In February 2019, Foundation House returned to the island of St. John, U.S.V.I. to lend a hand with the hurricane recovery effort. This is the video of our adventure.

Foundation House is a therapeutic, sober living community in Portland, Maine.

Music: Ini Kamoze – World A Reggae; Upbeat and Inspiring Corporate – MorningLightMusic; Suns Rise; Mr. Pink – Topher Mohr and Alex Elena; Bright Future – Silent Partner; Rock Angel – Joakin Karud; Root Reggae Music; Solo Acoustic Guitar – Jason Shaw; Lights – Sappheiros

Foundation House is proud to support the amazing organization at Special Surfers – a non-profit group that gives special needs children and young adults the opportunity to ride the waves. There is no cost to participants or their families, and all equipment and instruction is provided. Special Surfers events are held the third Tuesday of each month in June, July and August at Gooches Beach in Kennebunk, Maine. Hundreds of special surfers and volunteers participate at each event, providing a real sense of community and accomplishment for all.

Our residents and staff are thrilled to spend time in the water with this inspiring organization and its courageous participants. The Special Surfers program shows the joy a community can bring to the lives of special needs individuals and their families through volunteerism and generosity.

The images below are from the evening of August 21, 2018.

It is difficult to put into words the experience our residents, and a handful of our staff members, had during a service session with Special Surfers. It was a night we won’t easily forget, and one that many of us desperately needed to have; to get out of ourselves through service to others. Special Surfers is a nonprofit organization that hosts an event every third Tuesday of the summer months. Their main goal is to help disabled youth learn how to surf, an activity they believe to be therapeutic and most importantly, fun.  Numerous surf apparel companies participate lending surf boards and wet suits for both the children and volunteers. Every child was assigned two volunteers to help them get up on the waves.  The two hours of surfing that ensued was one of the most chaotic and beautiful thing most of us had ever witnessed.  Volunteers and children running around laughing, smiling, and cheering.  Everywhere you looked kids found complete euphoria, with many of them latched on to our residents. After surfing for a couple hours, our volunteers were thrilled that they could assist the kids they were paired up with, with some standing up and riding waves to the beach.  After the event our group went out for dinner for some post service fellowship – dinner and ice cream served an excellent way to cap off an unforgettable night.