NEWS - As appeared in the Connecticut Business News Journal on January 20, 2009.

Citizens Bank names Fellowship Place a Champion in Action
 NEW HAVEN, CONN. – Citizens Bank has announced that Fellowship Place of New Haven has been recognized as a Champion in Action® for the first quarter of 2010 in the area of workforce development.

The award was announced by Rich Barry, Connecticut president of Citizens Bank, during an on-air segment of the noon newscast on WTNH earlier today. The award includes a $25,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation.

“By participating in internships and other career development opportunities at Fellowship Place, clients can increase their self-esteem while learning new skills. Fellowship Place plays an important role in the greater New Haven community and we pleased to present the agency with this award,” said Barry.

Fellowship Place is an award-winning advocacy group that provided more than 140 individuals with cost-effective educational and vocational rehabilitation services in the past year. The Fellowship Inn Homeless Engagement Program regularly operates beyond its capacity, serving 120 homeless and mentally ill individuals in the past year.

“Every day that someone comes through our doors, they catch a glimpse that it is possible to overcome the effects of severe mental illness and move from homelessness, poverty and despair to a life of hope and self-sufficiency,” said Mary Guerrera, executive director of Fellowship Place.

Champions in Action is a partnership between Citizens Bank and WTNH / MyTV 9, launched in 2002, to provide financial support and public awareness to the nonprofit organizations that work every day to champion change in our communities.

Each quarter, a nonprofit organization among a range of social service topics in Connecticut is recognized as a Champion in Action. Each champion in action receives the following support in addition to the $25,000 grant from the Citizens Bank Foundation:

• Media coverage from News Channel 8/MyTV9, including public service announcements.
• Volunteer support from both Citizens Bank and News Channel 8/MyTV9.
• Public relations support and promotional support through visibility at Citizen Bank branches and citizensbank.com.

Fellowship Place Celebrates 50 Years!

Fellowship Place is proud to celebrate 50 years of providing support and rehabilitation services to adults struggling with chronic mental illness in our New Haven community.  Please join us in celebrating this very special milestone on October 28, 2010, for our 50th Anniversary Dinner Dance Benefit at Amarante’s Sea Cliff in New Haven.  The event will begin with a 6:00pm cocktail hour, dinner and dancing will follow at 7:00pm and continue until 10:00pm.  This very important evening of dinner and dancing will honor 50 years of history at Fellowship Place and the life work of our founder, Phyllis McDowell.

Please join us in celebrating 50 years of service and commitment in providing support and rehabilitation services to adults struggling with chronic mental illness.  For pricing and reservations, please contact Melissa Holroyd at (203) 401-4227 x111.

 

PAST EVENTS

• 6th Annual Albert J. Solnit Memorial Lecture Series: the Connecticut Premiere of Poet, Playwright, and Performer, Michael Mack's One-Man Play - "Hearing Voices (Speaking in Tongues)"

• Fellowship Place’s 2009 Annual Fall Benefit held October 8th “Wines by the Water with a View You Can Taste.”

• Fellowship Place announces the Grand Opening of Fellowship Commons Westville, a fully renovated apartment building with 18 units of affordable housing and on site support services.

• Thursday October 30, 2008: A Magical Evening to Benefit Fellowship Place Featuring Master Magician and Entainer Bill Herz - a two-time winner of the International Magical Performers Award, and also is known for creating special effects for Broadway, major motion pictures and television.
• Thursday, October 4, 2007: New Haven Premiere: People Say I’m Crazy – a sold out film event chronicling the intimate details of artist John Cadigan’s decade-long battle to recover from schizophrenia - featured esteemed filmmakers John and Katie Cadigan.
• Tuesday, May 1, 2007: "Street of Dreams: Dancing Under The Stars," featured the Yale Dance Alliance in a Dance-Jam of Ballroom, Swing, Hip Hop, Salsa, Cha-Cha, Rumba and more! Communitarian award recipients: CT State Representatives Cameron Staples and Toni Walker
• Thursday, March 29, 2007: The 5th Annual Albert J. Solnit, MD, Memorial Event - Recovery: It's A Whole New Story - a sold out event featuring Dr. William Anthony, Professor & Director of the Center for Psychiatric Rehavilitation, Boston University.
• Thursday, March 9th, 2006: Al Solnit Memorial Lecture - a sold out event featuring sisters Carolyn Spiro, MD and Pamela Spiro Wagner, authors of “Divided Minds” Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia. Co-chairs Ben Solnit, Malcom Bowers and Daniel Koenigsberg.
• November 14th, 2005: Dr. Ruth Westheimer was the featured guest speaker at Fellowship in an evening to raise awareness of Fellowship's Comprehensive Campaign. Dr. Ruth spoke on Sex, Marriage and Meaningful relationships, and was brought to the agency by her dear friend and collaborator, and Fellowship Board Member Dr. William Sledge. Also speaking was Dr. Carolyn Mazure; and Fellowship Member Kelley Verrier gave a show stopping performance with a number from CHICAGO.
• May, 2005: The Annual “Street of Dreams”: Fellowship's yearly tradition features prominent guest speakers sharing the latest research and cutting edge discoveries in the field of mental health followed by a smorgasbord of artistic celebration and culinary delights. 2005 Speakers included Tami Greig, PhD, Bruce Wexler MD & Larry Davidson, PhD.
• June, 2004: We were honored to welcome Dr. David Satcher, M.D., Ph.D., 16th Surgeon General of the U.S. and Director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, GA.
• April, 2004: We welcomed Courtenay M. Harding, Ph.D., Director of the Institute for the Study of Human Resilience and Rehabilitation Sciences at Boston University.
• 2003: Dr. Patricia Goldman-Rakic, and Eugene Higgins Professor of Neurobiology at the Yale, spoke on what drives normal memory and potential new treatments of schizophrenia and other brain disorders.
• 2002: A celebration of the artists at Fellowship Place introduced the general public and patrons of the arts to‚ Outsider Art‚ through an exhibit, slide presentation, and panel discussion. Joining us were Lee Kogan, the Director of the Folk Art Institute, an educational division of the American Folk Art Museum in New York City; Roger Ricco, co-owner of Ricco/Maresca Gallery in NYC; Rebecca Hoffberger, Founder/Director of the American Visionary Art Museum in Baltimore, MD; and Charles Russell, Chair of the Department of English at Rutgers University.
• January, 2002: The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression, won the 2001 National Book Award, chronicling the life of Andrew Solomon, a Yale alumna. Fellowship honored Mr. Solomon with a reception and program.
• 2001: Fellowship celebrated its 40th Anniversary with an event at the Yale Art Gallery that included a panel discussion. We were honored to have had William Styron join us, as well as Dr. Kay Redfield Jamison (Author and Professor of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine), and Jane Heimlich (author of the best-selling book, What Your Doctor Won't Tell You) share their collective wisdom on "living well and mental health."
• 2000: Mia Farrow came to Fellowship and read selected passages from Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness, written by Pulitzer Prize winner, William Styron.
• 1999: Sylvia Nassar (author of A Beautiful Mind) read from her book and shared her experience interviewing John Nash.

 



On June 11th, 2009 Fellowship Place held our 6th Annual Albert J. Solnit Memorial Lecture Series: the Connecticut Premiere of Poet Michael Mack's One-Man Play - "Hearing Voices (Speaking in Tongues)"

This play is a moving tribute to Michael’s Mother, and his family’s journey as they found ways to cope and support each other after she was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Immediately following the performance a distinguished panel of professionals led a discussion about the main themes in the play:

William H. Sledge, MD, Interim Chair and George D. and Esther S. Gross Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
Alice Forrester, PhD, Executive Director, Clifford Beers Child Guidance Clinic
Toni Dorfman, Director of Undergraduate Theatre Studies, Yale University
Michael Mack, Poet, Writer, Performer

There is much misinformation on mental illness broadcast to the public, this successful, compelling, and informative play and panel discussion on the evening of June 11th was a vehicle for education and understanding about mental illness, a way to reduce its stigma, an important part of overcoming negative perceptions in our community.

Special thanks to the Whitney Center for the Humanities and to Judies European Bakery who provided desserts after the performance.

This performance was made possible in part by a grant from


Click here to see June 9th on air interview at WTNH CT NewsChannel 8 with Sonia Baghdady, Fellowship Place’s Executive Director, Mary Guerrera, and Michael Mack.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uorOn1v7SUY

 



On Thursday, October 8th, Fellowship Place hosted our 2009 Annual Fall Benefit at the StoneHouse restaurant in Guilford, CT.  We joined forces with this scenic and exceptional restaurant and Mt. Carmel Wines to present “Wines by the Water with a View You Can Taste”.

The evening began at 5:30pm with an outside cocktail reception followed by a Dinner & Wine Tasting reception by the water. Guests enjoyed a very special four course dinner prepared by StoneHouse Chefs Jim Quinlivan & Peter Hamme; each course was paired with a fine wine presented by Bob Feinn of Mt. Carmel Wines. Between courses, guests participated in an energetic Live Auction emceed by Matt Scott, Meteorologist, WTNH NewsChannel 8.

Special Thanks to our Sponsors:
Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Sponsor - Yale-New Haven Hospital
Merlot Sponsors -Citizens Bank, Coleman Sudol Sapone PC, Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, The Netter Foundation, Rose and Kiernan, Inc.,  Saint Raphael Healthcare System
Chardonnay Sponsors -  Advanced Office Systems, Beers, Hamerman & Company, P.C., Lenora & George Cottiero, Priscilla & Robert Dannies, Group Insurance Associates, Elaine & Herrick Jackson,  Laurence P. Nadel & Susan J. Bryson, Pickard Chilton Architects,  William & Betsy Sledge, Susman, Duffy & Segaloff, P.C., Webster Bank, Yale University
Sauvignon Blanc Sponsors - Allan & Margaret Atherton, Mutual of America, People’s United Bank, The United Illuminating Company

 

Fellowship Place is proud to announce the completion of renovations to Fellowship Commons Westville, an 18-unit apartment building purchased and renovated solely to provide affordable housing to 14 adults with a psychiatric disability and 4 adults who are homeless. Here eligible tenants will pay 30% of their monthly income for rent, utilities are included, and support services and case management are available on site.

During our Dedication and Grand Opening Celebration of on Thursday, November 19, 2009 Fellowship was joined by Dr. Chisara Asomugha, Community  Services Administrator for the City of New Haven.       

This project was made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, The Connecticut Housing Finance Authority, the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addictions Services, The Department of Social Services, and the City of New Haven Livable Cities Initiative, Fellowship Commons Westville is an excellent example of a public/private partnership.