Anyone involved with Boulware Mission as a client, volunteer, or staff from 2005 to 2022 likely interacted with the late Harold Richardson. In honor of his years of service, the nonprofit named its entry hall after Richardson, who died in October 2023.
“I feel like this is the perfect way to honor him. Boulware was literally his life,” said Harold’s daughter Olivia Richardson during the dedication ceremony on Sunday. “He would literally wake up every day to help people and he would come down here and serve this program. He really helped build this program from the ground up, and it’s just the perfect way.”
The entry hall is now adorned with a plaque in Richardson’s honor.
Former Executive Director Donna Mason served during Richardson’s tenure and said the hall was his ministry. She said Richardson often walked the hall checking in on clients and staff, continuing his service at every chance.
Mason said Richardson was known as a man who believed in second, third, and fourth chances — or as many as it took to help a client reach sobriety.
“This hallway was his everyday classroom. A place where the rubber meets the road, as he’d say, and Harold’s presence demanded attention. It was filled with everyday life — the good, the bad, and the ugly,” Mason said.
Current Interim Executive Director Gary Estes said that though he just missed working alongside Richardson, the effects of his service are felt throughout the organization.
“The stories you guys share about him showed me he is a truly Christian person who had a passion for the guys here and helping them out,” Estes said during the dedication ceremony. “That’s what it’s all about.”
