Legacy of Community
In 1997, to address the challenges faced by its members and neighbors with severe mental illness, Holy Comforter opened the Friendship Center. The catalyst was a state wide round of reductions in publicly funded day programs for people with mental illness.
The mission of the Friendship Center is to promote mental, physical, and spiritual well-being of these adults who are marginalized by poverty and chronic mental illness and disability. It is accomplished through three main program elements: wellness and recovery services, creative arts and skills development programs, and recreation and relationships activities.
Every Tuesday and Thursday, the Center provides day services at no charge to roughly 60 participants -- offering transportation, hot and nutritious meals, mental and physical health education, advocacy, recreational activities, and programs in art and gardening.
After operating as an outreach ministry of Holy Comforter Episcopal Church for 17 years, the Friendship Center is now a separate not-for-profit corporation with its own 501(c)(3) determination.
