04/07/2023
OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE FROM HAYDEN'S HOUSE:
HAYDEN’S HOUSE OF HEALING FORCED TO CLOSE ITS DOORS TO GRIEVING FAMILIES
COLUMBIA, NJ – With heavy hearts, we bring you the devastating news Hayden’s House of Healing will be closing its doors at 20 Ivan Road, Columbia, New Jersey. This home was purchased in 2019 and since then, over 400 grieving parents found solace and support here through their grief journey. Hayden’s House provided these families with a connection to the child loss community and a tribe of parents who truly understand and share their pain.
Hayden’s House of Healing received a letter in July of 2022 that our non-profit organization needed to apply for a variance with Knowlton Township (a claimed STIGMA FREE community) to continue operating as a “business” in a residential area. This matter was never brought to our attention when we purchased the home or when we applied for local non-profit property tax relief. We immediately agreed to comply with the many requests made by the Board of Adjustments including parking concerns, occupancy numbers, sewer restraints, building permits.
During the multiple Board of Adjustment meetings, the Board members, as well as the Lake Association (which our home is part of) expressed concerns stemming from personal feelings about our organization. Offensive, discriminatory, and unsubstantiated commentary from the Board described our workshops as “weeping parents and ceremonies” and referenced “the psychological impact...to have other children’s deaths brought to mind every day.” Ultimately, the Board voted no on approving our variance, despite meeting the resolutions of their conditions.
This decision illustrates that child loss continues to be a very isolating experience and one that can make others unfamiliar with this grief very uncomfortable – which is why Hayden’s House of Healing is so important. We stand for love, community and hope and feel the Board of Adjustment’s vote was a calculated decision influenced by the negative feelings towards our organization and work, not on the inadequacy to meet the variance standards.
We will be listing the current property for sale and launching a capital campaign that will allow us to purchase a new home in a more welcoming and unbiased community. We hope our future home will meet all of our needs as an organization, including creating a safe and judgment-free zone for parents who so desperately need it.
We appreciate your continued support as we make this transition. It is not the walls of Hayden’s House of Healing that hold it up, but rather the spirit of the brave families who come in and out of our doors. We will continue to build our community for them and look forward to sharing our new location with you in the future.
Hayden's House of Healing is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide a safe, tranquil space for bereaved mothers, fathers, couples, children and families to heal and connect together through a variety of methods and activities offered to assist in the healing process.
Aide us in our efforts to RISE UP by making a tax-deductible donation to help us secure our next home allowing us to continue our mission to support bereaved parents and families.
https://www.classy.org/campaign/we-will-rise-up/c480881
