Amy and her parents had visited Protected Harbor and participated in previous social activities. Then, in October, they joined the residents, board members, and volunteers at the three-day Trailways Spiritual Camp. Amy’s mom, Paula, expressed that Amy was “walking on air” after attending the camp. She loved canoeing and acquiring new friends while having lots of fun. Behind her smile was a desire to join this new family. Her experience confirmed Protected Harbor is the right place for their daughter.

The following month the decision was made, as Amy officially embraced this new chapter of her life.  Amy’s favorite thing about this transition is that God is a priority in the home, mirroring the environment in which her parents raised her. Amy loves her new family and friends and particularly appreciates the staff who treat her with love and respect. She keeps busy by socializing, reading, working on puzzles, and horseback riding.

Amy’s favorite verse (I Corinthians 6:19-20) exemplifies her complete surrender to her Savior. She describes herself as being blessed with a great sense of humor, enabling her to make friends quickly by breaking the ice in social situations. Her fellow residents enjoy her humor and embrace her with joy.

Amy’s arrival is especially notable as an example of the growth and influence Protected Harbor is experiencing. It is one more step to fulfilling our vision to continue reaching an increasing number of God’s Special People through our mission.

Clarissa hails from Oswego, NY but happily moved to southwest Florida where she has lived since high school. Her immediate goal, after receiving her bachelor’s degree, is to work in elementary education while completing her master’s degree. Once that goal is achieved, she is open to whatever opportunities may present themselves. Her hope is to establish her own non-profit organization one day. She is therefore grateful for the opportunity of working alongside our staff to learn firsthand what work is entailed in growing such an organization.

On a personal level, some of Clarissa’s interest was sparked by having a brother on the autism spectrum. This gives her a heightened sense of the need for support in this population. Because of this, she started “Active Minds” at FGCU which is a mental health advocacy club for college students.

Clarissa is also part of Project Help in Naples where she is currently training to be a crisis helpline volunteer. Currently, however, her focus is her service to AmeriCorps and Protected Harbor, where she is working to help clients improve their financial stability, as well as making them aware of available housing and program resources.

Clarissa has little free time, but when she does, she enjoys playing the guitar, singing, dancing, and playing with her cat Piper. She also loves to spend time with her boyfriend Arlen, at the beach, and walking in parks. When asked about her favorite Bible verse, her response was John 1:16 “Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given”.

We are very blessed at Protected Harbor to have an eclectic group of people who are Board Members, Friends of the Board, volunteers, members of our staff, committee members, educators, and much more.

All of these people contribute using their backgrounds, their life experiences, and their professional titles. They all work together with joy, serving the residents in this ministry, whose appreciation is evident in their smiles.

Our latest addition to the Marketing Committee is Marissa Godlewski. She came to us last year in May after moving with her family from New York City. Relocating to Florida, Marissa joined Gulf Bay Group of Companies, a real estate development company, as a Principal overseeing administration and operations. Before this, Marissa worked for the Colgate-Palmolive Company in numerous management positions both in North America and Europe. Prior to Colgate-Palmolive, Marissa worked in Digital Marketing at Bloomberg Businessweek and The New York Times. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from Cornell University.

Marissa was introduced to Protected Harbor by her mother Tanya Croy, and her brother Nicholas Ferrao who both serve on the Board.  Marissa’s goal is to help to implement more efficient, robust marketing strategies and tactics that will attract increased awareness of Protected Harbor.

While adjusting to life in Southwest Florida, Marissa enjoys spending time with her husband, Kamil, and their two-year-old daughter. Outdoor activities not easily available in New York like swimming, walking the beach, and visiting the zoo year-round are also great fun for the family.

Marissa’s focus in life is exemplified by her favorite Bible verse: “Arise, for this matter is your responsibility. We also are with you. Be of good courage and do it.” Ezra 10:4

We love highlighting our wonderful residents! Crystal is one of those people whose infectious smile becomes immediately contagious. You may even have seen her sweet face on some of our marketing pieces.

Crystal came to live at Protected Harbor after her family met some of the residents of PH while attending the same church. It was a divine connection. Crystal’s mom needed an emergency placement for her having recently been made aware she would not survive a fatal illness. Our staff, fully aware of Crystal’s circumstances promised that when the time came, Crystal would have a home at Protected Harbor.

Nearly three years ago Crystal settled easily into what is now her permanent home where she feels stimulated, protected, and loved, surrounded by her new “brothers and sisters” as she affectionately refers to them. She doesn’t isolate herself, rather she participates in all the activities enthusiastically with the other residents. Her love of music and dancing is obvious, but she also loves sports and participates in golf, basketball, and bowling. A more recently acquired hobby has been her mosaics class. Despite this, she still enjoys having her private space, her own bedroom, desk, and TV.

Crystal’s demeanor which exudes optimism comes from her reliance on her Creator who has never abandoned her. Living at Protected Harbor has become simply an added miracle in her life, and she is continually thankful for that. As you can see from the photos, her smile is living proof!

Cindy Weiner recently joined the Marketing Committee for Protected Harbor. Her professional expertise will be a true asset as we continue to expand our outreach and increase public awareness of our mission.

She was introduced to PH by her neighbor and friend Joe Gandolfo. Joe serves on our Board and he invited Cindy and her husband, Buzz to our recent Olympics event in which residents competed in games to win medals. By volunteering, they were able to interact personally with the residents; a rewarding experience for all.

Cindy and Buzz have been married six years, she has two stepchildren and five grandchildren. She keeps active playing golf and traveling with Buzz in their RV. She also volunteers with the Parkinson’s Association of SWFL.

Cindy comes to us with an extraordinary background in communication, having run several radio stations in Rochester NY, Albuquerque NM, Las Vegas, and Kansas City. She began working in sales, eventually moving up to management. In each of the above locations, she successfully elevated the radio stations from mediocrity to excellence.

After her radio career, she began working for the Children’s Miracle Network helping them raise money for 160,000 non-profit children’s hospitals by using her background in radio to accomplish the task. They did radiothons, broadcasting live from various hospitals, something she would like to see replicated at Protected Harbor.

Her interest in working with Protected Harbor was inspired by the manner in which our organization impacts individuals on a personal level and that it is being done locally. She loves the smiles on the faces of the residents and understands the comfort and relief of their parents who no longer need to worry about their adult child’s future care. We are thankful for her expertise and her willingness to share it with us to help us grow.

We are pleased to announce Pete and Cindy Garritt have joined our team of Direct Support Professionals serving residents in Protected Harbor II. They learned about our ministry from former staff members Kim and Suzy Brooks during a small group meeting at Kings Church in Lakeland, FL.

Another couple in that same small group, Debbie and Pat Kappenman also helped pique their interest when they too began working with Protected Harbor. Cindy had shared with them that she missed the special needs community, especially after her special needs son Duncan passed away. Cindy had recently retired from her career as a flight attendant, so the convergence of circumstances became God’s way of answering her prayers.

Cindy and Pete previously lived in Denver, where Pete, who has a law degree and a Master’s in public administration, worked for the City and County of Denver in the Human Resources division. During that same period, Cindy, who has a Master’s Degree in communication, worked with Walmart, opening new stores and coordinating all the media for the new store managers.

Their eclectic backgrounds serve them well in their work at Protected Harbor, but their biggest contribution is their intimate and personal understanding of the resident’s struggles. Having had their own son go through the same challenges, they understand that it can take a person with special needs a little longer to communicate, or to accomplish a task and to understand that all victories, even little ones are actually big ones!

The Garritts want to emphasize for the residents that this is their home, the place where they can flourish and live without judgment. “I want to make the environment as comforting, loving, and as fun as possible.” Cindy recently said. They both hope to help the residents discover more of what they can do, rather than what they can’t do.

During their free time, Cindy and Pete enjoy visiting and spending time with their daughter Lydia as much as possible. Pete enjoys gardening, while Cindy loves renovating. They recently bought a house after having moved to Florida, and the renovations are a fun challenge for her. They also enjoy traveling and exploring previously unknown areas of Florida.

Pete and Cindy each have personal, favorite verses that help guide their lives. Cindy loves John 7 and the message about how God has chosen us, how He will find us and how we can run to His arms. Pete loves 1 Corinthians 15, which ends with this verse: “therefore my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” We are blessed the Lord continues to draw devoted couples like the Garritts to Protected Harbor.