Spotlight

Member Spotlight: Jude Rehabilitation in returning to Vail Place Drugs, alcohol, depression, ADHD, anxiety. These were everyday struggles for a troubled man named Jude, struggles that had plagued him most of his life. He had been in and out of hospitals, halfway houses and chemical dependency treatments...

A journey from isolation and unhappiness to social fulfillment Teal G. was in a dark place before coming to the Clubhouse. She was very isolated and lonely. And when she would spend time with others, she chose people who, as she describes them, were not good for her. She was also disowned by her family. She recalls, “I had difficulties going into the hospital multiple times, engaging in self-injury, everything. It was no good.”

Veteran finds support system at Vail Place When you take a tour of Vail Place, you might just be guided by a man named Richard. Richard is a veteran who served in the Army for four years in the early 1980s. He was a support person with the Special Forces and was a paratrooper with 25 jumps as well. For the last 15 months of his service, he was stationed in Germany, and after leaving the Army, he spent some time touring Europe. A few decades later, however, Richard found himself struggling with homelessness, mental illness and financial problems. After a very difficult time in his life, Richard reunited with his family in Minnesota, and they helped get him started in a treatment program at the V.A. hospital there, which was the beginning of his recovery. He commented, “I was still kind of messed up. I wasn’t thinking right.” While in treatment at the hospital, he remembers watching a video that included an image of Vail Place’s Minneapolis Clubhouse. He knew he needed a place to go after daytime treatment, and he thought the Clubhouse could be a good fit. Richard’s father and stepmother arranged a tour for him, and he became a member of the Uptown Club in December of 2006. Though he didn’t realize it then, Vail Place would become a huge part of his life.

lori megow A path to purpose and happiness When Lori “Mish” Megow celebrated her 11th anniversary Vail Place member this year, her life felt more stable and full of purpose than it had throughout the two-decade span of her career in finance. In spite of struggling with severe anxiety and depression since her teen years, Lori had worked her way through college and remained employed in her field, although she bounced from job to job as her anxiety worsened. Eventually, her symptoms forced her to quit. Lori first looked into volunteering with Vail Place at the suggestion of another member she met through a dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) class. After Lori met with Vail Place staff, they suggested she consider becoming a member due to her own struggles with mental illness. At the time, Lori didn’t see her mental illness as “serious enough” to become a member. However, the consequences were there. Because people didn’t fully understand what was going on in Lori’s life, she lost many of her friends after experiencing a major breakdown. Although she was under the impression that she was merely on a leave of absence, she had, in fact, been let go from her job.

“Carol” has lived with schizoaffective disorder for most of her adult life, and although she has maintained independent living with in-home supports for much of that time, she has few connections with family or friends, and she typically presents in public with rambling, tangential speech...

No Longer Lonely - Acceptance and friendship at Vail Place have transformed Fatuma’s life Before arriving at Vail Place in November 2017, Vail Place member Fatuma felt sicker and lonelier than she ever had before in her life. Diagnosed with schizophrenia, anxiety, and paranoia when she was only a teenager, Fatuma (now 38) had struggled with mental illness most of her life. “I had been seeing a psychologist for almost 16 years. But medication wasn’t helping me. I had no one close to me to share my problems with,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do.” A Phone Call Changed Everything With the help of her doctor and Hennepin County mental health professionals, Fatuma was directed to Vail Place. The first time she visited, however, she felt uncertain about whether she would fit in with the other members of the Clubhouse,  whose backgrounds and interests seemed different from her own. A phone call from another Clubhouse member named Caitlin changed everything. “I was having a bad, bad day,” Fatuma said. “Caitlin called me and said she wanted to check on me and see how I was. If people don’t come to the Clubhouse, they call to ask how you are. She told me they missed me.” Having someone demonstrate that they cared and were concerned made all the difference. “I hung up the phone. I didn’t have a car at that time, so I walked right to Cub Foods and bought a bus pass,” Fatuma said. “I took a bus to Vail Place the next day.” ‘Everybody at Vail Place Understands Me’

‘A Community of Total Honesty and Trust’ Clubhouse member and rapper Danny Evans sings the praises of Vail Place Danny Evans admits he was reluctant about joining the Hopkins Clubhouse. However, since becoming a member in April 2017, his life has been transformed in many ways. Danny, who...

Twenty years ago, Vail Place member Fiona K. could barely will herself to leave the front steps of her home, much less socialize or talk in front of a group of people. That was before she found Vail Place. According to Fiona, Clubhouse has transformed...

The Vail Place Clubhouse has adult members of all ages, with membership lengths ranging from just a few years to decades. Thomas C. has been active within Vail Uptown for the last three years. In that relatively short time frame, he says the Clubhouse has...

After many years of struggling with mental illness and substance abuse, member Ralph finds hope and a new community at Vail Place. Ralph Coleman likes to tell a joke. “Why was the skeleton afraid to cross the road? Because he didn’t have any guts!” Guts are...

Jean Silver first visited Vail Place after a friend suggested she volunteer at the Minneapolis Clubhouse by helping with a holiday meal. That first visit was all it took. Seventeen years later, Jean has become a mainstay within the Clubhouse and the Vail Place organization...