OLNEY (KFDX/KJTL) — It’s almost fall, and those at the House of Mercy Enterprises are making everyone well aware of that at their “Almost Fall Festival.”
The festival is an event where families, like that of Matthew Garrett, celebrate the place that changed their lives.
“Anything that we can do to help give back to the place that brought us from where we were to where we are now, we’ve always come with a willing attitude since day one,” current House of Mercy Enterprises resident Matthew Garrett said. “We knew that we had to leave that old life behind us, so whatever it took.”
Assistant Director Kimberly Smith said seeing all the support at the festival is what it’s all about.
“It’s one of those things — we try to stay humble, but you can’t help but just beam with pride at the program, and just, we’ve all come together,” Smith said. “We’re a family in this program, and that’s something to be said about a small town; God does big things in small towns.”
Smith said the event, which has been in planning for months now, couldn’t have gone any better.
“The way that everything just fell together, that’s a God thing,” Smith said. “We have our mayor here and all the other non profits, and just to see everybody come together for this one big event, it just makes my heart so full.”
Olney mayor Rue Rogers said he’s proud to have this resource in his community.
“Well, we’ve got a lot of positive things going on in our community across the board, and the House of Mercy is certainly one of those,” Rogers said. “It’s a gospel-centered ministry that serves people, serves our community, and today’s event just highlights that and brings everyone together.”
For those like the Garretts, they hope fundraisers like these are able to keep the House open for years to come.
“It’s been a saving grace for me, my family, my spiritual life is stronger than it’s ever been, my marriage is stronger than it’s ever been, I don’t have to wake up everyday and be reminded that I used to do drugs or I used to drink or any of the things I used to do,” Garrett said. “I can wake up everyday with a fresh start and that’s what this place did for me.”
It was truly a day full of fun for a great cause.