“I found people that loved me for the first time in years. There were people that actually cared about me, that wanted to do things for me, to see me better myself. They knew the doors to open. They knew the people to call. Everything that I was scared of, every fear that I had that, ‘Oh, I can’t do this,’ or ‘I’m not going to be able to do that.’ They helped me in every way.”
Rachel Prescott,
Harvest House Client
Dear Friends,
Until Rachel made her way to Harvest House those years she spent addicted ruined her entirely. She came to us disconnected, depleted of her faith, and hopeless. In contradiction to her broken state, we were able to offer her a place of freedom, respect, empowerment, and healthy discipline where she truly flourished in her recovery.
Rachel is just one of the thousands of people to graduate our Freedom drug and alcohol recovery program and join our Home Again program that offers families the support system needed to stabilize their home and learn the necessary tools to raise their children in a healthy environment.
For Harvest House, 2017 is a very special year.
This year we celebrate 25 years of encouraging individuals to live beyond fear into their best life! With the capacity to serve over 400 individuals in our residential programs, we have helped countless men, women, children, and veterans move from fear and anxiety to confidence and freedom. It is only with the ongoing support of our donors that we will be able to continue this legacy of empowering people for another 25 years.
As I write this letter to you, we are just completing 12 of the most challenging months we ever have experienced at Harvest House. Not a week goes by that I do not hear about a friend of a friend who has suddenly been overtaken by the powers of addiction in our region. Or a young adult leaving the foster care system or being kicked out of their home because they identify as part of the LGBT community… with no safety net to keep them off the streets. The phone calls we have received from the Sarasota County Sheriffs Office with families who are living in their cars or in abandoned building have been some of the worst cases I personally have ever seen. And, the backstories are all as heartbreaking as the abundant number of people in need.
This expanding need requires that we be extraordinarily efficient in the use of the funds we receive from our donors. We are pleased to report that we continue to return 91 cents of every operational dollar donated in support of Harvest House back to those in need. Without question, Harvest House remains a worthy custodian of your trust as a donor.
Each of these people is no different than you or me, other than they are struggling desperately trying to find stability, purpose and connection. At Harvest House, we honor the people we serve with the assumption of good in our hearts. Judgment is not an option for we know that people only change through internal acknowledgement and a willingness to do so.
As the rapidly growing demand for recovery from addiction and chronic homelessness continues to be a daily challenge, your gift of $25 or more will ensure that no homeless member of our regional family will ever lack the support of Harvest House.
Click here to make you gift safely and securely online!
On behalf of all the members of Harvest House’s Board of Directors, I thank you for all that you do to help us stand with those who need us most.
Very Sincerely,
Erin Minor
Executive Director
