UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Auxiliary has gifted a quarter-million-dollars to St. Luke’s Foundation for Club 520, a peer-run mental health support group available through Abbe Center for Community Mental Health.
According to a news release, Abbe Center’s Club 520 is a recovery and wellness group designed to help adults who have a mental health diagnosis or substance use disorder connect with others.
“Having social connections is important and can improve quality of life and positively impact health,” said Cheryl Schatzle, Abbe Center supervisor for community-based services in the release. “Club 520 is staffed by peer support specialists who have firsthand experience with a mental illness and are at a stage in their recovery where they can assist others. Staff have specialized training and receive ongoing education.”
Club 520 activities include lunch-and-learns, cooking projects, crafts, karaoke, board games, holiday events, and offsite activities such as bowling, picnics, hiking and more. Individuals can join in, read a book or simply have a cup of coffee and talk. Computers are available for job searches and accessing other resources.
“We have people waiting in the hall at noon for us to open – it’s that important to them,” said Mike Meyer, a Club 520 peer support specialist in the release. “It isn’t a rigid program. Club 520 empowers you to take control of your recovery. You decide if you want to come and what you want to do. If this program had been available when I was first struggling with mental health, it would have improved my quality of life. Even today, being a peer support worker has given me a sense of purpose that helps in my recovery.”
“This is a big gift for us,” said Connie Robinson, Auxiliary member, in the release. “We feel strongly that mental health affects everyone in a community. When the opportunity arose to support the advancement of mental health services, we knew that was something we wanted to put our arms around.”
Club 520 will move to a new location later this year when the Abbe Center opens its new facility at 615 5th Street SE, Cedar Rapids (the former Stamats building). St. Luke’s Auxiliary $250,000 gift will help create a welcoming space for the Club in this new location.
