ACE Clubhouse members to enjoy additional services

When Kent State University business professor Ed Newman enthusiastically shouted out “Sold!” for the final time as he served as auctioneer at the 2012 ACE Clubhouse fundraiser auction, the crowd had bid $1,300 to support a very special local program.Newman’s Case Studies class completely organized and conducted the March 25 spaghetti dinner and auction fundraiser at the New Philadelphia Elks’ hall.“This took everything we’ve learned so far and put it into practice,” said Mallory Rose, business administration major “Everyone in our class worked together to make this fundraiser for ACE a top priority. It was great to be a part of something this important.”Rose noted that the class is also developing a new, comprehensive organizational plan for the ACE Clubhouse program as part of its commitment to assist the agency in carrying out its mission on a day-to-day basis.ACE stands for Advocacy, Choices, and Empowerment, Inc., and is a nonprofit, consumer driven agency that is funded through the ADAMHS (Alcohol, Drug, Addiction, and Mental Health Services) board. It provides a caring community and supportive environment for adults who are struggling with the day-to-day challenges of mental illness. The ACE Clubhouse operates as a mental health wellness and recovery center at 115 Third St. SW in New Philadelphia and serves residents of Carroll and Tuscarawas counties. Open Monday through Friday, the program costs just $5 a month for members, and provides two scheduled activities each day, a noon meal, and van transportation to and from the clubhouse. Members offer peer support to each other, and enjoy outings to the grocery store, movies, the theater, outdoor activities such as hiking and fishing, bowling, and other community outings. Local restaurants are generous in helping to provide food for the noon meal, which clients prepare for their peers. The ACE Clubhouse members also find it helpful for their recovery to perform community service, including helping distribute food to other service agencies, collecting aluminum cans to raise money for children in Haiti, visiting with nursing home residents, and other similar projects.“There are approximately 7,000 individuals in Tuscarawas and Carroll counties who struggle with mental illness or alcohol and drug addiction,” commented Todd Little, ACE executive director, who oversees the daily operations at the ACE Clubhouse, which houses computer, music, and game rooms, exercise equipment, and laundry facilities for members. There is also an in-house, organized support group called Hopeful Hearts.“We also raised $114 from our 50/50 drawing, as well as $1,000 at the door,” noted the business class project co-organizer Markki Thomas. “Plus, we had another 200 tickets sold in advance.”Co-organizer Amanda Ritenour made a point to recognize local companies who also contributed to the fundraiser’s success, including $100 from Ferris Chevrolet, $250 from the Timken Company, and another $2,000 from a large corporation. “People have been very generous,” she said.Joan Lappin, Kent State Tuscarawas director of nursing, stopped by to pick up carry-out meals.“This is the first I’ve heard about the ACE Clubhouse program,” admitted Lappin. “It is a wonderful thing to have in our area, and something that I want our nursing program students to know about as a valuable resource for their patients. I will be making sure they know about ACE, and how important it is to keep this going in our community.” “It is hard to put into words what the efforts of the Kent State students for our fundraiser here today mean to us at ACE,” said Little appreciatively. “This will allow us to do more things for the ACE members. We are proud to be a consumer operated service, meaning that our members keep things running, for folks who have mental illness. ACE Clubhouse allows them to get out of their homes on a daily basis and have something good to look forward to.”More information on the ACE Clubhouse program can be found online at www.aceclubhouse.org, or by contacting Little at 330-308-5742.