A plea to the community to save Spirit
By Adama Wise
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12:01 a.m. PT May 3, 2008
Spirit Peer Empowerment Center serves the community by offering one on one and group counseling to individuals with mental health issues. The counselors are trained peers (those who themselves have mental health issues). It is currently located in a house on Gates Place in Grass Valley.
Spirit has been working to purchase this house and the property it sits on. It had purchased an option to buy which will expire May 15 and may not be renewed. Spirit had hoped to buy the house at more than $500,00 under market value with money from the Mental Health Services Act (money that funds innovative mental health programs). The state decided that the house can't be purchased with these funds.
The county could purchase it and be Spirit's "landlord" but the decision has been made that the county will not do this.
We have a vision for this property - to provide respite housing as an alternative to hospitalization as well as provide low-income housing for mental health clients. The vision is that Spirit will become a village providing one-on-one counseling and groups to all who are in the crisis respite, low income housing, as well as the drop-in center already provided.
We need $200,000 for the down payment in order to purchase this property.
This is a plea to the community. Time is running out. This program has so much to offer.
Come check out Spirit Peer Empowerment Center and see what happens here. This vision needs to be kept alive.
Spirit does so much for the community and it can do so much more!
Adama Wise is a client and peer counselor for Spirit Center and lives in Grass Valley.
