This article contains discussions of sexual violence in the context of The Haven’s mission to offer resources to survivors.
Thursday, Nov. 5, The Haven at the College of William and Mary collaborated with Teeny Tiny Farm, a traveling petting zoo specializing in miniature farm animals, and brought its second annual Comfort Farm event to the Sunken Garden. As part of its commitment to investing in student mental health, The Haven brought a much-needed distraction for students in the form of furry animals.
Haven peer advocate Adelia Purcell ’27 highlighted the therapeutic value the event offers.
“It’s a fun way of providing comfort to people, and it’s such a relaxing thing to be able to hang out with the animals,” she said. “We can talk about some of the things The Haven promotes and provide resources. It helps increase engagement with The Haven and lets students know who we are and that we are here for them.”
Liz Cascone, senior director for gender-based violence resources and advocacy services, echoed the sentiment.
“This is our main outreach event, and it’s primarily so people can put the name of The Haven with resources they provide in a way that’s not threatening,” Cascone said. “We want students to be able to take a break and slow down, but this also draws students out to something that they want to do anyway and learn more about The Haven.”
Cascone explained the resources The Haven offers as the College’s center for gender-based violence resources and advocacy.
“We provide students resources and accommodations for any student dealing with gender-based violence,” Cascone said. “This could be safety-related needs such as room changes or learning about what the reporting options are. We also run some support groups as well. We work with a lot of campus partners, so students have what they need if they’re dealing with any nonconsensual interaction.”
During the Comfort Farm, a neon barrier containing the farm animals stood in the middle of the Sunken Garden. By scanning a QR code, students filled out an online liability waiver before they could pet the animals — a change from last year. According to Cascone, the farm folks were great at setting up and are used to doing it for their various events. However, there was a bit of a learning curve last year when the event debuted.
“We learned a lot in the first year regarding bringing vendors and what liability things we have to check on,” Cascone said. “We also didn’t have the barrier, but needed students to sign the waiver, so we created an entrance this year.”
By switching to online waivers instead of paper waivers and implementing the enclosure, students were quickly able to identify what they needed to do in order to hang out with the animals. Additionally, The Haven set up a table and several posters displaying some of the resources it offers. The Haven’s staff and peer advocates were also ready to answer any questions that students might have.
Both Cascone and Purcell said The Haven is so much more than a place you can go to if something has happened to you personally. Peer-advocates and professional staff do not just specialize in sexual violence cases; they are also available to walk students through any questions or concerns they may have, whether it’s for themselves, a friend or a teammate.
“Sometimes students think they need to have themselves experienced violence, but we like to talk to anyone whether they’re supporting a friend, want to learn more or just want to see the space. It’s a place for everyone,” Purcell said.
Cascone emphasized that anything students bring to The Haven is confidential and said students can discuss any issue, big or small.
“Sometimes students feel what they experienced wasn’t serious or bad enough, and we want to dispel that myth. You can come in for any reason with any questions or even things you’re confused about in your relationship,” they said. “Don’t think that what you experienced wasn’t serious enough to come in and talk to us.”
For students looking to find The Haven, however, locating it can be a bit of an unexpected challenge. Cascone explained that their office is located in room 146P of the Sadler Center, to the left of the print shop window.
Although some students might be unfamiliar with the room’s location, for many students, this event wasn’t their first time hearing about The Haven.
“I knew about The Haven before coming to this event because of orientation,” Nora McCamant ’30 said while petting one of the goats.
Along with the students from the College, there were also a number of families soaking up the sunny weather at the event. As small groups formed around each of the animals, several students invited friends over to come and see what was happening in the Sunken Garden.
Both Cascone and Purcell said they hope that the Comfort Farm helps students enjoy a small break as finals come up around the corner. The Haven staff are confidential, trained and are there as a resource for students.
Purcell saw the Comfort Farm as a beneficial event that brought greater attention to The Haven and the resources it offers.
“We’re glad to have so many people interacting with the Teeny Tiny Farm and The Haven,” she said. “If people take the resources or learn what The Haven is, they’ll feel more empowered to visit us and use the great resource that it is.”
