A Letter from Our Executive Director

Dear Friends,

As we wrap our 25th anniversary year, I look back in awe, and not a small amount of gratitude, for all we have accomplished together. Just flipping through the pages of our annual newsletter, I marvel at the dizzying array of programs, events, and accomplishments we have pulled off in just one year!

Over the past few months as we’ve been recording our new podcast, This is Safe Harbors, I have been reminded that ambitious thinking is baked into our organizational DNA. From founding team members who saw an opportunity for supportive housing and the arts to revitalize downtown Newburgh, to our staff and partners who are carrying that intrepid spirit forward, hearing their stories in each episode has been a reminder of the tenacity and heart behind our mission.

Our tenacity and ambitious vision have yielded new and historic milestones this year:

  • Welcoming the public back into the Ritz Theater Stagehouse for the first time in over 50 years!
  • Launching the first-ever Newburgh Fringe Festival, which boasted 70 performances in 72 hours across 7 venues and attracted 700+ festival-goers!
  • Record-breaking attendance at each of this year’s Ann Street Gallery exhibitions, including over 500 visitors to the 2025 Emerging Artist Fellowship Exhibition, Untethered Creatures, during Newburgh Open Studios alone!
  • Being named Nonprofit of the Year by the New York State Association for Affordable Housing, and receiving a Building of Excellence Award from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) for our new housing development at 69-79 William Street.

We are proud of the good work of the past 25 years and look forward to all the exciting opportunities ahead. At the same time, we are mindful that we are navigating a moment of real uncertainty as federal funding for housing and the arts continues to shrivel. This reality challenges us to think more creatively, but not any less ambitiously, in sustaining affordable, supportive housing for our residents, and vibrant arts programs that bring together our community.

Help us continue to create meaningful and lasting change in the lives of our residents and in the City of Newburgh by making a year end donation to Safe Harbors.

Cheers to 25 Years!

Lisa Silverstone

Executive Director, Safe Harbors of the Hudson

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Help to sustain Safe Harbors for the next 25 years with a recurring monthly or quarterly gift of $25. Your contribution throughout the year provides stability and support through uncertain times to propel our work forward.