Biographies - The Empowerment Network

Winter fun is not just about snow. For some people, finding a bargain in a second hand store can be just as exciting as the exhilaration a snow boarder feels when he is really dialed-in and tweaks a backflip. If the winter blahs are carving their way into your life and finding some big air on the slopes does not excite you nearly as much as saving money on your favorite treasure then do I have a fun place for you to visit. I recently discovered the greatest little second hand store in Fremont. I also learned how this unique store has helped a special and unique group of people in our community, the mentally ill.  The members of the Newaygo County Mental Health Drop in Center operate the Empowerment Center where  I met with several of its 124 members and would like to share some of their success stories.

The Center is located in the former Graichens Store building.  The front of the store houses the second hand storefront along with its mascot of sorts, a beautiful carousel horse. This horse has been so popular with countless numbers of people offering to purchase it, that a second carousel horse is being built and will be raffled off as a fundraiser for the center.  The annual budget does not cover all that the center does so the second hand store and the donations in the form of resale items really help.

The rest of the building line with the beautiful brick walls and a series of large matching wrought iron chandeliers you may remember from Graichens serve as a meeting place for the members of the Drop in Center. It is literally a place where a person can drop in and share activities with other members.  There are 4 or 5 round tables with chairs where once a week the Empowerment Center family cook and share a meal together. Other times they may work on a craft or life skills project play bingo or Yahtzee. There are computers where they can check their email, browse the Internet and pool table where they have a monthly tournament.  Towards the back there is lounge area with several large reclining chairs, a sofa and a TV. One of the more popular activities is Movie Nite every Saturday from 3:00 to 8:00 pm. The center provides a driver to pick up its members on Mondays and Tuesdays and bring them in for activities.

The Gasahl family owns the building and have been instrumental in supporting center with a reasonable rental rate because they believe in the benefit to the members and the community by having a Drop in Center for the mentally ill or a more preferable term, mentally disabled.

Gabrielle Blackwell is the Director of the Empowerment Network along with its companion resale shop called Wishes and Horses  The Empowerment Emporium; the store provides funding beyond the budget granted by the County, which enables the center to do more for its members.  The Drop in center has become a home away from home for many of its members with the most important benefit being very similar to what our own homes provide us with, a sense of sanctuary. 

Gabrielle describes her own family home in this way,  “ Our house is our sanctuary. It is the good place to go when the world offers a bad experience. It keeps me stable. The drop in center is like that for the members. The past haunts many of them and this place is a bright future.”

Tim Hansen is the Assistant Director and an example of what the nurturing environment at the center can accomplish. He moved here ten years ago to escape the rush of the city environment in Grand Rapids and started dropping in to the center when it was located on the west end of town. Tim’s past was very troubled, filled with struggles with depression and a family history that had been emotionally harmful. It did not help that he had been diagnosed with Schizophrenia. Tim Hansen asked me to share that only one out of one hundred schizophrenics have dangerous tendencies they are often more harmful only to themselves through depression and the suicidal tendencies that may produce.  As Tim Hansen says they are different than what he calls “average people”.  His friends at the center may be more shy the first time you say hello to them on the street but do not let that stop you because some of the members will greet you with a big smile.

I spoke with Tim and he told me one of the things he likes best about the center other than the many fun activities is the focus it gives him. When he stays focused on what he can do to make the center better and how he can help its other members it saves him from having time to be depressed. His work in the community, along with the volunteer work of  other members of this dedicated group of individuals, representing the Center at community events, helps let other people know that people with schizophrenia or other mental illnesses can be productive citizens.

Gabrielle smiles as she tells me “Both she and the Empowerment Network Board I represent are very proud to have Tim represent the Drop In Center at public events in our county. His past was very dark and his future is so bright.”  Part of how the center helps people like Tim is by providing them with an environment that encourages them to stay on their medications, understand the side effects and eat right. Gabrielle continues by saying, “ They learn about the social aspects of life so they can be active in the community and continue to live independently or become able to do so. Each person has their own personality and by learning the social aspects of life they learn to get along. ”  After meeting with her and the other members I met, I could see how they had blossomed with guidance the center offers and the support of friends who in most cases become their family. Many of these special people do not have families to spend time with and not always by choice like Jerry Jo Amelia.

Jerry moved here four years ago when his family had all passed away. Through his work and friendships at the Drop in Center he has learned to make phone calls, set appointments, and cook. Jerry told me that the best thing about the Drop in Center is the family he has met there and that “They allow me to do stuff “.  He has learned that in a nurturing environment with patient teachers that he could accomplish many things. He now has a job at Taco Bell something he could not have done four years ago.  He and Tim are friends and roommates and were recently able to purchase their own home.

I also met with an artist named Pixie Stevens.  She is very creative and loves to paint, draw and make cut paper flower collages.   I spent an afternoon with her talking and looking at her artwork. She was selecting 2 of her paintings to be placed on display at a Dentists office. Her work is colorful and cheerful and helps to keep her focused.  She would like to start a small business with her daughter Heidi, making greeting cards. Ada Linderman from Michigan Rehabilitation Services through Michigan Works has been working with her on this project.

Pixie has mental illness. She lived for a number of years in a group home in Grant. In 1999 her friends at the home encouraged her to realize she was ready and able to live independently.  She now lives in her own home. In addition to her art and her friends at the Empowerment center Pixie says that the Doctors and Staff at New Focus at Gerber Memorial Hospital were very helpful in helping her to “believe in herself and unlock her potential”, to use the words of author Mary Ellen Copeland who wrote the Wellness Recovery Action plan known as WRAP which Pixie teaches and shares some of  with others through a Self Advocacy program at the Empowerment Center. This program helps encourage the mentally ill to be brave and speak up and advocate for themselves, ask for help and even to have the courage to say no when needed. You can read more about it at www.mentalhealthrecovery.com. Pixie is well enough now to work for Newaygo County Community Mental Health as she works toward her goal of operating her own greeting card business.

The businesses on either side of the Emporium, like the Fremont Chamber of Commerce, One East Main Street and Red Pine Crafts have, along with much of the City, have embraced the Emporium and the Drop in Center.  They are “good neighbors” and the Drop in Center members return the favor by volunteering at many city events. The knights of Columbus and the Fremont Foundation have helped make the center a better place as well. A special, heartfelt thank you from Empowerment Network Drop in Center goes out to all the people who have supported the center and have donated time, store re-sale items or funding.

The center is helping to beat the stigma of mental illness and show the community that mental illness does not have to be scary. The Emporium is a warm, friendly place whether you drop in the back door near the Farmers Market or come in through the front door to shop at the store or bring in your donations. So if winter fun for you includes finding a bargain, stop by to find yours. The Emporium is open Monday through Thursday from 10:00am to 4:00pm and Saturdays from 3:00pm to 8:00 pm.