Pennsylvania Purpose
Donation protected
Upon release from prison or discharge from residential treatment for substance use disorders, many individuals find themselves without the tools they need to thrive in the community.
At Pennsylvania Purpose individuals will develop the skills they need to work and support themselves. They will find the resources they need to navigate the world around them. And, they will find purpose for their everyday life.
Pennsylvania Purpose - Rescue and Recovery will operate a horse and farm dog rescue and special event venue. Skills shared will include Carpentry, Farm Chores, Horse and Dog training, Catering, Event Planning, Photography, Landscaping, Housekeeping, and more. Additional resources available will include: assistance navigating community and government resources, resume building, SMART recovery group meetings, and transportation. The goal is for each approved individual to be able to work full time at the farm for a modest salary and have room and board provided. This will allow for saving money for their futures and learning time and money management. Each individual will have the responsibility of caring for the farm and will have one animal specifically assigned to them to train and rehabilitate.
At Pennsylvania Purpose the animals will be therapeutic to the individuals in recovery, and the individuals in recovery will be rescuing and rehabilitating the animals. If all goes as planned, this project could prove to be a model for many rural counties where individuals with criminal history and substance use struggles have difficulty finding work. There are always animals to help, life events to celebrate, and individuals in need of not only a second chance, but a sense of purpose to keep them moving forward.
About the Founder: After a 10 year career working in Medicaid, Angela Episale worked as the Bureau Director for Treatment, Prevention and Intervention for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. She wrote the process that streamlined eligibility determination for individuals coming out of county prison and going into residential drug and alcohol treatment, and she oversaw numerous grants and special projects. Angela recently retired from Commonwealth employment to follow her passion for helping others by embracing progressive practices.
BIG UPDATES! Pennsylvania Purpose is now up and running in PHASE 1 of our plan. Pennsylvania Purpose is open for business... at least within our PHASE 1 restraints:
1) We are assisting with community resource navigating, resume writing and job search services for individuals in recovery and with criminal history.
2) We are also now able to take farm dog rescues and even a horse or two on a foster / boarder basis!
The cost to board and care for a horse per month with veterinary and farrier services will average approximately $500 a month (higher initially and lower ongoing unless there are chronic health issues). The cost for a dog will average approximately $200 a month with the inclusion of veterinary care and obedience training.
We need about $2000 a month to continue operating in this capacity. Anything over that we plan to save until we have enough for a downpayment on our own facility. That would take approximately $50,000 for the downpayment.
So, please help get the word out! If you know of an individual in need of our services, or who would benefit from spending time working with our animals please direct them to:
[email redacted].
And, PLEASE keep directing your community to our fundraising page. We will need continuous monthly income to keep this moving: http://www.gofundme.com/35yi5qo
Thank you so much for all who donated and got us to this point. Together our potential is limitless.
At Pennsylvania Purpose individuals will develop the skills they need to work and support themselves. They will find the resources they need to navigate the world around them. And, they will find purpose for their everyday life.
Pennsylvania Purpose - Rescue and Recovery will operate a horse and farm dog rescue and special event venue. Skills shared will include Carpentry, Farm Chores, Horse and Dog training, Catering, Event Planning, Photography, Landscaping, Housekeeping, and more. Additional resources available will include: assistance navigating community and government resources, resume building, SMART recovery group meetings, and transportation. The goal is for each approved individual to be able to work full time at the farm for a modest salary and have room and board provided. This will allow for saving money for their futures and learning time and money management. Each individual will have the responsibility of caring for the farm and will have one animal specifically assigned to them to train and rehabilitate.
At Pennsylvania Purpose the animals will be therapeutic to the individuals in recovery, and the individuals in recovery will be rescuing and rehabilitating the animals. If all goes as planned, this project could prove to be a model for many rural counties where individuals with criminal history and substance use struggles have difficulty finding work. There are always animals to help, life events to celebrate, and individuals in need of not only a second chance, but a sense of purpose to keep them moving forward.
About the Founder: After a 10 year career working in Medicaid, Angela Episale worked as the Bureau Director for Treatment, Prevention and Intervention for the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. She wrote the process that streamlined eligibility determination for individuals coming out of county prison and going into residential drug and alcohol treatment, and she oversaw numerous grants and special projects. Angela recently retired from Commonwealth employment to follow her passion for helping others by embracing progressive practices.
BIG UPDATES! Pennsylvania Purpose is now up and running in PHASE 1 of our plan. Pennsylvania Purpose is open for business... at least within our PHASE 1 restraints:
1) We are assisting with community resource navigating, resume writing and job search services for individuals in recovery and with criminal history.
2) We are also now able to take farm dog rescues and even a horse or two on a foster / boarder basis!
The cost to board and care for a horse per month with veterinary and farrier services will average approximately $500 a month (higher initially and lower ongoing unless there are chronic health issues). The cost for a dog will average approximately $200 a month with the inclusion of veterinary care and obedience training.
We need about $2000 a month to continue operating in this capacity. Anything over that we plan to save until we have enough for a downpayment on our own facility. That would take approximately $50,000 for the downpayment.
So, please help get the word out! If you know of an individual in need of our services, or who would benefit from spending time working with our animals please direct them to:
[email redacted].
And, PLEASE keep directing your community to our fundraising page. We will need continuous monthly income to keep this moving: http://www.gofundme.com/35yi5qo
Thank you so much for all who donated and got us to this point. Together our potential is limitless.
Organizer
Angela Episale
Organizer
Camp Hill, PA
