On Friday, Feb. 13, the usual daytime aroma of fresh pastry at Haymaker Bun & Co. was replaced by the neon glow of a karaoke machine and a high-energy playlist. The space, typically known for morning coffees and fantastic breakfast buns, transformed into a vibrant community hub where the clinking of dinner plates mingled with applause for every singer who took the mic.
The occasion was a fundraising Galentine’s Day dinner and karaoke event hosted in support of Atria Collective, a nonprofit providing critical services for survivors of sexual and domestic violence. While the annual celebration was previously hosted by Adventure Dinner, this year marked the event’s debut at Haymaker, bringing the community together for a night of song and solidarity.
Caroline Corrente, the owner of Haymaker and board member of Atria, explained how the Galentine’s event came to take place at the popular coffee spot.
“It takes a lot for [Adventure Dinner] to do, and like all of us restaurants, finances are tight and we are all trying to keep our heads above water,” she said. “[Haymaker’s] been doing karaoke, trying to do karaoke once a month and we’ve been doing it for nonprofits, as benefits for nonprofits… So, I figured this could be a fun way to continue to spread joy and bring awareness to the amazing work that Atria is doing.”
Madeliene Kiblinger ’26 attended the Galentine’s Day fundraiser with a couple of friends and shared her thoughts regarding the event with the Campus.
“It was nice to see women of all ages coming together with joy and laughter and cute outfits to celebrate each other and support such an important cause,” Kiblinger said.
Attendance required a $20 ticket, which included a special dinner menu featuring Arcadian's handmade pasta dishes, cocktails and a raffle.
Every dollar raised through these tickets was earmarked for the logistical costs that keep the 24-hour hotline staffed and the advocacy programs running.
“Funds go to our work. A lot of that will be to support our day-to-day operations and to support direct services for survivors,” Elyssa Boiselle, the executive director of the Atria Collective said.
Atria, located on 16 Seymour St., operates a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week crisis hotline where survivors and victims can call and speak directly with a trained advocate, who can immediately connect them to critical resources and community partners. Atria also offers medical accompaniment, meeting survivors of assault in Porter Hospital and supporting interactions with law enforcement and medical personnel.
“One of the things I love about Atria is that we are working with someone from education, for free, and hopefully before abuse happens, doing prevention work in that sense, all the way through long-term healing. We are with you through the process as long as you want, by your side,” Jena Santa Maria, the associate executive director of the organization said.
The organization will be hosting two workshops geared towards helping both youth and caregivers navigate several challenges that young people may face, and how those challenges can impact one another.
“April is Child Abuse Prevention Month as well as Sexual Assault Awareness Month, so we are doing two workshops, one youth-focused and one for parents and caregivers. We will be talking about the intersection of unhealthy relationships, substance use, technology and how those all come together to play in the lives of youth,” Santa Maria said.
Atria’s spring volunteer training will occur at the end of April, where volunteers can be trained in how to become a crisis advocate for Atria’s hotline.
“College students are great for that. You all make wonderful volunteers on our hotline,” Santa Maria said.
Corrente encouraged the involvement of Middlebury students in a call to action, especially in the wake of MiddSafe (a student-run hotline) being shut down earlier last fall. The dissolution of MiddSafe earlier this academic year marked the end of a long-standing peer-led support system on campus.
“Now is a great time to think about, as a student, to decide what path you might want to take in your career and in your life,” Corrente said. “So many of these tiny organizations are so dependent on federal funding and have gotten absolutely decimated by this administration and by DOGE. Now is the time to try to give back in any way you can, or at least that’s how I feel. I implore you all to do the same and think about what that looks like for you.”
Katrina Schwarz '26 (she/her) is a Senior Local Editor.
Katrina has been a local editor for the three semesters, recently becoming the section's senior editor. She is a Psychology and Italian double major and was a marketing intern at Penguin Random House this past summer.
