This is Safe Harbors

Performing arts and community programming have been a pillar of Safe Harbors’ mission since its founding, and for the past 25 years, the organization has been the proud steward of Newburgh’s historic Ritz Theater, saving the building from certain collapse while steadily working to redevelop and activate the space over time.  In this episode, Lisa sits down with Ken Martinez, Safe Harbors’ Director of Performing Arts and Community Programming since 2024, to discuss how the performing arts at Safe Harbors have continued to grow, bringing Newburgh residents together and championing a vibrant performing arts community. They are joined by two members of this community: Daniel Villegas, a slam poet and spoken word artist, and Gloria Bonelli, theater director and producer, talent agent, and personal manager. From hosting storytelling workshops and Salsa Under the Stars to launching the first-ever Newburgh Fringe Festival in 2025, Daniel and Gloria each have many stories to tell about the magical moments of connection that Safe Harbors has inspired. Go behind the scenes with Ken, Lisa, Daniel, and Gloria — and get a sneak peek at what’s next! 

Since its inception in 2007, Safe Harbors’ Ann Street Gallery has become an anchor of the Newburgh art scene and community. In this episode, Lisa sits down with artist and educator Alison McNulty, who joined Safe Harbors as Gallery Director in 2023. They discuss how the gallery contributes to Safe Harbors’ mission of transforming lives and building community through its thought-provoking exhibitions and programming, and by creating networks of support for local and regional artists. Lisa and Alison are joined by Nicole Hixon, an Orange County-based artist and alumnus of the Emerging Artist Fellowship, and Jean-Marc Superville Sovak, the gallery’s inaugural Artist Researcher in Residence, whose deeply moving project From the Ground UP unearthed and honored the forgotten history of African-Americans buried in, and disinterred from, what was historically known as Newburgh’s “Colored Burial Ground.” The artists share the individual journeys that brought them to Ann Street Gallery, and the ways in which its support continues to radiate through their own work and through the growing community of artists and neighbors brought together by the gallery. 

Lisa sits down with Neline Rivera, Safe Harbors' Manager of Leasing and Compliance, and Valentina Dunsing, Manager for Supportive Housing at Independent Living, for a crash course in the application process, eligibility, and how our team helps residents transition into the Cornerstone community, stay safe, and stay housed. The group also reflects on the largest challenge the Cornerstone has faced since its opening in 2006: the COVID-19 pandemic. The episode takes its name from the wellness check system the team devised before any guidance or directives from health and housing agencies, offering a vivid flashback to the harrowing early days of the pandemic and how the shutdown impacted both residents and staff.Lastly, they are joined by Cornerstone residents Agnes and Suzanne, who share how they each found their way to the Cornerstone, and their experiences joining and being part of the resident community.

 Released in celebration of Safe Harbors’ 25th Anniversary Silver Jubilee Gala, the first episode of This is Safe Harbors takes listeners back to the organization’s beginnings. Executive Director Lisa Silverstone hosts a compelling conversation with founder Tricia Haggerty Wenz, who recounts the journey to transform the former Hotel Newburgh into affordable, supportive housing. Joining the discussion are two early partners: Douglas Hovey, President and CEO of Independent Living Inc., an advocacy and service agency that has partnered with Safe Harbors since the beginning to provide residents with supportive case management, and by Safe Harbors' founding Director of Operations Ramona Monteverde, who recently retired after 22 years with the organization. Together, they reflect on the vision, collaboration, fateful connections, and persistence that brought Safe Harbors to life.