New Harvest House training center is hub for foster families in need of support, resources

Recently a luncheon was held at Harvest House's new training center for Child Protective Services social workers and Judge Linda Ingles. It was an opportunity for them to explore the new facility and be inspired and encouraged to work with Guam's most vulnerable community.

Harvest House is a beacon of hope for the island's foster care children. It's a place where they can feel safe and loved, and foster parents are supported. Recently, an open house was held for the non-profit organization's new training center. The open house also served as a luncheon for CPS social workers, guardian ad litems, and Judge Ingles.

Executive director for Harvest House Bethany Taylor started off with welcoming remarks, announcing, "Each of you are very special to me, my family, personally, and it's just really been awesome to see how we have really helped better the outcomes of these families and these children...it's been difficult but it's been sweet to see the outcomes of success."

The open house aims to strengthen collaboration among professionals involved in foster care, showcasing how the new training center will enhance support for foster parents and children. Attendees had the opportunity to tour the facility and learn about upcoming programs.

Olivia De Cruz is a social worker and case manager at CPS and says she is eager to learn and grow more with Harvest House, who plays a huge role in the island's foster community.  She explained that she has  a huge passion for children and being a voice for the voiceless, telling KUAM News, "It's an honor and a privilege to work with children, to love on them and be a safe person for them, to hear their stories, help them in their healing journey and partner them with a lot of services in our community. To help bridge the gap and bring them to a better place of healing and freedom."

Taylor is thrilled to open the center's doors and share their vision for expanding services to the foster community. The new training center will serve as a hub for resources and training, ultimately benefiting the children and families harvest house supports. She said, "It just amazes me what god is doing on this island to just gather the community together to provide for the families here. I know we have a lot of gaps and a lot of limitations, but at the same time i've met an incredible amount of people with huge hearts that want to see healing on the island- for the families, children and parents here. It takes a whole community to bring that healing."