Message from the Director

Lyn Harwell

Executive Director

1710 E. Pikes Peak Avenue, Ste. 100

Colorado Springs, CO 80909

Phone: 719-473-5557

Fax: 719-473-6442

www.HarborHouseCo.org

Harbor House Collaborative

Finding Solutions To Homelessness &

Addiction in Our Community

Dear friends and supporters of Harbor House Collaborative,

As 2011 comes to an end, I would like to thank everyone who has supported Harbor House Collaborative this year. As the individuals, businesses, and organizations which have supported us in one way or another to change the world we live in, you are invaluable! On behalf of the Board of Directors, I say thank you!

To all of our volunteers and interns, we could not do this without you. Thanks for all the hard work, ideas, time and energy that you have contributed to help us achieve our mission!

2001 has been such a year of change and growth, unlike any other we have ever seen. While it’s true that we have experienced some growing pains this year, it is also true that, with the help and love from an incredibly competent staff and volunteers, we have been able to help more folks in Colorado Springs and El Paso County more than ever before!

To recap this year: I had the privilege of becoming interim director in March and being named Executive Director in July! The board and I worked hard in many hours of discussion which involved challenging ideas and plotting a transformation in Harbor House Collaborative. Those hours have resulted in a newly formed mission and vision. Our purpose was refocused on a new 1000 day strategic plan that is galvanizing our community with world changing action!

We expanded our supportive housing facility from 12 people to accommodate 30 individuals; 7 women and 18 men with 4 respite care beds, and, in August, we acquired the “Housing First Pikes Peak” program, dedicated to creating a refuge of healing for women and men who have suffered trauma, homelessness, addiction and other mental health and health care challenges. This program is a perfect fit for one of Harbor House’s core beliefs: the understanding that every human being—regardless of past trauma, mental and emotional anguish and addictive behaviors—is precious, worthy of love and deserving of opportunities to fulfill his or her potential. The program, as administered through Harbor House, acknowledges that, without a community of ongoing support, our city’s most vulnerable citizens (some of whom have never lived in a home in their entire adult lives) may never find deliverance from their illnesses.

As Housing First has begun to work for Harbor House, we have already seen transformations which are incredible. Harbor House Collaborative has already impacted homelessness by placing families, dads, moms and kids in “homes” where they can find love and care, and just as importantly, these families may regain their voices which will lead them back to self-sufficiency. To further this end, we now house these individuals and families in 41 scattered site apartments across the city, collaborating with many partnering agencies and ministries to make this happen.

In July, Harbor House expanded our counseling center by 1500 square feet, allowing us to take on 40 more women in addiction and to begin to utilize our new kitchen space to conduct healthy cooking and life skill classes. We have added 4 more group counseling sessions to our already busy schedule as well as adding a 3rd “Moms” recovery group in our Safe Harbor Program, a recovery experience for women.

In the midst of all this, not surprisingly, we have more than doubled our staff in the last 8 months to 18 fulltime and 4 part time employees!

In November, Harbor House Collaborative began a partnership with Greccio House to wrap care coordination around 10 chronically homeless individuals with a disability who are housed at a local apartment community in Colorado Springs. Case managers assist the clients with creating specific goals and accessing services within El Paso County which address the needs of the "whole person" with the ultimate goal of self-sufficiency and integration back into the community. While we are well aware of the fact that need for recovery support far outweighs the current resources available, we are so grateful to have taken this step forward with Greccio House to help address the need to provide a place where each person is known and loved, a refuge for healing and hope on the journey of recovery.

Also in November, Harbor House Collaborative was recognized and selected to be an “adoptee” non-profit by the Colorado Springs Community Roundtable. This enables us to have access to prayer, technical support, accounting, human resources, development, grant writing, creative design, printing, volunteers, and financial and material resources. This support from Community Round Table has made the difference for many local agencies. Having this is like getting the “Good Housekeeping” seal of approval, and we know we are blessed to be part of this organization.

This year, Harbor House was also accepted into the Combined Federal Campaign, the world’s most successful workplace charity campaign. Pledges by federal civilian, postal and military donors during the campaign season support eligible non-profit organizations like Harbor House Collaborative and provide health and human service benefits throughout the world.

We have also been one of 49 non-profits selected to participate in the Indy GIVE! The Colorado Springs Independent's year-end multimedia and guerilla marketing campaign is designed to generate funds, volunteers and applause for the important work local nonprofits perform. Already Harbor House is reaping the benefits of this inclusion!

The best part? Stay tuned because the best is yet to come as we look to next year and developing our new home for homeless moms with kids and families with wrap around services. We anticipate beimg able to accommodate up to 26 families. Also in the works is our Community Café, a social enterprise serving organic, holistic meals fresh from our Urban Gardens and local growers. The cafés will provide jobs and train residents that are in our housing.

We could not have done any of this with your help and support! You make the difference. I continue to encourage those who want to get involved to do so. There are more opportunities than ever before! If you have ideas or want to help, please visit our website www.harborhouseco.org . We invite you to peruse the entire site; we also invite you to spend some time particularly on our investment page which is www.harborhouseco.org/Donate.html.

On behalf of the board and our staff, we thank you for your continued support!

Lyn Harwell

Sincerely,

Lyn Harwell

Executive Director