Veteran Director Leads Windham No Freeze Through Troubled Waters

The new executive director at the Windham Region No Freeze Project spent the last seven years advocating for people experiencing homelessness in the Windham region and throughout the state. A gentle soul who is not afraid to fight for causes she believes in, Avery Lenhart has been recognized both locally and statewide for her advocacy for people at risk of homelessness. Now, just six months into her new role as executive director, Lenhart is facing the challenge of relocating the shelter and assistance program during the most critical time for the non-profit and the people it helps, the November through April shelter season.

Lenhart has been with the Windham Region No Freeze Project since 2012, when former executive director Leigh Duffy hired her as part-time shelter manager. Her success in this position morphed into a full-time management role, where Lenhart supervised shelter operations while also coordinating critical state data collection efforts – essentially a census of people experiencing or at risk of homelessness. This census included youth, age 13 to 24, and adults in the state’s Northeast corner. She also captained housing efforts in the Northeast region, matching homeless individuals to appropriate housing situations.

“Avery Lenhart has played a pivotal role in building solutions for individuals and youth experiencing homelessness in the Northeast region,” explains Mary Ann Haley, deputy director of the Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness (CCEH). “As the first regional leader for the Youth Engagement Team Initiative (YETI), Avery inspired others across the state with her passion and hard work. Because of her passion and persistence, the Northeast was able to establish themselves as a state leader in creating new school partnerships and coordinating resourceful support for young people in need. She has garnered the respect of her peers in this work and was selected as the spokesperson for the YETIs to accept our annual award for outstanding work in this field. She continues to be a critical partner with CCEH in her new role as executive director of the Windham No Freeze Project.”

As Leigh Duffy, former executive director of the Windham Region No Freeze Project, prepared to step down from the position she held for eight years, she recommended that Lenhart be the candidate hired by the board as new executive director. “My departure from the No Freeze was planned,” noted Duffy. “Transitioning management to someone as knowledgeable about our organization and operations as Avery made sense. Avery took the helm in June, effectively stepping in to represent the organization with the people we serve, its board of directors, state and town officials, and the general public. I had full confidence in Avery in every aspect of the position including fundraising, which is one of the biggest roles of the executive director. In 2018, Avery entered our YETI efforts into the Liberty Bank Foundation's 20th Anniversary Video Grant Contest. Her entry won a $20,000 grant that the team used to fund outreach efforts to youth in danger of homelessness. Avery is strong, smart, resilient, and very capable.”

Lenhart is presently working with contacts within the town to determine a suitable new site in Willimantic for the Windham Region No Freeze Project’s shelter, assistance programs, year-round hospitality center, and offices. Over its 18-year history, the non-profit has operated in five different locations within Willimantic, a city that is home to the services No Freeze guests rely upon including the soup kitchen, healthcare programs and social services. With Lenhart’s help, the No Freeze Project successfully and permanently housed 98 people, diverted 45 people from becoming homeless, and connected more than 300 people to critical services last year alone.

The passion Lenhart feels for her job comes through clearly to her staff and the people she serves. “I believe people become homeless for one big reason – a lack of positive relationships in their lives,” stated Lenhart. “When positive relationships are missing, especially at an early age, people dealing with mental illness, addiction, physical disability, legal trouble and other challenges are more likely to experience homelessness. I see firsthand every day the oppression and injustices that people in poverty experience. If I can provide a positive relationship for someone, to encourage them and help them change their circumstances, then I have accomplished my job.”

For more information or to discuss ways to support the Windham Region No Freeze Project, call the No Freeze offices at 860.450.1346.