Our Directors
Sister Pat Griffith, CSW, D.Min.
Executive Director
It is my honor and privilege to have the responsibility of leading this wonderful, creative agency. Our mission is to acknowledge the dignity and potential of people who are homeless, living with mental illness, or living in poverty by providing housing, advocacy, education, and life skills development. Hoping to create communities where diversity and inclusion are valued, and all individuals can reach their full potential. This is not something one person can accomplish alone. My role allows me to choose the finest group of people to be our Directors, staff, and volunteers. We are led by a board of directors who give their time and talents to ensure the agency's future growth and commitment to our mission. Together, it is our challenge to search out the root causes of our participants’ struggles with the commitment of never giving up on finding effective, flexible solutions to enrich lives. The foundress of the Sisters of Mercy, Catherine McAuley’s quote, inspires me each day: “The poor need our help today, not next week.”
Donna Donaghy
Associate Executive Director
“Mission-driven work is the most rewarding, and my role as Associate Executive Director gives me a line of sight into different aspects of the programs and people that make our mission come alive. From the business end to interacting with clients, to partnering with other teams – my job allows me to participate in so many areas of the work that we do,” says Donna. “Mercy Haven is a small organization that makes a big impact,” she continues. “We’re small enough to actually get to know those whom we serve. I like that we support those often left behind and honor their individual stories and potential.” With many of us feeling the uncertainty and difficulty of the past few years, Donna is encouraged by Mercy Haven’s commitment to community and that the agency will continue to be on the front line of community re-building work here on Long Island both now and in the years to come. Donna’s favorite quote is from Frederick Buechner, who said that the place of one’s calling is “where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” “I like how this quote encourages you to think about how supporting others in their need can be joyful.”
Michael Arnold
Director of Compliance
“Care and compassion are evident throughout Mercy Haven at all levels and are evident in real-life actions that staff carry out daily, " says Director of Compliance Michael Arnold. “These actions bring the agency’s mission statement to life, transforming it from mere words on a page to a live concept we experience. Seeing all our policies and systems flowing is very welcoming because of such actions.” Michael’s choice to work for a nonprofit comes from a deep desire to help others combined with a love for doing clinically based work with high-risk populations. “The best part of my work is the multiple interactions and brainstorming done daily, where all parties are welcomed with their ideas,” says Michael. “Mercy Haven is a small organization, which is advantageous and preferable because everyone gets to know each other well. This creates a family-like atmosphere that I enjoy and value.” Michael quotes Alexander the Great: “I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion,” which signifies the role of leadership as critical to the growth of any successful organization. “As Mercy Haven expands geographically to more communities and with more diverse services offered to each of these communities,” Michael states, “our long-standing commitment to the region can only foster increased growth. This growth will coincide with a heightened and increasing need on Long Island and elsewhere for more community services.”
Lori Etheridge
Director of Finance
“Mercy Haven changes people’s lives and creates a foundation for them to succeed.” As the agency’s Director of Finance, Lori takes pride in working with a team of such dedicated staff. With a clear focus on the day-to-day operations, each member plays a key role in carrying out the mission of Mercy Haven. Knowing the obstacles non-profit work often encounters, Lori believes the reward of helping those in need far surpasses those obstacles. Her convictions are rooted in this quote by Maya Angelou, “You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.” As for the future, Lori envisions Mercy Haven “continuing to carry out the mission and expanding services to help even more people in need.”
Erin Galante
Director of Human Resources
Erin joins Mercy Haven as the Director of Human Resources with a clear, competent background in direct care services. “I wanted to work for an agency whose mission I can stand behind and feel proud to work for,” says Erin. She enjoys working with the staff and ensuring they have everything they need to do the best job for those we support. “I like that I get to work with a great team of people,” she states. “The people who work here truly care for the individuals they serve and go above and beyond to help provide critically important services.” She sees Mercy Haven continuing to grow and diversify the services it offers to the community. When it comes to her commitment to staff and the work required for progress to continue, she quotes Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban – “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”
Ciara Jensen
Director of Development
“Seeing our participants, learning their stories, and knowing how they have grown as a result of having safe, stable housing is very rewarding,” says Ciara. Starting her career 10 years ago as the Executive Assistant, Ciara understands the importance of meeting more people from the community, connecting them to Mercy Haven, and working with a fantastic team to ensure our agency has the funds needed to continue doing the work we do for those most in need on Long Island. Her hope for Mercy Haven’s future is to continue to push our efforts to expand our housing and services to meet the growing needs of the population we serve and to be impactful in our communities. Ciara states that “working toward a worthwhile cause and positively affecting hundreds of lives is what keeps me coming back day after day.” Her favorite quote is from Jim Eliot, “Wherever you are, be all there.”
Gregory Mangini
Director of Facilities Management
As the owner of 35 properties and operator of over 100 housing units throughout Nassau and Suffolk counties, Mercy Haven’s facilities management team keeps very busy! Greg’s background in facilities management for the NYPD has prepared him to keep Mercy Haven’s homes safe, clean, and well-maintained for our residents. “I like working at Mercy Haven because of the caring of all individuals associated with the company,” explains Greg, “and I like the idea of being able to help those that sometimes can’t help themselves.” Greg foresees a bright future for Mercy Haven. “My hope for the future of our facilities department is to ensure that all participants have an enriching experience while living with Mercy Haven and to be part of the expansion of our housing, which will help carry the mission to even more people in need.”
John Murray
Chief Financial Officer
“As Chief Financial Officer, I like that I am involved in almost all aspects of the agency’s operation,” says John. “Although I come from a financial background, I enjoy being involved with the daily operational issues that we face each day, as well as getting involved with the fundraising events.” John also enjoys working with Mercy Haven because he feels that he is a part of a team of dedicated individuals focused on maintaining and improving a successful agency. One of his favorite quotes is: “We are responsible for actions performed in response to circumstances for which we are not responsible.”
Donna O'Hearon
Director of Residential Services
As a social worker, I have always been drawn to working with service-driven agencies. Working with the most vulnerable individuals within communities has always been what I do,” says Donna. Her favorite quote, by Henry Van Dyke sums up this commitment: “to desire and strive to be of some service to the world, to aim at doing something which shall increase the happiness and welfare and virtue of mankind- this is a choice which is possible for all of us.” Donna loves the opportunities Mercy Haven provides residents and staff for growth. “I love hearing from the residents who so often tell me how grateful they are to Mercy Haven,” she explains. “I love to see their growth, the growth of the staff who work with them, and the positive difference being made in the lives of individuals and families.”