Thrive2Survive will host a Holiday Community Resource and Wellness Event at Church on the Rock in Battle Ground, six days before Christmas.
The event will serve as an opportunity for families and individuals to learn about resources available in the area for unhoused individuals and those in need. The event will have organizations offering housing support, insurance programs, recovery resources, low-income programs, eldercare services and more.
“We got a little twist to it, too,” Charles Hanset Jr., founder and executive director of Thrive2Survive, said. “It is a holiday event. So the families can enjoy free photos with Santa Claus, and there will also be a Santa mailbox where kids can write and send letters, and a holiday craft station.”
While recovering from substance abuse, Hanset Jr. decided to start an outreach program to help the unhoused community in Clark County by filling his car with clothes and resource information. Since 2018, Hanset Jr. has been expanding his nonprofit, Thrive2Survive, and its outreach mission. His goal is to meet with unhoused individuals and provide them with resources they need, such as haircuts, meals, clothing, IDs and more.
Thrive2Survive continues to grow over time, he said.
“We’ve also got a recovery housing program, outreach program, we do end-of-life expenses through what’s called the Sonya Fund, named after my sister Sonya who passed of an overdose 11 years ago,” Hanset Jr. said. “So we help with individuals that passed due to their addiction in Clark County with cremation and burial services. We pay the funeral homes for families that apply through us and get approved. We did $20,000 this last year, 16 individuals.”
The holiday event will include organizations dealing with children’s services, new mom services, prenatal resources, recovery support, housing navigation and also elder care, Hanset Jr. added. The event will also provide free clothing, hygiene, tents, tarps, sleeping bags, “... all those essential, needed supplies for the individuals that we can help right now,” he said.
“The fire department will be there on site from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. to spend time with the families and share safety information,” Hanset Jr. added.
The holiday event is open to everyone and is completely free.
“We’re really grateful for [Church on the Rock’s] support and to be able to be out in Battle Ground and serve a different demographic and population that we’re normally used to,” Hanset Jr. said.
The event will take place at Church on the Rock, 500 Southwest Eaton Blvd., in Battle Ground on Thursday, Dec. 19, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information about the Sonya Fund and to donate, visit thrive2survivewa.org/sonya-fund-1. To learn more about Thrive2Survive, including ways to help, visit thrive2survivewa.org.
