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A CLUBHOUSE FOR ELKHART COUNTY
NEWSLETTER
   MARCH 2010

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Our vision
A Clubhouse for Elkhart County—
A community of recovery, hope, and dignity

that empowers people with mental illness through
friendship, meaningful work, and cultivation of strengths


Next Working Group Meeting. Come catch the excitement of our vision!
 Tuesday, April 6 at Central Christian Church
418 West Franklin Street, Elkhart (corner of 5th and Franklin).
Light supper at 6 pm; meeting from 6:30-8 pm. 
Contact Susan  if you'd like to help with food.   
Contact information is at the end of this newsletter.


Working group meetings are open to all, no matter how often you've come, or how "tentative" you feel about becoming involved.   We will not pressure you to work!!   The meetings are informal and end promptly at 8 pm.

Working Group News

Nineteen persons, including four visitors from Warsaw's New Hope Clubhouse,  attended our March meeting.

Our New Hope friends shared about the impact a clubhouse has had on their lives.   In one memorable story, Debbie compared her clubhouse experience to her first toboggan ride.   Both have helped her conquer some fears.

Jeannie reported that since October 1, 2009, the working group has logged 581 volunteer hours for our project.

Did you see the Elkhart Truth letters to the editor on March 4?   Charlotte Fletcher wrote a great letter describing and commending  our project.  That letter is now on our website.  Jeannie has also submitted a letter, so watch for it. 

Multicultural efforts – The Board Development committee continues efforts to develop a multicultural board of directors. We especially welcome inquiries from Latino and African American folks who are interested in learning more about our project. Contact Christine to express interest or recommend others.

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 Our logo onT-shirts! – Leah and Susan Garboden are working on a proposal for shirt design, color, cost and ordering info.   They will try to bring sample T shirts to the April meeting.   Nekeisha Alexis-Baker, our logo designer, will help with color selection. 

 Lily Rath's mother died last week, so Lily has returned to India.  She had just come back from spending most of the winter there.    Please keep Lily in your thoughts and prayers.   If you'd like her local address, contact Susan.

Thank you to Marsha Weaver, who came to our March meeting and took candid photos .   We look  pretty good!!  We will be using the photos on our website and in our newsletter. To see the whole album click here.

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James Nelson Gingerich and Jeannie Stuckey prepare for the working group supper

Clubhouse visits – As new potential board members are being recruited, plans are underway again to visit nearby clubhouses to help communicate the clubhouse vision and spirit. 
Contact Christine if you would like to be included in these plans.

Old to Gold Fundraiser changed date: SATURDAY, JUNE 26.  Volunteers will be organizing the items the first 4 weeks in JUNE, not May, because the area where the sale is held is needed in May for graduation this year.  We will be working with NAMI Elkhart, which has been accepted as a participating organization. If you are interested in participating, contact Lily.

New on Our Website 

Our website keeps evolving. A section called What's new? is in blog format and highlights recent additions to the site.   Contact Christine  to contribute your thoughts about the clubhouse vision.  The new Member Spotlight features Stephanie Johnson and Leah Garboden.

We have a new website domain name that is easy to remember:
 www.elkhartcountyclubhouse.org  
And for the time being, the previous web address will also work.

What does a clubhouse look like? If you have not checked out the photos from other clubhouses, take a look at the warm, hospitable atmosphere we hope to replicate in our own way in Elkhart County.  

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  Independence Center Clubhouse, St. Louis, Missouri

Current Newsletter – The website now boasts a user-friendly display of the current newsletter

On the Clubhouse calendar… 

Jonathan will speak to the youth group of Communidad Cristiana Adulam on Sunday March 14, 7 pm.  
On Wednesday, March 24, Jonathan and James will speak to Goshen's  Latino Pastors.
Jonathan and James spoke to a morning Goshen Kiwanis group on March 11. 
Christine and Jonathan spoke to Crystal Valley Kiwanis Feb 17 and Elkhart Noon Optimist Club March 4.
Christine and Jonathan will speak at Waterford Mennonite Church April 15, and Goshen Seniors for Peace April 16.

Can you invite our storytellers to present the Elkhart County Clubhouse vision to your club, friends, or church group?  They have been received enthusiastically by many audiences, large and small.  
See our website speakers page for more information.

August 30-September 3,  2010    The Regional Clubhouse Conference for our area (USA mid-states) will be held in Detroit MI.   At one of our next working group meetings, we will discuss sending representatives.

* * *

The Indiana Clubhouse Coalition (indianaclubhouses.org) continues its advocacy with the Indiana Department of Mental Health and Addictions. The goal is that a psychosocial rehabilitation billing code for certified clubhouses and those within 3 years of certification would be included in the new state plan.  Without this code, as of July 1 clubhouses in the state will lose the funding they need to operate. Stay tuned for future developments.

  Please ask your friends if you can add them to our newsletter email or U.S. mailing list.     No strings attached----we are broadcasting our message in any way that we can, and you can help.    Give addresses to Susan or Christine, or fill out the form on the clubhouse website.

Words of inspiration from here and there

Some of us baby boomers (Susan, for one) can remember a television character, a "beatnik" named Maynard G. Krebs, who recoiled and cowered at the four-letter word WORK.  To clubhouse members and millions of persons all over the world, however, WORK stands for healing, for satisfaction, for camaraderie, for meaning and fulfillment in life.  The W.O.D. (work-ordered day) really works!

Through the years, many  persons have told of the importance of work.  Included are just a few which can speak to us as a group. 

It is your work in life that is the ultimate seduction.--Pablo Picasso

Work is love made visible.--Kahlil Gibran

The pitcher cries for water and the person for work that is real.--Marge Piercy

Derive happiness in oneself from a good day's work, from illuminating the fog that surrounds us.--Henri Matisse

What I do you cannot do; but what you do, I cannot do.  The needs are great, and none of us, including me, ever do great things. But we can all do small things with great love, and together we can do something wonderful.  --Mother Theresa

* * *

"Clubhouse will be a place where I know I'll be accepted
and a place where the primary focus will be on my strengths and abilities."

-- Stephanie Johnson, Working Group member, A Clubhouse for Elkhart County

"Clubhouse gives us dignity, respect, purpose and hope.  
Clubhouse isn't just a place to go, its our future."

  --Mello Hall, member, New Hope Clubhouse, Warsaw, Indiana

Contact info

- Show quoted text -
Newsletter:  Susan Garboden, susan.garboden@usa.net, 574-533-8026
Christine Guth, Project Chair, christine@adnetonline.org, 574-534-2718
Jeannie Stuckey, wisegenie@comcast.net,574- 266-0581
Lily Rath, lilyrath@hotmail.com
Elkhart County Clubhouse Project Website - www.elkhartcountyclubhouse.org
Facebook- A Clubhouse for Elkhart County

ICCD (International Center for Clubhouse Development) - www.iccd.org

Contributions accepted by:
Clubhouse Project, ADNet, PO Box 959, Goshen, IN 46527
or donate online

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