In every community, there are quiet champions working tirelessly to restore lives and uplift those who have been marginalized or forgotten. Harvest House Ministries stands as a powerful example of this kind of transformative work—a residential addiction treatment centre committed to helping men reclaim their futures through structure, support, and compassion. As part of CSED’s SE Spotlight Series, we recently sat down with with Rev. Dr. Daniel Crépault, Executive Director, to learn more about the mission of Harvest House and the impact of their work in the community.
What does your organization do?
Harvest House Ministries provides comprehensive support and rehabilitation services for young men struggling with addiction. Our programs include long-term residential treatment, skills development, and community reintegration, all aimed at empowering individuals to achieve lasting recovery.
What's the Harvest House origin story--when and why did it start?
Harvest House was founded in 1979 in Ottawa with the mission to rehabilitate young men facing chemical dependency. Our founders recognized the need for a faith-based approach that emphasized inner change, support, and accountability. Over the years, we’ve evolved to address not only addiction but also the broader challenges of employment readiness, access to education, homelessness, recidivism, and so on.
How does social enterprise fit into your strategy?
Social enterprise is central to our strategy as it allows us to create sustainable revenue streams while providing training and employment opportunities for our residents. For several years, we’ve been experimenting with social enterprise by showing our residents how to do woodworking projects like making serving trays, calendar holders and even Adirondack chairs and picnic tables. More recently, we’ve expanded that to include candle-making. These types of initiatives not only generate income to support our programs but also equips our residents with valuable skills in production and sales.
Can you tell us about the new social enterprise plan you're currently working on?
We’re excited to be launching a new embroidery and direct-to-fabric printing social enterprise. This initiative will not only provide high-quality customized apparel for schools, sports teams, and local businesses but also equip our residents with valuable skills and work experience, fostering their integration into the workforce.
What's your biggest insight or lesson learned since stepping into the leadership role in Nov 2024?
One of the biggest insights I’ve gained is the importance of community partnerships. Building strong relationships with local organizations and businesses not only enhances our service offerings but also expands our reach and impact. I’m finding that collaboration with organizations like CSED, as well as other nonprofits that are working on the same issues we are, is key to overcoming challenges and achieving our mission.
What makes you most proud?
Seeing the growth in our clients is, by far, the most rewarding part of my job. Helping people recover from the ravages of addiction is hard, and, unsurprisingly, there is a high burnout rate among addiction workers. But seeing people stay sober, become healthy, reconnect with their families, earn diplomas, and reintegrate into the community makes it all worthwhile
What keeps you up at night?
The safety of our residents is always a top concern. With drugs like fentanyl being so widely available, addiction has never been deadlier and making sure that our facility remains drug-free and that our residents are safe is a constant preoccupation. I often worry about the sustainability of our fundraising, too. Times are changes and so are fundraising methods. It’s vital that our organization keeps up with the times while staying true to our mission.
How is your involvement with CSED helping you?
CSED has been instrumental in guiding us as we develop our social enterprise. The coaching and support have helped us figure out what we need to do and how. As someone new to business and strategic planning, I have greatly appreciated CSED’s simple, thorough and supportive approach to the coaching process.
What advice do you have for someone who is developing their own social enterprise or social purpose business?
My advice is to start by clearly defining your mission and understanding your community’s needs. I found it helpful to begin with a theory of change model that had me think through what we do for our clients, why we do it, and what the results are. It has helped to ground our plans for the future, including our social enterprise development, around our mission.
What's next for Harvest House?
Moving forward, we aim to fully launch our social enterprise while continuing to enhance our resident programs. We’re also exploring new partnerships and funding opportunities to expand our impact and ensure the sustainability of our services.
Is there anything else that you'd like to say to readers that you haven't already said?
Harvest House exists because of community support. Our work would not be possible without generous contributions, whether they be financial, volunteer hours, or simply spreading the word. Community support helps us make a difference in the lives of those we serve. Together, we area creating lasting change.
