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Thank You to the Callahan Family for Your Generous Support!

Volunteer Mike Callahan and his family have provided agency employees with lunch two times a week throughout the partial shutdown (required due to the corona-virus crisis). The employees are helping to make certain agency clients receive a minimum level of service, including daily “to go” meals, cleaning supplies, and masks. The agency has also kept the Fellowship Inn open so our homeless clients have access to free showers and laundry facilities. We are so grateful to the Callahan family for their generosity and recognition of the sacrifices is staff is making to keep the agency at least partially open.

Shown: volunteer Mike Callahan (right) and Alan Thayer, Fellowship Place’s Food Service Coordinator are unloading Mike’s car.

Peace and Serenity this Holiday Season from Fellowship Place

Fellowship Place Receives Organizational Leadership Award from the Consultation Center

Fellowship Place is this year’s recipient of the Organizational Leadership Award given annually by The Consultation Center, a collaboration of the Yale School of Medicine Dept. of Psychiatry and the CT Mental Health Center. The award recognizes a nonprofit agency that makes outstanding contributions to the promotion of health & wellness, the prevention of mental health and substance abuse problems, and the enhancement of equity and social justice. Congratulations to the staff and Board of Directors of Fellowship Place for the vision, dedication, and hard work that has helped the agency grow to meet the ever-changing needs of individuals who suffer from serious mental illness.  State Representative Toni Walker of New Haven was also honored for legislative advocacy.

Pictured from left to right: Derrick Gordon, Joy Kaufman (from The Consultation Center), Mary Guerrera of Fellowship Place, Representative Toni Walker, and Dr. Jacob Tebes, Executive Director The Consultation Center.

Greetings from Camp CONNRI

Members of the Fellowship Place community enjoyed a wonderful vacation last week at Camp CONNRI, a vacation and retreat center sponsored by the Salvation Army. Activities ranged from boating & swimming to making S’mores around the fire pit. Our annual trip to Camp CONNRI provides our clients a welcome respite from urban life and a chance to try new things like shuffleboard and archery. Special thanks to supporters of the Birgitta Johnson Campership fund for donations to cover some of the costs associated with the trip and to the Salvation Army for their warm hospitality.

Construction of Campus Storage Facility Completed

Construction of Fellowship Place’s new storage facility is now completed. The building replaces a dilapidated garage and will be used to store supplies, maintenance equipment, and donations. This project was the last phase of the campus renovation master plan, which began in 2007. Funding for the project was provided by the CT Office of Policy & Management’s Non-Profit Grant program, and private donors. A special thank you to our Architect Eric Epstein for his vision and support, and our remarkable and hardworking construction team from Hylwa Inc., led by Scott Torre and Bob Landry.

Congratulations! – Fellowship Place’s Annual Career Development Awards

Fellowship Place’s annual Career Development Awards celebration was held on June 11.  About 50 clients from the agency’s Supported Education, Supported Employment, and Food Service Training programs were recognized for achievements ranging from starting and successfully completing a certificate program, returning to college, finding employment, and volunteering at local non-profit agencies.  Award recipients spoke about the importance of resilience, setting goals, and overcoming obstacles that come along every day with the help of counselors, peers, and family.

Each year Fellowship Place’s Career Development office facilitates pathways to employment and greater independence for more than 200 individuals living with a serious mental illness.