100 miles for mental health
Hope Harbor Executive to walk from Sioux Falls to Marshall
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MARSHALL -- Hope Harbor Executive Director Chad Doyle will walk 100 miles from his home in Sioux Falls to Marshall on Sept. 17 to get the word out and gather donations for the organization.
Hope Harbor is a nonprofit founded in Marshall in 2005. According to Doyle,The organization works to provide mental health services to teens in need while keeping an emphasis on the Bible and Christianity, specializing in helping teens who struggle with mental health issues like anxiety, depression, difficult home lives or suicidal thoughts.
"Ordinary teens dealing with extraordinary issues," Doyle said. "That’s one thing I like to say a lot."
Hope Harbor hosts two chapters -- Parker chapter for boys, and a Marshall chapter for girls. Residents stay on location for 12 to 16 months, where they attend regular biblical counseling, a homeschooling program and field trips.
Before coming to Hope Harbor, Doyle worked as a youth counselor. He always had a love and passion for the youth, and wanted to take that to a full-time career. He saw many of the issues the youths of the new generation were dealing with, specifically issues exacerbated by social media and the news that’s being pushed out.
Then he found Hope Harbor. Two-and-a-half years later, he's the executive director, hearing calls from families who tried every other option and felt hopeless, and doing everything he can to help.
"God called me there," Doyle said. "He told me what I was supposed to do."
But nonprofit organizations need some way to pay for the help they provide. For Hope Harbor, that money is needed to pay for schooling, living facilities, counseling and upkeep. Doyle wanted to find an out-of-the-box way to generate some income for the nonprofit. That’s where the 100 mile walk idea came in.
Doyle wouldn’t describe himself as a cardio guy. The last time he truly worked out was in his early 20s when he joined the Air Force. Despite that, he feels prepared for the 100-mile trip. He’s already packing and preparing two pairs of shoes, protein bars, beef jerky, peanuts and a CamelBak water bottle.
"I do feel confident," Doyle said.
One hundred miles of walking is more than many are accustomed to. Doyle did some research and found the average person walks about 1-2 miles a day. Doyle plans to walk about 40 miles per day. Meaning he needs to push himself.
"I’m going to keep walking until I can’t anymore," Doyle said. "Then, I’ll find some trees. I have a hammock to sleep in."
While the walk is a solo adventure, Doyle plans to share and document his entire walk on the Hope Harbor website, showing what his feet look like at the beginning and end, as well as how he's feeling at different times of the walk.
"One thing I tell my family is that sometimes we have to sacrifice ourselves sometimes for the sake of hard things," Doyle said.
The trip from his house to Marshall is 96 miles, meaning once Doyle gets to Marshall, there will still be four 4 miles. He's hoping to plan a victory lap when he gets to the end, having both volunteers and family members that have worked with Hope Harbor join him for the final miles around town.
More information about Hope Harbor, the walk and how to donate can be found at www.hopeharbormn.org/walk.