Rotary Happenings: Rotary speaker talks about Hope Clubhouse, mental illness
The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club has a jam packed meeting on Dec. 14. First off, we had the election of club officers for July 2019 through June 2020. Results of that election will be included in an up-coming column. Is it just me or does just projecting forward to the year 2020 boggle the mind?
The club also had the pleasure of welcoming our newest member. Dr. Bruce Neill, co-founder and executive director of the Sanibel Sea School, was sponsored by San-Cap Rotary’s past president, John Grey. After a few words about Rotary International, the board’s scope and the reach Rotary has in the world through its commitment of humanitarian service through “Service Above Self,” Membership Chair Eldon Bohrofen presented Neill his Rotary International membership certificate and pin.
The Rotary membership process involves a Membership Committee verifying the candidate’s personal reputation in business and the community and then presents the proposed membership application to the club’s board of directors for approval. The approval is then brought forward to the entire club membership in the form of a posting in the club’s weekly bulletin. If no objection to the candidate is expressed, the candidate is approved for membership.
Now to switch gears, from club business to the serious business of mental health. Last week’s guest speaker was James Wineinger, executive director of Hope Clubhouse. Hope Clubhouse is a place that is bringing hope of normalcy to a segment of society that faces a daily struggle of living with mental illness; it is not a medical treatment center. It provides a safe non-judgmental caring and respectful environment to service their members – they are not considered patients or a clients – but a member of the club. As a member of Hope Clubhouse, members are provided a homebase that works to build self-esteem and work skills, engages members in the volunteer work in the clubhouse, assists in setting and reaching member educational goals, helps return members to paid employment, and assists in finding affordable housing.
Hope Clubhouse has the intended outcome of a powerful course of positive steps that lays a blueprint for entry or re-entry into a normal life. Education and employment are the building blocks of that plan, along with showing the members that their personal wellness helps with their overall well-being. It helps members gain confidence through educational workshops that may enable them to apply for and earn educational certificates or college credit toward degrees. It also provides educational opportunities by utilizing the talents and skills of the members and staff to provide in-house training in varied areas.
Hope Clubhouse provides an internal training-ground for future employment opportunities. It educates with on-the-job education and training in its business, culinary and horticultural units. It also partners with several outside companies to provide members a hand-up approach for their re-entry to employment in the outside workforce.
Wineinger brought to Rotary’s attention Hope Clubhouse’s newest training program in horticulture. The program is based on the ECHO horticultural concept of teaching sustainable growing methods and creating small edible gardens for direct usage by the growers or sold at small farmer’s markets. In turn, members are partnering with some Lee County schools to help students do this same kind of planting on school grounds.
Hope Clubhouse serves approximately 250 members ages 18 years and older annually with financial help from federal government grants, which provides half of its yearly budget of $500,000 a year. Lee County Human and Veterans Services, state vocational training grants, the United Way, fundraisers and donors provide the rest of the financial resources to support the non-profit facility and programming.
Plans are in the incubator to expand the Hope Clubhouse reach further into the community by opening additional space beyond its Fort Myers location, which would provide services to more individuals with mental health issues. Additionally, an informational outreach program directed at high schoolers has been introduced to the schools giving those age 18 or older a place of hope, if they are experiencing mental health issues.
Hope Clubhouse is founded on the belief that with the help and support of one’s community, members can overcome the effects of mental illness, attain recovery and lead satisfying, productive lives. It gives everyone the chance to form friendships, gain respect through work, improve social skills and reduce the stigma so commonly associated with these illnesses. An obvious need is present today in our society for places like Hope Clubhouse. Beyond the medical help for those with mental health issues lies a need for a rebuilding of the human spirit and the feeling of contributing to their own well-being by finding their place in society.
For information about the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club, visit sanibelrotary.org or www.facebook.com/sancaprotary. The club meets every Friday at 7 a.m. at the Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, at 949 Sand Castle Road, Sanibel; visitors are welcome to attend.