02/06/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/17yPmQA7wF/
Harvest of Kindness Inc. is a 100% volunteer‑run nonprofit in Northern Michigan dedicated to serving people experiencing homelessness with dignity, compassion, and trauma‑informed care. Our mission is simple but urgent: to create a safe, structured, healing farm where people can stabilize, rebuild their lives, and rediscover hope.
Right now, homelessness in our region is rising faster than rural systems can respond. Within a 50‑mile radius of Lake City, shelters in Cadillac, Traverse City, Grayling, and Big Rapids report being full or near capacity throughout the winter months. Many people are sleeping outside, in cars, or in unsafe situations because there is nowhere else to go.
Harvest of Kindness steps into that gap every single day. We provide emergency tents, sleeping bags, winter gear, food boxes, hygiene kits, transportation, and emotional support to people who have nowhere else to turn. We help veterans, seniors, young adults, families, and individuals who have fallen through every crack in the system.
But we know emergency help is not enough. People need a place to heal.
The Healing Farm Vision
We are working to purchase land in Northern Michigan to build a trauma‑informed, sober, structured Healing Farm — a place where guests can:
- Sleep safely
- Eat nutritious meals
- Learn life skills
- Participate in gardening, animal care, and hands‑on work
- Build confidence and routine
- Prepare for long‑term housing
- Heal emotionally, physically, and spiritually
The farm will include:
- Safe sleeping cabins
- A community kitchen
- A workshop and learning barn
- Garden and greenhouse spaces
- Small livestock areas
- A gathering and class space
- Trails and quiet areas for reflection
Every part of the farm is designed to restore dignity, reduce trauma triggers, and give people the structure and support they need to move forward.
Tents of Hope — Beginning February 1
To raise awareness and funds for the Healing Farm, I am sleeping outside in a tent beginning February 1. This project is called Tents of Hope.
I am doing this because too many people in our community are already sleeping outside — not by choice, but because they have nowhere else to go. I want people to see the reality of what our neighbors face every night, and I want to stand with them until we can build something better.
Tents of Hope is not just a fundraiser. It is a statement of solidarity, a call to action, and a reminder that homelessness is not a character flaw — it is a crisis that requires compassion, structure, and community.
What We Are Trying to Accomplish
Harvest of Kindness is working to:
- Purchase land for the Healing Farm
- Build safe, warm sleeping cabins
- Create a full garden and food‑growing program
- Offer workshops on cooking, budgeting, gardening, animal care, and basic trades
- Provide transportation and support services
- Build a replicable model that other rural counties can use
Our goal is not temporary fixes. Our goal is long‑term healing.
A Message From Me
Every person we help reminds me why this work matters. I have seen people at their lowest moments — cold, scared, hungry, and alone — and I have watched them come back to life when someone simply treats them with dignity.
I believe with all my heart that we can build a place where people feel safe, valued, and supported. A place where healing is possible. A place where hope grows again.
Thank you for listening, caring, and standing with us. Together, we can build something that truly changes lives.
— Julie Neumann
Founder & Volunteer
Harvest of Kindness Inc.
harvestofkindnessmi.org
