Wednesday, April 10, George Cottiero and Paul Bauknecht cooked and served a donated lunch for the Fellowship Place Homeless Engagement Inn. Over 15 individuals in the Inn were treated to a homemade meal. George & Paul began cooking Wednesday lunches in the Inn, in 2008. Fellowship is grateful for their years of support & dedication.
During the early morning hours of Friday, April 5, the New Haven Chapter of the PDCA (Painters and Decorating Contractors of America) donated their time, skills and supplies to give our Homeless Engagement Inn a fresh new look. Over a dozen volunteers arrived on our campus to help paint the inside of the Inn. Every year the PDCA does a Paint UP project for a non-profit, Fellowship Place is honored to have been selected this year. Because of their generous efforts, the men & women attending the Inn have a brighter space to come to daily.
On March 26, Fellowship Place’s Supported Education Program hosted an Education & Training Fair open to the public. Over a dozen representatives from local agencies were on hand to discuss their programs, including Albertus Magnus College, Gateway Community College, Southern Connecticut State University, and University of Bridgeport.
Click the link below to see Fellowship Place’s Executive Director, Mary Guerrera’s interview with WTNH’s Teresa LaBarbera about our 9th annual Albert J. Solnit Memorial Lecture featuring Dr. Mark Vonnegut, pediatrician, memoirist, and son of acclaimed Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Hear the podcast interview of Fellowship Place Executive Director, Mary Guerrera, by NPR host Ray Hardman.
http://www.yourpublicmedia.org/content/wnpr/fellowship-house-unites-community
On October 18, 2012, Fellowship Place hosted the grand opening of our newly renovated Psychosocial Rehab Center. Joining Fellowship Place’s Executive Director Mary A. Guerrera for the morning dedication and ribbon cutting were Fellowship Place’s Board President Ronald A. Netter, Senator Richard Blumenthal, Dept. of Mental Health and Addiction Services Commissioner Patricia Rehmer, and State Representative Patricia Dillon. Over 100 New Haven community leaders, collaborators, and dignitaries were on scene. Fellowship Place members also participated in the opening; attendees heard a personal account of the impact the renovations have had on the men & women who come to the center for a variety of illness management activities and programming.
The new state of the art center, completely renovated with a $1 million Connecticut State Bond Fund award and private donations is a $1.2 million investment that will have a lasting impact on our neighborhood and its long-term revitalization goals. The building includes expanded program & meeting spaces to help us better meet the needs of the men & women who come to our campus annually for meals, rehabilitation, counseling and a variety of support services.
For over 50 years, Fellowship Place has offered a safe place where those with chronic mental illness in our community can ask for and receive help overcoming the challenges of living with their illness. On a campus setting in downtown New Haven, our agency serves more than 600 people annually of which the majority suffers from Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, and Major Depression. Open 365 days per year, we provide a safe and therapeutic environment where those suffering from chronic mental illness may find productive ways to structure their day and connect with others who face similar life challenges. Programs are designed to improve individual functioning and management of one’s own mental illness, including but not limited to: Prevocational & Vocational Services, Supported Education Services, Supported Housing Services, Homeless Outreach & Engagement, an Alternative to Incarceration day reporting program (CREST), Social & Recreational Activities, Health & Wellness Programming, Life Skills Management, and daily meals. The agency is committed to helping the mentally ill, their families, and the public realize that with proper treatment and support, people with a mental illness can be successful and contribute to the vibrancy of our community.
