Harbor of Hope's mission is to provide a safe haven of respect and love for recovering men to transform and reconstruct their lives.
What We Do
Harbor of Hope is a recovery home located in Des Moines, Iowa that strives to provide men coming from prison, jail, treatment, or other programs with access to resources in the community. Our goal is to plug clients into the community by providing safe, adequate housing and information on how to utilize the resources Des Moines has to offer.
Harbor of Hope works hard to provide an environment that cultivates positive growth, mutual respect, and a fellowship to attain freedom from drugs and alcohol. We have developed a Lifetime Recovery Program and through that have built strong relationships with providers in the community to ensure our residents have access to the best resources available.
Read our clients’ testimonials to learn more about the impact our program has had on their lives.
The Harbor focuses on five key areas of recovery:
Education
Employment
Financial Training
Reconnecting to family and friends
Physical and mental health
Where We've Been
Harbor of Hope was established in 1984 as a homeless shelter and eventually transitioned into a recovery center for drug addicts in 2005. The original Harbor of Hope building was constructed in Des Moines’ River Bend neighborhood in 1880 and served as the permanent home for Harbor of Hope for 28 years. Harbor of Hope moved to our new home located near the Iowa State Capitol Building in July of 2012.
2014
34 applications received
21 clients admitted
2015
76 applications received
32 clients admitted
25 clients completed a six-month commitment
2016
108 applications received
42 clients admitted
28 clients completed a six-month commitment
2017
142 applications received
46 clients admitted
32 clients completed a six-month commitment
Who We Are
Tom Pontow
Executive Director
Brandon Akes
Program Director
Joseph Byrkett
House Manager
The Harbor Board of Directors
Barry Freed (President) – Freed Construction
Erin Broich (Secretary/Treasurer) – Nestle Foods
Pastor Tammy Harris-Brantley – Elpis Christian Fellowship
