Philanthropy | Creating a Haven & Home: Pat and Lynne Barnett & The Haven

By Simone Knego | Photo by Nancy Guth

Pat and Lynne Barnett harbor a passion for charitable pursuits and are unwavering in their commitment to improving the well-being of society. Over the course of the previous eleven years, they have been apportioning their time between Northeastern New York and Sarasota, allocating fifty percent of their time to each location. 

Lynne, a former school nurse, and Pat, a former contractor, are both enjoying their retirement. Their shared history dates to adolescence, as they started dating at thirteen and eventually tied the knot at the age of twenty. The Barnetts are blessed with three children, all of whom are employed in the medical profession.

Pat and Lynne’s connection with The Haven began when Lynne went to a volunteer day at their church and signed her and her husband to volunteer with The Miracle League. This non-profit organization provides opportunities for children and adults with disabilities to play organized baseball in an inclusive and supportive environment. Since that day, 11 years ago, they have been volunteering with The Miracle League. When the baseball season ended, Pat and Lynne missed the kids who attended The Miracle League, so they reached out to Brad Jones, President and CEO of The Haven, and asked if they could start volunteering at the school. They took a tour of The Haven and have been volunteering there since that day, almost a decade ago. 

Founded in 1954, The Haven has provided exceptional education and care for children with disabilities. The Haven is dedicated to helping children and adults with developmental, intellectual, and physical disabilities unlock their full potential through personalized education and therapeutic interventions. Initially known as the Sunshine Day School, The Haven had a humble beginning with a mere four students and was situated in an airplane hangar at the Sarasota airport.

In 1964, the school founders were able to purchase the 32 acres on which the school now stands by selling 20,000 pounds of fruitcake in a fundraiser for the school. Today, The Haven serves more than 700 people daily and is comprised of the Selby Preschool, Haven Academy, the residential program, and Haven Industries, its adult work program. Its programs and services for adults and children with disabilities enhance their quality of life by encouraging independence, championing inclusion, and advocating for their individual rights. 

Pat and Lynne are on campus every Tuesday and Thursday from fall to spring. Pat helps with campus maintenance and landscaping. Lynne works in the inclusive preschool helping in all classrooms and working with children with and without disabilities. When asked about the preschool, Lynne stated, “It is gratifying to see the regular education children interact with the special needs children. It warms your heart to see inclusion done right.”  The Haven feels like a second home to them, and they have developed a fantastic camaraderie with the kids and adults on the campus.

Pat is also a board member, a member of the finance committee and the building grounds committee, and just completed a three-year term as president of Friends of The Haven, a separate nonprofit focused on supporting The Haven. In addition to volunteering at The Haven, they also volunteer each summer at Double H, a Paul Newman sleepaway camp in New York for medically fragile kids.

One of The Haven’s most popular programs is its residential program, which currently serves 49 full-time residents in six group homes on campus. Some residents have lived there for most of their adult life. The Haven is in the process of constructing two additional group homes. One of these homes will be designed explicitly for geriatric individuals with increasing medical needs. Their observations indicate that individuals with disabilities, particularly those with Down syndrome who develop Alzheimer’s disease, tend to experience an accelerated and pronounced deterioration.

According to Pat, “Previously, the campus lacked appropriate facilities to cater to the needs of these individuals, resulting in their relocation to other places. But sending residents with Alzheimer’s who have been at The Haven for 35 years or more to other institutions isn’t really the best option as they experience disorientation being in unfamiliar surroundings. Therefore, we are building a new geriatric home, which will accommodate nine clients and is already fully booked.”

The other most recently built group home was completed a couple of years ago, and some rooms are designed to accommodate individuals in wheelchairs. The rooms are equipped with a track system that enables clients to transfer themselves from their wheelchairs to the bed and move around the room using a harness and remote control. This track can also carry them to the shower, toilet, and other facilities. Pat praised the group home, saying,” It is truly remarkable because it offers its residents a degree of independence.”

“The Haven is similar to a small college campus”, shared Lynne. “I brought my granddaughter to The Haven to spend some time with the students, and she remarked how it felt like Double H, the summer camp that we volunteer at in New York, a place where kids feel at home.” Unlike other facilities, The Haven’s numerous group homes foster a sense of connectedness among the residents, who can freely visit each other and enjoy communal activities.

During the Easter holidays, Pat and Lynne hosted a Haven resident at their residence, who happened to be the child of one of their friends, to partake in the festivities. The school was closed on Good Friday, so Lynne thought that there probably wasn’t much going on that day. 

When Lynne asked her what they did on Good Friday since The Haven was closed, she shared how they had a pool party, went to the beach in the afternoon, had a barbecue, and had an Easter egg hunt in the evening.

Lynne continued, “They’re always engaged in different activities, including going to Disney on Ice, playing ball, participating in The Miracle League, and a special needs bowling group. The Haven offers so much for its residents and students.”

Pat and Lynne are incredibly passionate about the work on this campus. When asked why they are so committed to The Haven, Lynne shared, with tears in her eyes, “The work we do here definitely makes us feel like we are making a difference in someone else’s life.” 

They believe they get so much more out of their time at The Haven than they give. 

Hallie Young, Director of Development at The Haven, shared, “We are so lucky to have the Barnetts as part of our Haven family. From being part of our board of directors to working in the heat making our landscaping beautiful, to working directly with our preschool kiddos, there’s nothing the two of them can’t or don’t do for us.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION about The Haven, its programs, and its volunteer opportunities, please visit thehavensrq.org.