Miss Betty's May Update

Our clubhouse has friends all over. We have reached out to other clubhouses around the world. We have been in contact with them through the magic of the net. We even have pictures showing some of our global friends. We are glad to have a interpreter application so we can read what they wrote to us. It’s fun to see and hear from other clubhouses in Europe, South America, and Asia.

The catering business is growing by leaps and bounds. We have a big job catering for the Peer Specalist group in Farmington for the whole week. We still cater for the CQI group and the newly combined Art council/advisory board. We also still cater for other groups outside of BJC such as the Life Center and NAMI meetings.

Our floral center has been moved upstairs since we now have the Canteen and Exercise center down stairs. It is slow right now, but we hope to pick up as the holidays are coming up.

All the changes have made it hard for some to adjust to them all. We are a work in progress learning and growing daily.

Something exciting is that we have all seen the floor plan for our new clubhouse. We all added our ideas about what we would like to see and any changes we might like. It looks like such a wonderful place and we are all eager to see it start being built. The open house for the new ‘Friendship House’ apartments will be on June 17, 2014. East Missouri Action Agency is already taking applications to get them filled. We all are ready for the building of the clubhouse to get started. Lots of excitment over this new project has been building and is the subject of many conversations.

Of course, since it is getting warm, we have already put out our garden in front of the building. The garden was a huge success last year and we are really looking forward to some fresh vegetables. We hope we have no moles this year.

We are starting to get new and more support for the new clubhouse changes a little at a time. There is much room for improvement. As always, change brings little and sometimes big bugs to be worked out, but we are coming together. Our clubhouse—no matter the changes—is still the best place to come to learn and grow as a family of friends. We support each other and cheer each other on as more of the group get jobs or go into independent living apartments. Others start going to school or join groups that are helping them grow into the kind of people they would like to be.

As always, we are ‘Friends in Action.’ We support, encourage, praise, and just give a good old pat on the back or a shoulder to cry on.  

--Betty W.