The Harvest House — known to its members as the “Club” — is a subsidiary of Palouse River Counseling. They are a social services non-profit organization that serves adult people with mental disability. The Club enables them to socialize together and find meaningful work. These activities help members to manage their symptoms and find a path towards recovery.

Club has an astounding 21-year history on the Palouse, of which the last 18 have been spent in a donated residence right across from the Old Grey Church.

“The point of Club is to provide a safe place,” says director David Port. “We want to create a ‘real-time’ environment for our members, something less artificial than the experiences some may have in therapy. It’s a place for honest exchange. It’s there for members to get healthy, whether by keeping up with medication, or by watching emotional miscues, or by assessment.”

Membership in Club is strictly voluntary. Its affiliates usually come from hospital care or therapy. The goal is transitional employment — that is, a work experience that reinforces a sense of individual worth and dignity — as well as building a solid emotional network so participants can get well and manage their illness. These experiences, as Dave stresses, ground Club members and help them move into independent-living situations.
Usually, members start off with a two-hour workday and build up to 20 hours per week, as they develop greater success and self-confidence. These activities are further reinforced within the Club itself, which is divided into two work units that deal with running the snack bar, cooking, bookkeeping, cleaning, doing the newsletter and running the thrift shop.
The results are amazing and gratifying. “To watch the growth and self-assurance is wonderful,” Dave confesses.

“You have to remember that you’re interacting with real people,” he continues. “The people in Club are very candid. There’s no facade. They are who they are. Often, you can see right into their hearts. And it’s great to appreciate the gifts right in front of you, and to see the real person.”

Readers interested in helping Harvest House can contribute in a number of ways. A central part of the Club’s activities is the daily meal, and here voluntary organizations like the Backyard Harvest are of great help. Members learn to cook with good nutritional food, share in the common meal and transfer skills from one another.

Moreover, local businesses in Moscow and Pullman can also participate in Harvest House’s program by offering employment opportunities.

“Club members are very reliable and very dependable,” Dave remarks. “They don’t miss work, and we plan carefully so we can always substitute out. Employers are never left short handed. We’ve all pitched in, and I’ve even scrubbed dishes on occasion!”

There’s also the thrift shop that is run out of the back of Club. It recycles absolutely everything. Members sort, clean and process items; and it also provides furniture for members as they establish their own living arrangements. Everything is put to use, and is not re-sold for profit. Donations are always welcome.

Harvest House is a truly exceptional association on the Palouse, providing its members with a warm and caring environment and wonderful opportunities to grow and get better.
Dave reflects on the challenges and rewards of directing the Club. “No two days are the same, so you really need to be able to laugh and be humorous about things. People have a tendency to over-analyze things, so it’s good to get away from that.

“Society is so over-achieving, and many of our ideals are unrealistic,” he concludes. “But we all have gifts we can offer. And we see them in abundance here.”

You can find out more about Harvest House at www.harvesthouseclubhouse.com.

Sean M. Quinlan is a historian of science at the UofI.