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Dissipating shadows
Employment hurdles brought into light
OUR HEALTH
By ANGELA SNYDER
Tribune Staff Writer
While giving a tour of the facility, Sunshine Clubhouse members and
volunteers Luis and Heather Kranz of South Bend admire fish in the
Serenity Garden, where they like to spend time together after lunch.
Tribune Photos/SHAYNA BRESLIN

Members staff the reception desk and help orient visitors to the
Sunshine Clubhouse. Members and employees work together to make the
program run.

Heather and Luis Kranz take a moment to visit in the Sunshine Clubhouse library.
Tribune Photo/SHAYNA BRESLIN
Sunshine Clubhouse
The Clubhouse, 520 Crescent Ave., South Bend, is open from 8 a.m.
to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, and 10
a.m. to 2 p.m. on holidays.
For more information, go online to www.sunshineclubhouse.com or call (574) 283-2325.
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Out of the darkness came the Sunshine Clubhouse.
The Clubhouse, a place where people with chronic mental illness
socialize, do chores and prepare to enter the work force, started out
meeting in a basement.
"We decided we were going to have to be the sunshine for one
another," said director Paul Curry. Madison Center constructed a new
$2.8 million building for the Clubhouse in 2005.
And brighter days are exactly what the program has brought to Luis and Heather Kranz of South Bend.
Luis was unemployed when he fell into a deep and fast depression. "I just got in a rut," he said.
Heather, a stay-at-home mom for 12 years, missed being employed but
was unsure of how to get back to work. She followed Luis down the
depression spiral.
Luis had "heard about the Clubhouse for a couple of years," he said.
His counselor, last October, convinced Luis to give it a try.
By March, Heather noticed the improvement in her husband's self-esteem, and she joined.
"One thing that's helped both of us is that you can't get away with being wallpaper at this place," said Heather.
The couple put in an eight-hour day that parallels a regular
workday, beginning with 9 a.m. meetings where announcements are shared.
Members then choose which tasks they'll be responsible for that day.
Heather often helps in the kitchen with lunch, while Luis heads to the computers to work on the newsletter.
Tuesdays and Thursdays some members and staff tutor other members for educational enrichment.
During these periods, the couple developed résumés and cover letters to offer prospective employers.
Luis is convinced "the cover letter got me in the door" for several interviews he's had.
Heather said the interaction at the Clubhouse has made her feel more
relaxed around others, bringing her out of her shell and ultimately
helping her with the employment interview process. She recently found a
part-time job.
Curry said that's the Clubhouse's aim. "It's about work and relationships."
"We focus on people's strengths and help them be stable," he said.
Currently, there are 175 active members with various levels of mental illness, Curry said.
Some people just drop in, but most are referred by a therapist or caseworker.
Curry emphasizes that participation in the program is voluntary and
that, although the program is often covered by Medicaid, those without
insurance or the means to pay are not turned away.
Although the current 12,000-square-foot facility with its kitchen,
thrift store, snack shop and computer lab is impressive, it's "not only
the beauty of the building but the beauty of the people" that make
Sunshine Clubhouse successful, Curry said.
The Sunshine Clubhouse received provisional certification in June
from the International Center for Clubhouse Development by meeting 36
standards.
One of its goals for next year is to increase the number of
partnerships with area businesses and expand Transitional Employment
(TE).
The TE program allows members to work part-time jobs in the community.
Curry said that TE is "not meant to be a career, just an opportunity
for members to try work again" and integrate themselves back into the
community.
He is encouraged that about 35 percent of members involved in TE have gone on to find permanent job placements.
Success may stem from staff and members sharing the responsibility for maintaining the building and the activities inside.
Together they grocery shop, cook, stock the snack bar, ring up sales
on a cash register in the thrift shop, as well as brainstorm and write
the monthly newsletter, Nova News, in the computer lab.
The process allows members to "learn that there's a meaning and cost to things," said Curry.
It's this real-life experience and sense of belonging that have
propelled the Kranzes to stop into the Sunshine Clubhouse as often as
possible.
"I tell every person I know how much I want to be there. When it's closed on Sundays, I can't wait until Monday," Luis said.
Heather enthusiastically nodded her agreement.
Staff writer Angela Snyder:
asnyder@sbtinfo.com
(574) 235-6454
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