This organization was created in honor of Harlan ‘Chris’ Squier and was founded by his family members and close friends. As an adolescent Chris struggled with substance use and made several unsuccessful attempts to get clean at traditional rehabilitation facilities. It was not until Chris was admitted to a wilderness therapy program in the mountains of North Carolina that he was able to achieve lasting sobriety. The serenity of North Carolina’s natural beauty and the compassion of the program’s therapists and guides led Chris to a spiritual experience that placed him on the path to recovery.

I am looking forward to seeing you at our opening event! Our board joined forces to open this Foundation in memory of Christopher Squier, our son, brother, uncle, cousin, grandson, and friend. He fought his addiction finding recovery in the wilderness. When he left his work in the wilderness, he began working with children on the autism spectrum. He loved supporting the children. He taught me, personally, that it’s important to be at someone’s level when they are breaking down.

Wilderness programs are designed to assist adolescents who are struggling with substance abuse, emotional, or behavioral concerns. These adolescents are usually facing a variety of struggles including school issues, damage to family bonds and personal emotional struggles. Wilderness therapy combines therapy with challenge experiences in an outdoor setting to kinetically engage students on cognitive, affective, and behavioral levels. After just a few expeditions students start to feel much more confident and capable.

A 12-step approach includes peer support and self-help programs that have endured the test of time. The growing popularity of 12-step programs has grown to more than 2 million members worldwide, according to AA.org. A 12-step option offers unlimited peer support helping people recover from substance use disorders, behavioral addictions and sometimes other co-occurring mental health conditions. 12-step programs help people achieve and maintain abstinence from substances. Many experience a new life and recover from their active drug addiction, compulsion, and alcoholism.

It’s been a few months since we’ve updated our blog. This site was created in memory of our son, Harlan Christopher Squier. He had the mental disease of addiction. He battled for many years, gaining recovery only through Wilderness Programs. Wilderness programs gave him peace and serenity he could not find in the world. During his recovery, not only did he find his recovery in the wilderness, but he also later worked 8 days on 4 days off in a wilderness program and loved what the wilderness offered.

Our family has experienced addiction and the loss of life to this disease firsthand. On January 16, 2023, my husband and I abruptly lost our 27-year-old son to addiction. Our son was a brother, grandchild, nephew, and an uncle, and boyfriend who cared deeply for all his family and friends. Harlan Christopher Squier was an intelligent, handsome, and kind young man who had 6 years of sobriety before addiction took his life.

The Harlan Serenity Foundation is still in the formation process, but board members have been selected, domain names have been purchased, and the lawyers and accountants have been engaged. There’s so much to do, just to get started, but we have big dreams and huge goals! Let’s do amazing things in God’s name!