Proceeds to go toward supportive housing and mental health care
For the first time, the nonprofit Harvest House in Sarasota County hosted its annual Home Again Luncheon — its signature fundraiser — at its own Life Enrichment Campus, Harvest House has announced.
The 14th annual event, which was held recently with the theme Making Magic, provided the sold-out crowd of more than 300 “an unprecedented behind-the-scenes look at where the magic of transformation happens every day,” a news release says.
“Over the course of the program,” the release continues, “guests discovered how Harvest House transforms the lives of more than 1,000 men, women, young adults, and children,” each year, providing them with refuge and recovery services.
Through sponsorships, live and silent auctions, “and the challenge-match enhanced paddle raise, Harvest House raised more than $350,000 – with donations still coming in – in support of its work,” the release adds.
Harvest House President and CEO Dan Minor welcomed the guests, while Jessica Muroff, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, and Phillip Lanham, president and CEO of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, offered remarks.
Both foundation leaders noted the value of Harvest House programs such as Wellness Within Reach, as well as “the dignified, holistic support Harvest House provides” to help rebuild people’s lives, the release points out.
“Muroff added a personal touch, noting that her brother battled addiction and that he survived — and is now thriving — because people were able to see him as a whole person deserving of support, not just the crisis he was experiencing.” The release says.
The fundraising kicked off with a live auction, led by local comedian and documentarian Ken Sons. Enthusiastic bidding ensued for “The Minor Table,” a private chef’s tasting and wine-pairing experience for eight; in the end, three winners bid $5,100 each, the release adds. “That $15,300 will support Harvest House’s Resilience Fund,” which the Family Service team members use “for urgent but unbudgeted client needs,” the release points out.
The luncheon also featured a video “showcasing numerous client testimonials, highlighting each individual’s ‘magic moments’ of transformation,” the release continues. A common theme among the speakers was gratitude for being able to enjoy a fulfilling and independent life and becoming a productive member of society.
“And then Shonte took the stage to tell her story,” the release notes.
“Shonte’s past includes growing up in a household where her mother experienced domestic abuse; Shonte left her own partner when the relationship became abusive — refusing to go down the same path as her mother,” the release explains. She endured long stretches during which “she and her young son were without a home, staying with friends or in Shonte’s car, the release says.
“The two later entered emergency housing at Harvest House’s Family Haven. For the first time in a long time, they weren’t in survival mode — they were safe,” the release adds.
“From there, they moved into Harvest House’s Family Village, where they had their own rooms and a living space where they could finally breathe.
“Shonte became a teacher at her son’s school,” the release says; then — through Harvest House’s Education track – she went back to school and earned her associate’s degree, making her “the first member of her family to get a degree.”
“The transformation continued as Shonte and her son moved into one of Harvest House’s affordable housing units; Shonte pays her own rent and utilities, and the two manage their own home,” the release adds.
“She continues to dream of future upgrades,” planning to earn her bachelor’s degree, teach online, “and keep saving for future life transformations.” She is grateful to Harvest House staff “for believing in her and helping her to upgrade her life, one brave step at a time,” the release notes.
“While we may be the vehicle for the magic of transformation that takes place on this campus, the real courage, the real grit, the real transformation belongs to our clients,” said President and CEO Minor. “They are the ones who work hard every day, who navigate incredible odds, who choose healing, who rebuild relationships, who pursue education and employment, and who change the trajectory of their lives.”
After Shonte left the stage, comedian Sons “led the paddle raise, bolstered by a $125,000 match from the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and donors Jerry and Fay Bainbridge,” the release adds. “When the paddle raise came up $18,000 short of Harvest House’s goal,” Lanham — on behalf of the Gulf Coast Community Foundation — and couple George Loesel and Susan Doll-Loesel each pledged $18,000, “putting Harvest House well over its total paddle raise fundraising goal,” the release says.
“All proceeds from the event will support Harvest House’s mission to provide dignified supportive housing and comprehensive mental health care to those in need throughout Sarasota County,” the release adds.
For more information about the organization, visit harvesthousecenters.org.