By Kate Hill
Staff Writer
This month, The Haven at Skanda received $2,000 from CNY Tuesdays, a program that awards competitive grants to small nonprofit organizations each week.
Located at 4000 Mosley Rd. in Cazenovia, Skanda is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization dedicated to caring for rescued and endangered farm animals, and to offering educational, supportive and preventative programs to the public.
The $2,000 grant will be used to care for Skanda’s animals and to support a new, emergency drop-in childcare program.
CNY Tuesdays grants are funded by Adam Weitsman of Upstate Shredding. Every Tuesday at 7 p.m., Michael Benny of NBC 3 News highlights the recipient organizations.
“The general public nominates organizations they feel are worthy, then votes for them,” Skanda’s Executive Director, Ellen Beckerman, said.
According to Beckerman, dedicated volunteer Julia Jones — a retired police officer and an expert horsewoman who cares for Skanda’s horses — brought the CNY Tuesdays contest to her attention.
“We were thrilled with the opportunity to be nominated because we rely on grants and donations to be able to take care of [our] rescued animals . . .” Beckerman said. “We also recognized the opportunity to gain more exposure and share the animals and Skanda’s work with a wider audience.”
In response to the current COVID-19 crisis, Skanda acquired a temporary license from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services to provide emergency weekday childcare for parents who are essential personnel, highly stressed, or in need of relief.
“Skanda is committed to responding to community needs whenever we are able, and we are deeply committed to supporting children,” said Beckerman. “As the schools were closing, we heard from families who were worried about how to take care of their kids while they were still required to go to work. We knew right away this was something [we] could help with . . . Skanda has run summer programs for children for the last three years, which focus on providing loving, tender connections with the rescued and endangered animals, and also empowering kids with mindfulness, peaceful conflict resolution, and leadership skills. We felt well suited to provide a safe and nurturing space for kids who need it.”
Children will be able to access schoolwork online in a new, heated classroom and spend time outdoors learning to take care of Skanda’s animals.
The 770 square foot classroom was created this past winter with funding from the Central New York Community Foundation and the Gorman Foundation.
The “No Child Left Alone” program will be staffed by Skanda volunteers — including licensed social workers, nurses, and special education teachers — with assistance from students from the Cazenovia College Human Services Department.
According to Beckerman, Skanda is following strict CDC and health department safety protocols.
“At Skanda, everyone is required to stay 10 feet apart,” she said. “Our classroom accommodates this. Everyone in the childcare program wears masks, and we have child-sized masks for the kids. Skanda cleans and sanitizes all surfaces and tools throughout each day, and schedules volunteers intermittently to minimize the number of people on the farm at any time.”
The weekly fee for full-time care is $330. The drop-in hourly rate is $15/hour, capping at the daily rate of $66/day. Partial and full scholarships will be provided to families in need.
To request childcare, or to donate furniture, computer equipment or other supplies, call 315-815-5056 or email [email protected] .
Learn more about No Child Left Alone at thehavenatskanda.org/nochildleftalone .
For more information about CNY Tuesdays, visit cnytuesdays.com.
