, happy little guy who lived life to the fullest. In late February 1997, two months after we returned from living overseas in Poland, David began to have difficulty seeing. Within a matter of weeks he lost all of his central vision and some of his peripheral. The initial diagnosis was Ma

cular Dystrophy, a non-specific name to describe his loss. God in His goodness saw fit for us to be placed in Manlius, NY, in one of the best school districts in New York for visually impaired children. He surrounded us with friends and family to support us through his ordeal. In an attempt to get a more specific diagnosis and help us determine the best educational program for David, we went to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, MD. Little did we know the emotional turmoil we were about to face. We waited for over a month wondering what the testing results would prove. The phone call finally came telling us that David had Batten Disease, a rare progressive disease in which he lacked an enzyme necessary to break down and remove the waste that occurs from cell activity in his neurons. The eyes are the first area to be affected since the optic nerve has such a high concentration of nerve cells. As the brain neurons slowly fill up with these deposits, the body shuts down. To this day there is no cure for Batten Disease, although some very exciting research is being conducted. On October 22, 2009 David went to be with the Lord. Over a thousand people came to celebrate his life. The verse we chose to focus on at his memorial service was 2 Timothy 4:7

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

David’s Refuge was formed in honor of David to encourage parents to keep pressing on. As our guest our prayer for you is that you will be restored and refreshed to fight the good fight, to finish the race and to keep the faith.

Because of generous funding, moments like this become possible.For many caregivers of children with special needs, life ...
06/08/2026

Because of generous funding, moments like this become possible.

For many caregivers of children with special needs, life can feel like an endless cycle of appointments, advocacy, caregiving, and simply making it through the day. Rest often feels out of reach.

One mom recently shared what a David’s Refuge retreat meant to her:

"I’m still feeling so incredibly grateful for one full night to myself — my first in a couple years."

She arrived with no expectations other than "just getting there." What she found was something every caregiver deserves: a chance to rest, reconnect, and be surrounded by people who understand.

"What makes David’s Refuge so meaningful isn’t just the chance to rest... it’s the community. Being surrounded by people who just get it, without needing to explain a thing, is such a grounding gift."

For families living in survival mode, these experiences are more than a getaway. They are a reminder that they are seen, supported, and not carrying the weight alone.

Your support helps make these life-giving moments possible. Every gift helps provide respite, community, and hope for caregivers who spend so much of their lives caring for others.

💙 Because when caregivers are cared for, entire families are strengthened.

https://www.davidsrefuge.org/support/donate/

What a night!Thanks to YOUR generosity, we raised $200,185 to support the families we serve!!! A huge thank you to our d...
06/06/2026

What a night!

Thanks to YOUR generosity, we raised $200,185 to support the families we serve!!!

A huge thank you to our donors, volunteers, emcees Iris St. Meran & Megan Coleman, Mission Chairs Jakia & Delando Kelly, and Honorary Chairs Sheena Solomon & Lindsay McClung of the Gifford Foundation.

Thank you to our talented photographers Gregg Ordon of CNY Headshots and Nancy Miller of Capture the Moment CNY Photography for capturing the evening so perfectly. Great tunes as always by Slow Train!

We'll be highlighting our incredible sponsors throughout the upcoming weeks so stay tuned!!

Taste of David’s Refuge is FINALLY here!!HUGE shoutout to our amazing volunteers that came out to Baldwinsville this mor...
06/05/2026

Taste of David’s Refuge is FINALLY here!!

HUGE shoutout to our amazing volunteers that came out to Baldwinsville this morning for setup. Events like this would not be possible without all of our volunteers. 🫶🏻

Tickets are available online or at the door.

See you tonight at 5:30pm at Timber Banks! 😎

Our favorite event - TASTE OF DAVID'S REFUGE is just 24 hours away!!! There is still time to buy you ticket AND check ou...
06/04/2026

Our favorite event - TASTE OF DAVID'S REFUGE is just 24 hours away!!! There is still time to buy you ticket AND check out our online auction!
- Click Here https://one.bidpal.net/taste26/welcome
And check out this amazing article written by David's Refuge Co-Founder Warren Pfohl about the HISTORY of Taste of David's Refuge!
https://www.davidsrefuge.org/articles/discover-and-taste-the-hear-of-davids-reguge/

Discover and Taste The Heart of David’s Refuge June 4, 2026 • By Sarah Watson It’s not to late! You can still buy tickets for the Taste or Davids’ Refuge and attend one of the most inspiring, fun, purpose driven events of the year. The event starts at 5:30 at the beautiful Timber Banks Golf ...

Thank you Brighton Rotary Club - NY, USA for inviting David’s Refuge to present to your club. I truly appreciated your h...
06/04/2026

Thank you Brighton Rotary Club - NY, USA for inviting David’s Refuge to present to your club. I truly appreciated your hospitality and conversation. I am grateful for the chance to share how we support caregivers across Rochester community.

Can you do us a favor and take a second to celebrate our amazing Chief Development Officer Diana Osborne Nightingale for...
06/04/2026

Can you do us a favor and take a second to celebrate our amazing Chief Development Officer Diana Osborne Nightingale for her 2-year Work Anniversary with our mission!!! Diana brings energy, talent, skill, love and tremendous passion to her role. And she's one of the kindest people we know. We are grateful for her committment to serving caregivers. Thank you Diana!!!!!

06/02/2026

Grateful beyond measure for volunteers from KeyBank who joined us today to help us prep for the big event!!! Aren't they amazing!!!??

Hello friends!! We are still looking for a few more bottles of wine for our Wine Pull which will be featured at our Tast...
06/02/2026

Hello friends!!
We are still looking for a few more bottles of wine for our Wine Pull which will be featured at our Taste of David's Refuge auction THIS FRIDAY!!
If you have an extra bottle you are willing to donate, please bring it to our office today or tomorrow 9-3pm
Address: 1035 7th N St, Liverpool, NY 13088

06/01/2026

We are so excited to have the one and only Megan Coleman from WSTM as our emcee this Friday Night!!! Will you join us? There's still time to get your tickets at davidsrefuge.org

What a beautiful day!!! Board member Jess Charboneau planned a luncheon for caregivers at Syracuse Latin SchoolVery spec...
05/30/2026

What a beautiful day!!! Board member Jess Charboneau planned a luncheon for caregivers at Syracuse Latin School

Very special shout out to Bianchi's Catering for a beautiful top notch meal to honor these amazing parents. This is community and this is what Caring for the Caregiver looks like in action.

Address

5800 Heritage Landing Drive
East Syracuse, NY
13057

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when David's Refuge posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to David's Refuge:

Share