Every year during the holidays, we host our annual Holiday Fundraiser. We create a special collection of products—including a limited-edition Festivus yarn (our festive pop of color!), collaborations with knit and crochet designers, a curated eBook, and a community KAL—all to raise funds for a chosen organization we care deeply about.
This year’s fundraiser is the Feats of Fiber Fundraiser, and we’re so excited to share it with you.
This Year’s Beneficiary: Harmony House
This year’s fundraiser benefits Harmony House, an organization doing deeply meaningful work right here in our community. We want to share their mission, who they serve, and why supporting them matters so much to us.
About Harmony House
Harmony House is an emergency supportive housing program serving young people ages 18–24. They provide:
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Emergency housing
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Transitional housing
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Rapid rehousing
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Inclement weather shelter
Notably, Harmony House is the only program of its kind in Summit County, Ohio.
The Harmony House Mission
By confronting systemic barriers and societal challenges, Harmony House empowers youth through creative, safe, and affordable housing solutions—actively preparing them to overcome adversity and thrive.
Young people experiencing homelessness often face overwhelming challenges: access to affordable housing, health care, transportation, education, coping and communication skills, and emotional support. Harmony House believes meaningful change is possible—and so do we.
Our Visit to Harmony House
On December 2nd, 2025, we visited the Harmony House headquarters in Akron, Ohio, where we met with Karla McDay, Chief Executive Officer of Harmony House. What we learned during that visit went far beyond what we expected.
We sat down with Karla for an honest, down-to-earth conversation about the youth Harmony House serves, how young people enter the program, and what day-to-day life looks like for residents. Below are some of the key insights Karla shared.
Karla McDay: How Harmony House Began
Karla shared her personal journey and what led her to founding Harmony House. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati, she returned to Akron and began working in child welfare services.
“I was going to save the world,” Karla shared, reflecting on her early career. “But what I learned very quickly was that when foster youth age out, they often don’t have anywhere to go. You become a foster adult—and there’s no safety net.”
Through that work, she realized a devastating gap in the system: young people ages 18–24 were being pushed into independence without housing, resources, or support.
Karla reflected on her own college years, noting that while she made plenty of mistakes (like we all do at that age), she always had a safety net.
“I made every possible mistake you can make at that age,” she laughed. “But every time I fell, there was a place to land—softly. I couldn’t imagine having that experience without anyone to catch me.”
That realization planted the seed for Harmony House.
From One House to a Community Network
In 2014, Karla left child services and opened Harmony House’s first group home in East Akron. It was a modest four-bedroom house owned by her father. With no funding, Karla charged residents $10 per day.
“For ten dollars a day, they got 10 things in exchange: utilities, gas, water, Wi-Fi, electric, cable, donated food and clothing, free haircuts, a computer, and a mailing address,” she said.
“To me, that meant you could go from being homeless on Monday to established by Tuesday, and by Wednesday, there was no reason you couldn't start a job search"
That model was successful, and by 2018, a second home opened for young men. In 2019, Harmony House received federal funding, allowing them to expand further into apartment-style housing.
“Once we received federal funding, everything changed,” Karla shared. “We went from something very informal to a much more structured system—but we were finally able to grow.”
Today, Harmony House operates 16 locations, owns nine properties, and serves youth across multiple housing models.
How the Program Works Today
Harmony House serves both young men and young women, with single and shared rooms (never co-ed). Once federal funding was introduced, intake became more structured through the United Way’s 211 system, which acts as a centralized referral hub for housing needs.
One thing that sets Harmony House apart is their philosophy:
“We change the bed—we don’t change the person.”
As Karla explained, many housing programs require people to fit rigid criteria.
“Usually, housing programs have a population criteria—they make the person fit the bed,” she said. “Drug and alcohol? Here’s that bed. Domestic violence? Here’s that bed. We do the opposite. We make the bed for the person. You can change the bed, you can’t change people. And when you do it that way, you remove barriers to housing.”
This approach allows Harmony House to meet youth where they are, offering stability with dignity.
Apartments, Houses, and Transitional Youth
Anne asked Karla: “Are the apartments more temporary, or more like a shelter system?”
“Our average stays are about six months,” Karla explained. “The apartments are federally funded and have mandates, so you can stay up to 24 months. But in our experience, most youth are stabilized and ready to move on within six to eight months. This is transitional-aged youth; we just need to help them get stabilized and have a place to go.”
Why Ages 18–24 Matter
Karla explained that most young adults are expected to follow one of four paths after high school: Enroll in college, Enlist in military, Engage in marriage, or Employ.
“Those are the four paths we expect young people to take,” Karla said. “But what we really need is a fifth E—an Extension—because a lot of youth just aren’t ready yet.”
Harmony House serves this “fifth E”: young adults who need more time, support, and stability before stepping fully into independence.
“These kids are in survival mode, they’re trying to get to Friday—not thinking about college or savings. Our job is to help them get out of survival mode so they can plan long-term."
What Support Looks Like
Beyond housing, youth often need:
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Legal support
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Mental and physical health care
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Transportation assistance
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Guidance from trusted adults
Some youth arrive with debts or legal challenges caused by family circumstances.
“We’ve had kids come in with utility debt because a parent had services put in their name,” Karla shared. “We even had a young man—barely 18—who somehow had a mortgage—don’t ask me how... Imagine starting adulthood like that.”
Harmony House works to address the whole picture—not just housing, but the foundation needed for success.
How Donations Make an Impact
When Harmony House receives donations—especially around the holidays—they’re able to create moments of comfort, normalcy, and dignity for the youth they serve.
“We’ve received some donations around the holiday season, so I like to share what our holidays actually look like,” Karla explained. “When you have a lot of young people with different personalities, it can be hard to pull something together—especially because we don’t have a lot of extra money.”
Youth often request cash or technology, but Harmony House focuses on experiences and essentials that reach everyone.
“Our Christmas Eve celebration starts early,” Karla said. “Every year, a church donates coffee mugs with hot chocolate packets and candy.”
On Christmas Eve, those mugs are delivered to every house in the afternoon so each youth receives one. Later that evening, pizza is delivered to all locations.
“Around 6 pm, everyone knows pizza is coming,” Karla shared. “They get their pizza and their hot chocolate, and that’s how we handle Christmas Eve.”
Donations also allow Harmony House to supplement gifts with gift cards—often Walmart gift cards—so youth can choose items they need or want.
“The reason we use Walmart gift cards is simple,” Karla explained. “They deliver, and some of these kids don’t have transportation. They sell everything from underwear to cookie dough, so youth can shop online and get something that’s personalized.”
Beyond the holidays, donations help keep each home running day to day. Funds are used for feminine products, hygiene items, toilet paper, trash bags, and other household staples.
“Think about how much dish soap you go through at home, now imagine keeping sixteen houses constantly stocked with those basics. That’s what the money goes toward. just your day to day essentials that every house and youth needs.”
Touring a Harmony House Home
After the interview, we were invited to tour one of the Harmony House homes—and honestly, it felt exactly like what you’d hope for if this were your first safe place in a long time.
The house was bright, remodeled, and genuinely welcoming. It didn’t feel institutional at all—it felt like a home. The youth share a kitchen where they can cook their own meals, with individual cabinets stocked with snacks they personally like. There’s a common area with a large round table, perfect for studying, eating together, or just hanging out.
There were four nicely sized bedrooms, each simple but thoughtfully set up. One room we saw had a bed, a closet, and a set of welcome essentials ready for someone new—everything they’d need to settle in without having to worry about the basics.
The shared bathroom was clean and well cared for, and the whole space felt calm and respectful. Upstairs, there was even a shared closet filled with shoes, accessories, and clothing—plus a mirror—so residents could borrow something for a job interview or important appointment.
As we walked through the house, it was easy to imagine how much this space matters. It felt safe. It felt warm. It felt like a place where someone could finally take a breath and start figuring out what comes next.
How You Can Help
Now that you know more about Harmony House, here’s how you can support them through our Feats of Fiber Fundraiser—with all proceeds donated to Harmony House at the close of the fundraiser on December 31st.
How it works: You can participate by choosing any of the following:
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Purchase the Feats of Fiber eBook
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Buy individual featured patterns
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Join the Feats of Fiber KAL
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Make a direct donation
Every dollar goes straight to Harmony House, and a portion of Festivus yarn sales will also support the fundraiser. Your participation helps make a real difference!
The fundraiser ends December 31st—there’s one more week to help us raise as much as possible.
You can also donate directly to Harmony House HERE
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Join the Feats of Fiber Fundraiser
Thank you for helping us turn fiber into real-world impact.
