Hayden Hall is a non-profit relief and development organization. It grew out of a shelter housing program which was started in 1969 by Fr. Edgar Burns and a small group of lay staff, to provide emergency relief to landslide and fire victims in Darjeeling. Its scope has since expanded to offer opportunities to poor families, especially women. Hayden Hall believes that assisting women to become economically self-sufficient yields great benefits for the women, and also increases the economic and social wellbeing of their entire families.

The foundation of all of Hayden Hall's programs is to work with women to achieve self-sufficiency in order to tackle the problems their children, families and communities face. With nearly 35 years of working with families and communities, Hayden Hall's self-help approach to relief, recovery and ongoing development has nurtured the seeds of hope for thousands of people. In order to restore the balance for sustainable development in the Darjeeling community, Hayden Hall offers the underprivileged a chance to address the basic needs of health, housing and food.

In keeping with its motto: Human Development Through Love & Service, Hayden Hall offers a variety of avenues for human development in Darjeeling. They include a Small Scheme Savings and Loans program, Health programs that include long-term rehabilitation, pre and post-natal care and paramedic training for village health workers. There are also income generating programs through skills training which since they were launched in 1972 have trained over 20,000 women, many of whom now work at Hayden Hall. The education programs including daycare, girl child scholarships, and boarding schools provide accommodation for the most vulnerable students.

The basic shelter program that was the starting point of Hayden Hall still continues along side a healthy balanced and nutritious lunch program for many of the children and women involved in Hayden Halls programs.

Fr. John Susai Kennedy who was appointed director in 2009, steps into the role that that Fr. Burns had these last forty years. The longstanding involvement of Noreen Dunne, Radha Karky and a number of other dedicated staff and volunteers ensures that Hayden Hall remains at the helm of community development in Darjeeling.

For more information on Hayden Hall’s initiatives, contact our office or visit them online at www.haydenhall.org