Welcome to the House Of Grace and Hope website.
In 2005, an Australian family, the Harrison's (including their 3 children) sold everything they owned and moved to Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in the far east of Russia. They set up a house to give hope and support to orphans who were too old to continue living at their orphanage any longer.
Why help older kids?
Generally, the majority of orphan children fall into crime or prostitution after they move to life in the outside world - an extremely vulnerable period for these children! The Harrisons are meeting a huge and mostly ignored need in this period of the children's lives. They help develop life-skills and set many of these children on a path filled with hope and a future instead of hopelessness and despair.
The Harrisons call their house House Of Grace and Hope because they believe if they meet the kids where they are at - without judgment - through God’s grace they can impart hope by meeting the children's physical, emotional, spiritual and personal support needs during this critical period in their lives.
House Of Grace and Hope is currently operating from a small three bedroom cottage as a family home, half-way house and drop-in center. There are currently ten Russian young people living with their family of five. They often have up to twenty five for dinner each night!
In the future the Harrisons are aiming to have a bigger house and more team members so they can help more orphans transition into a productive and rewarding life.