Cleo thinks of herself as our “party girl”. Behind her smile is a woman always ready to try something new and who can find fun in the most mundane aspects of daily life. Cleo’s parents, George and Athena Pappas played a central role in creating the idea for and the actual building of Protected Harbor’s first group home where Cleo has been living. She proudly thinks of it as the home her daddy built for her.

Cleo is a big fan of old movies and fantasizes about being part of the drama and romance portrayed in old Hollywood classics. It is no surprise  that she loves dressing up as if going out for a night on the town, wearing a pair of earrings from her extensive collection. The highlight of any holiday is anticipating a trip back home, allowing her the opportunity to take her parents out to dinner.

Cleo also loves to read, learn and interact with others. During the week she attends training classes that help her with stress management techniques. She also participates in do-it-yourself experiments and projects, learning money and math skills, and reading books.

Dinner time each night is her opportunity to engage the other residents in conversation and rehash the day’s events while joking and chatting about the activities planned for the next day. She is certainly in her element enjoying good food, good friends, and good conversation!

One of the Bible verses Cleo keeps on her bulletin board reads: “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly” (I Peter 4:8).  In every way she can, Cleo seeks to live this verse out daily. She is passionate, sensitive, friendly, welcoming, and contagiously happy with the good life God has given her.

We are pleased to welcome our new college intern, Hannah Roberson. Her assistance with marketing and administrative supports will be of great value as Protected Harbor begins serving more of God’s special people.  Hannah immensely enjoys the time she’s been able to interact with our residents.

Having interns working alongside us is an opportunity and a blessing that goes both ways. Hannah is one such young lady who at 21 years of age is busy working towards her bachelor’s degree in marketing. She will be graduating in December.

Her plans after graduation include being a social media manager for various organizations and businesses to help them grow using social media marketing techniques. However, at the end of the day, she is leaving her future plans in God’s hands and will follow His lead.

Hannah has expressed great satisfaction with the opportunity to intern at Protected Harbor as she gains real-life experience working with a growing organization like ours. She is learning new things and gaining experience not only in the social media aspect of things but also how to navigate the world of a nonprofit.

She expressed her feelings in her own words as follows: “It has been very fulfilling serving and interacting with the residents. I look forward to continue working with Protected Harbor in the future even after my internship is over. I am forever grateful for this opportunity to work with such an amazing organization”.

And we at Protected Harbor are thankful for her involvement and for sharing her talent as she works alongside us in this Christ-centered mission.

When Joy C. was invited to attend a Protected Harbor board meeting almost a decade ago, she immediately thought of her daughter Kristin. Unlike her sister Dana, Kristin grew up needing special attention and care her entire life because of her developmental and intellectual challenges. They have a close and loving family, but Joy was thinking ahead to a time when she would no longer be able to care for her daughter.

She was prescient in her thoughts, because in 2012 she went to be with her Creator leaving Dana as the primary care taker for her sister. Joy had prayed for peace of mind that her special needs daughter would be able to live out her life in a loving and caring environment with friends to share her life with. Protected Harbor is just the perfect setting for her. Kristen in fact will be our newest resident and will be welcomed as “family” by the others with whom she will be sharing a home. It comforts her sister Dana that her forty-six year old sister will be living in the very place their mom prayed about and desired for Kristin.

For Kristin the love of family is paramount and this new extended family will be a wonderful addition.  She will remind her fellow residents about her birthday 4-6 months in advance to make sure it won’t be forgotten! May 8^th therefore will be a date that she looks forward to in order to celebrate it just like she did most recently by having a luau themed cook out with her friends. Despite the luau however, her favorite food is actually Italian. Maybe a pineapple pizza was part of the menu!

She loves music and dancing, especially to the hip hop style of Kirk Franklin and other Christian artists. Her very favorite vacation spot is the Universal Studios theme park in Orlando which she visited often with her family. You could spot her there dressed in her favorite color: hot pink. Kristen will be joyously welcomed as a new family member at Protected Harbor, the place her mother Joy envisioned for her. She will begin this new chapter in her life guided by her favorite Bible verse found in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

We are pleased to welcome Kerry Kubacki as the newest member of Protected Harbor’s “Friends of the Board”. These special friends enhance our mission with their generous support, dedication and commitment. Kerry’s first introduction to Protected Harbor came from our board president, Jeff Buchholz, a fellow tablemate at First Baptist Naples’ Band of Brothers weekly Bible study sessions.

Initially he did not seem too interested in involving himself with another mission since he already was actively involved in several activities at First Baptist, one of which was the church’s food drive. He also volunteered at Hope for Haiti which was a satisfying way to serve God and Haitians in need.  A  turning point in his life came with a diagnosis of Covid-19. Kerry found himself in intensive care for twenty-one days where he came close to death. His faith and favorite Bible verse helped pull him through the trial: “Do not be afraid, I am always with you” Isaiah 43:5 Once recovered, after much prayer and intercession from family and friends, he came to the realization that God wasn’t finished with him yet; he had more to do before being called home.

God tugged at his heartstrings by reminding him of what he had heard about Protected Harbor. While hospitalized, Bible verses that emphasized God’s love for His special creations kept recurring and bringing his thoughts back to Protected Harbor and its special residents. He always had a love for children, but this was different: God’s special children are not categorized by age, but by His infinite love for them as a Heavenly Father.

Once he returned home from the hospital and began regaining his strength, Kerry was able to attend a board meeting and decided to join as a Friend of the Board. He felt deep in his heart that this is where God wanted him at this moment in his life. Kerry comes to us with a background which is as eclectic as he is: he began his work life at age twenty by driving a semi-truck for a large trucking company. He did that for fifteen years.

In 1987 he moved to Florida, where he reinvented himself becoming a real estate broker.  He worked for C & W Development for twenty years as their in-house broker as well as managing their model centers. He now works part time as a closing agent for Quicken Loans, specializing in mortgages. His thirty-five year marriage to the love of his life Tish, has produced two wonderful sons, Kory, twenty-nine and Kyle, twenty-seven. Tish teaches at Gulf Coast High School in Collier County. She and Kerry enjoy occasional escapes from the Florida heat by going to Colorado or North Carolina where the mountainous terrain is a nice departure from the flat Florida landscape. As a knowledgeable, hardworking, hands-on person, Kerry is definitely a blessing to our residents and the group of men and women who make the board of Protected Harbor so unique and special.

Nicholas Ferrao has been a valued “Friend of the Board” at Protected Harbor for about two years. He, along with others who also serve in the same capacity, has not only a heart for the special people we serve, but he also enjoys spending time with them getting to know each resident personally.

He understands that our staff must keep detailed records of the training and activities of each member in their care. This is in addition to the overall administrative needs we have in managing the business end of Protected Harbor. Behind the smiles and the day-to-day activities of our residents, Nick works behind the scenes helping to streamline the processes, setting up new computer systems, while troubleshooting others in both homes. In order to contribute positively in achieving these tasks, it is impossible to calculate the number of volunteer hours he has contributed.

Nick’s heartfelt care and generous spirit are a direct result of his observing and being able to internalize his parents’ words and actions. His mother, Tanya Croy is a former teacher and has been an active board member for over three years at Protected Harbor. His father and stepmother, Aubrey and Tina Ferrao have also supported local organizations for decades. In addition to their generous financial support of Protected Harbor, Tina has served on the board of the Boys and Girls Club and currently serves on the board of Community Pregnancy Clinics.

What wonderful examples to learn from and emulate! Loretta Mottram, our Executive Director, added: “Nick is always open and eager to help whenever I have issues with ever evolving technology. He is the backbone of our `Donor Perfect System’. From data entry, to mail merges, he makes sure that our records are accurate and timely. Nick never forgets God’s Special People or the mission of Protected Harbor. From tether balls to Bibles, whatever a resident may need, he finds a way to fill it. We are blessed to have such an amazing Board of Directors and Friends of the Board network. They are what moves this ministry forward” concluded Mottram.

Driven by the Holy Spirit within, we are grateful for all Nick has done to help improve the lives of God’s Special People and everyone else involved with Protected Harbor. Nick would like to share one of his favorite verses: “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards in God’s grace in its various forms”  1 Peter 4:10

Kimber is a well-rounded young woman who is a helper, a joker, a worker and a learner with a creative and intuitive mind. She is a woman always on a mission who loves to say; “I have a question”. What then follows is a conversation that may either lead to new insight or to explosive laughter as she uses her quick wit to turn the question into a joke. Asking questions has had the benefit of turning her into an encyclopedia of knowledge for household tips and she puts these into practice whenever possible.

When Kimber joins her housemates at McGregor Baptist Church’s food ministry, she contributes happily and efficiently. Because of the life skills training Kimber receives at Protected Harbor, the staff at McGregor appreciates her knowledge around the kitchen and her readiness and willingness to help with any chore.

When she is not working or doing household chores, Kimber likes to engage in crafts such as jewelry making, hat knitting or any new creative idea which may peak her curiosity. She also likes all sorts of games both online or actual board games, but her competitiveness is always light hearted and usually capped with uproarious laughter. Recently, she and her housemates have become interested in disc golf, and like them, she is looking forward to being able to play the game on a real course.

Kimber loves and misses her family, but is able to engage with them online often. She is particularly proud of being an aunt to her nieces whom she cherishes. “Kimber keeps me on my toes”, observed house manager Pat Kappenman recently. She added: “She likes keeping busy and she likes a good joke. We not only need to help her get her things done, we need to stay one step ahead of her humor!”

We are blessed to have Kimber. She is a wonderful member of the Protected Harbor family.