Doylestown Nonprofit Opens Men's Home To Meet Community Need

DOYLESTOWN, PA — An all-volunteer nonprofit organization in Bucks County has opened a home for men in need of safety and shelter during difficult times.

Between Friends Outreach has opened Jerry's Place, a men's home named in honor of Jerry Luttrell, who was the best friend of the group's founder and executive director Tara Grippi-Stoop.

The untimely passing of Luttrell more than five years ago sent Stoop to a dark place, but it was from the depths of grief that she came up with the idea for the outreach group.

"It was either sit in grief or get out there and fill a void that our community needed," she said.

So it only seemed fitting that a men's home should bear her best friend's name. The safe haven for men in crisis is outfitted with adequate food supplies, modern appliances to give men the feeling of being in a loving home.

"The majority of our clients come to us with something lacking in their upbringing, lacking that family, so we're trying to give them something they can take pride in while we work with them on counseling and budgeting," she said.

Stoop founded Between Friends Outreach in 2016 with the goal of helping victims of domestic violence, veterans, low-income populations and people experiencing homelessness in Bucks and Montgomery counties. Today, the organization offers a range of services, including emergency housing, counseling, budget counseling, clothing food, employment, medical care, drug and alcohol treatment and getting essential documents for their clients.

For Stoop and her team of volunteers, there is no typical day on the job, and the group handles about 30 cases each month.

"None of the volunteers have a lot, but we have so much more than everyone that comes to us," Stoop said. "It gives you the drive to keep doing it the next day, no matter how bad that day is."

For more information on Between Friends Outreach, you can visit their website.

This story is part of Patch's Headlining Hope series, which profiles local nonprofits and charitable organizations in need of volunteers and resources. If you know of a local organization that should be profiled, contact peter.blanchard@patch.com.