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The Haven, a nonprofit cultural and healing arts center, 1970 Ashland St., just west of the railroad overpass, on south side of Ashland Street. 541-488-6233, www.ashlandhaven.net. Owned by author Neale Donald Walsch and Em Claire, the director. Barbara Williams is general manager. Em, how would you define the mission of The Haven?   It’s a community space to gather, offering many kinds of classes and events in a comfortable, open, affordable, non-spa-like environment. The Great Room seats 70 and is spacious, with a beautiful cedar floor, great for dancing. The Living Room, as we call it, has couches and chairs and is great for support groups, health talks, music. Next to it is an art gallery where we show a different artist each month. Potlucks can be prepared there. We have three small rooms for satsang or therapy or massage-bodywork.  Your fees seem very different. The participation fee, Monday through Friday, is $5. It’s affordable to help seniors, students and people on fixed incomes. Here, instructors offer their gifts open-heartedly to the community and receive a co-op share of our monthly proceeds. We’re a nonprofit and so we welcome donations, which are tax-deductible.  The schedule seems very full here. It is. We vet presentations and classes to go with our mission — healing, enriching, uplifting work in these very challenging times. Remembering the “kind” in humankind. A supporting, nourishing environment. If it were reduced to one word, it would be community. On our schedule for the week, you see yoga, self-coaching, kids playtime, BodyVoice, spiritual discussion, tai chi, men/women talks, a visiting rinpoche, kirtan, ecstatic dance with DJs Ra-Ra and Solus. About The Haven: Owner Walsch is author of 29 consciousness books, starting with “Conversations With God.” He lives in Ashland and will be holding classes there, based on his books. The building, over many decades has housed Leading Edge (skis), an organic grocery, real estate office, a hardware and most recently the hospice of Ashland Community Hospital. It has ample parking in rear and on Clay Street. It opened in mid-October.  John Darling may be reached at [email protected].