House of Harrison, a local new beginnings boutique supporting people in need, is commemorating its relaunch with a special fundraising celebration on Thursday, October 23. It will be held from 5:30-7:30 pm at Dickinson Park Pavilion, 50 Elm Drive.

Everyone in the community is invited to enjoy good drink, good food, and good company. The celebration includes an Oktoberfest-themed happy hour with guest’s choice of beer or wine, small bites such as hot dogs, pretzels, and charcuterie boards, raffles, and music.

Tickets are $45 per person, and can be purchased at houseofharrison.org/events.

The event celebrates House of Harrison’s relaunch as its own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It was previously under Newtown Parent Connection, a local nonprofit organization which provides resources for individuals and families affected by substance use disorder.

In turn, House of Harrison operated under Newtown Parent Connection’s mission statement since its opening in January of last year.

Newtown resident Lynne Farah, who founded House of Harrison with former Newtown Parent Connection Executive Director Dorrie Carolan, is excited for the change.

While Farah said it was wonderful being under Newtown Parent Connection’s umbrella for over a year and a half, she noted how their mission is to embrace families in crisis and help people transition into recovery and sober living.

“I just realized there’s a lot of other people I could be helping, so that’s when I decided to turn House of Harrison into my own 501(c)(3),” Farah explained.

With the relaunch, Farah said she has designed a new mission statement: to restore dignity and provide essential clothing to individuals experiencing homelessness, transitioning from treatment, or facing difficult times.

“When you have a 501(c)(3), it’s all about the mission statement and what it says; you have guidelines of what you can do and what you can’t do. So [this transition] opens up the door to so many more people,” Farah said.

Farah said she has given clothes to men coming out of prison and girls just coming out of a treatment center. She helped a young lady was on Facebook Marketplace whose husband just got a job but had no clothes. Farah reached out to him on Facebook Messenger, and he came into House of Harrison to find new clothes.

“You know, it’s anybody. If you said to me Lynne, I’m going to a wedding, I need a dress, then I’d say come and get it,” Farah said. “I’m just trying to help people feel good about themselves.”

The nonprofit is named in honor of Farah’s late son Harrison, who died in August of 2023. With House of Harrison embracing a new chapter of “Hope, Dignity, and Fresh Beginnings,” the upcoming relaunch celebration encourages everyone to “raise their steins ... and honor Harrison’s compassionate spirit.”

The core of what Farah is doing has not changed; that passion for helping others is still the heart that drives House of Harrison. Farah gets to expand what her nonprofit does, all while honoring her son.

Farah said the upcoming relaunch event celebrates this expansion and spreads the word about House of Harrison. She added that the more people who know about what she does, the more help can be provided to people in need.

Farah said she is immensely grateful for all the donations House of Harrison has received. However, there are a lot of people in need who need clothes such as underwear or socks. Farah frequently makes blessing bags for the homeless, each with about $50 worth of stuff that she gives away.

“I do try to get everything I can for free or at least very inexpensive, but it can really add up,” Farah said.

Farah thanked Newtown Parent Connection for all of their support. She said if it was not for them, she would not have been able to come as far as she has. Newtown Parent Connection is still letting Farah keep the space she has at 2 Washington Square, Fairfield Hills Campus, where House of Harrison has been since its launch last year.

“It takes a village, and thank God I have a village,” Farah said. “I couldn’t do this if people did not give me their clothes and help me. I’m just the medium.”

For more information about House of Harrison, visit houseofharrison.org or call 203-994-7352.

Reporter Jenna Visca can be reached at jenna@thebee.com.