DREAMWEAVER
Tabl of Content :
Page 2: “Miracles” by Nora B.
“A Friend’s Rejection” byTania P
“Reach Out!” byTracy K.
“Why I Like the Clubhouse” by Mark F
“The People of Dreams and Our Work- Ordered Day”
Page 5: Coping Box Winners!
Sprin ha Sprun !
Spring is finally here, the tulips are blooming and the grass is turning green!There is finally a light at the end of a very long COVID-19 tunnel. It is still important to wear a mask, wash your hands and practice physical distancing Please help everyone out by doing your part and getting vaccinated (if you haven’t already)
“April showers bring May flowers!”
Miracles
By Nora BPeople always say that God has done miracles in my life This was true when I started Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse in 1998. The miracles He has done recently include being in my second video for Schizophrenics Anonymous (SA) and also being quoted by WebMD regarding schizophrenia and mental illness. I was also installed onto the Board of Deacons at my church, the Armenian Congregational Church of Greater Detroit (accdetroit org) I am giving back to the Lord what He has done for me. This past Sunday I presented at church and my cousin Leslie cried when I gave my testimony; my friend Frances also said she cried when hearing my story I had only 4 minutes to speak, so I had to condense my life’s story into just a few minutes.
AFriend’s Rejection Leads toAcceptance
ByTania P
About 15 years ago, after going through a period of depression, I was hospitalized in the psychiatric unit of a local hospital for approximately two weeks During this difficult time, I yearned for the support of friends in addition to family members. One of these friends, a woman I had known for over 20 years, answered the phone after I dialed her number
“I am going through a rough time,” I expressed “Will you come and visit me in the hospital?” I asked.
“No”, she answered, “I will just wait until you get out...I don’t want to visit you in the looney bin ”
After she made that statement, my heart sank I didn’t know how to a belief This was before I’d ever heard of the Clubhouse, and didn’t yet have t aff there.
“That’s okay,” I heard myself saying, feeling astonished and confused about how I should react. I felt hurt and ashamed for even being in the hospital, like I had failed myself or something I had internalized the stigma that my friend and society at-large felt about mental illness. However, another part of me was angry at her for uttering those words. How could she, a friend I had had for over 20 years, just reject me so blatantly, and brush my feelings under the rug?
I never confronted this woman about her statement because I wasn’t strong enough at the time But, needless to say, she and I are no longer friends.These days, I look at the situation from a place of peace...not wanting any negativity or prejudice in my life anymore And now I do stand up for myself when confronted with stigma about mental illness I do not just allow myself to tolerate the stigma and prejudice that many people have about mental illness.
Balancing College with Clubhouse
by Karen B.During this pandemic, I decided to sign up for a 15-month course in Medical Billing and Coding with Penn Foster School online. I did this on May 4, 2020. Since then, I have had trouble balancing the time I spent in the course with attending Clubhouse, but I decided I didn’t want to lose Clubhouse in my life.
I have learned time management can be hard, but, with a lot of making up a daily routine, I found a way to make it work I even found time daily to take one or two walks! Things have been going much better now, and I’m holding a 92% GPA in my course. Other Clubhouse members have gone back to school, too -so maybe I’ve been an inspiration to them!
Reach Out!!!!!
ByTracy KI wanted to write this article because, being a member for over 15 years, I still enjoy doing outreach as well as receiving it! I truly feel we do outreach with compassion because we care! I would like members to know that no matter what you are going through, Dreams will still be here; I believe outreach proves it
On Wednesday, February 24th I was part of the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) presentation group. “Yes, this too is a part of outreach!” Members and staff told parts of our stories about mental illness and the significance of what Dreams contributes to our lives Dreams did great! I’m proud of myself and everyone else who participated Group effort is what Dreams is all about!
Why I Like the Clubhouse
By Mark FI like Dreams Unlimited Clubhouse because Nancy Heinz, one of the staff, helps me with reporting my income to Social Security. If it were not for Nancy, I would have lost my SSD a long time ago. She has helped me through some very rough times and has stood by me throughout it all She has been very supportive and patient with me even when I have not been able to attend.
Other things I have learned and enjoyed at the Clubhouse were learning how to use a computer, doing data collection, taking part in the morning meetings and figuring out what I was going to do for the day I enjoy Dreams because it is a friendly place to make friends, to get to know them and occasionally help them out.
Clubhouse in the COVID-19 Era
By Gregg S.It has been a long but steady struggle to maintain Clubhouse during COVID-19. Along the way, we have followed CDC, Easter Seals and Clubhouse International guidelines to ensure a safe re-entry into the physical site since we shut down in March 2020. We have assessed Clubhouse International presentations online worldwide for ideas. DUC stepped up by requiring masks, social distancing, disinfecting work areas and putting up plexiglass partitions between workspaces
DUC had a brief setback with potential exposure during October and has now safely returned with the capability to physically handle 12 members daily. We used technology (Zoom) to connect members while the physical space was not accessible. Easter Seals has been kind enough to include IPads for members and webcams for the Clubhouse in our budget. As we learn more about the technology, we will continue to combine Zoom with in-person tasks and use Zoom post COVID-19 Members and staff have learned how to do tasks online that were previously done in-person only
THE PEOPLE OF DREAMS AND OUR WORK ORDERED DAY!
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AprilActivity Schedule