June 2011 Volume 58 Page 1
Greetings from Cheri
Inside this issue:
Compeer News
1
Breakthrough House News 2
June Activities
3
June Skillbuilders’ Event
4
Volunteer Outing
4
Birthdays
5
Attention Volunteers
5
Male Volunteers Needed
5
Fun June Holidays
6
I am excited to report that Compeer has been
blessed with a Summer Intern, Stephanie W.
Stephanie is a Sophomore at Washburn University
majoring in Pre-Med/Human Services. We plan to
keep Stephanie busy with planning Monopoly and
Skillbuilders’ Events. We are excited to have her
join our Breakthrough House family!
We would like to welcome our new volunteer, Chris
H. Chris is a Junior at Emporia State University,
majoring in Music Education. He plans on
participating in Friends of the Clubhouse and would
like to share his gift of music with the members!
Through Compeer, a volunteer can help
change someone’s life for the better and it’s
just as simple as being a friend.
Please call today to set up a meeting.
232-6807 x 304.
Greetings from the Executive Director
We just wrapped up National Mental Health Awareness Month, and it was a good time to update our
community on the prevalence and impact of mental illness. Breakthrough House staff gave several
presentations during May, and the question usually came up from the audience: “How can the ‘1 in 4
people will experience mental illness’ statistic be true?” This number seems high to some people,
while others know from experiences that bouts of depression and/or anxiety can hit anyone at any time.
When a person considers the “1 in 4” statistic, they may not include themselves in the statistic even if
they have been treated for mental illness. Often they do not recognize that their short bout with
depression, for example, is a mental illness.
There continues to be stigma attached to having mental illness, and Breakthrough House and Compeer
work hard to reduce this stigma. We want our community to understand that mental health is as
important as physical health, and just as we do not typically stigmatize someone with diabetes or heart
disease, we should not stigmatize someone with mental illness. Thank you for all you do year-round to
educate your friends and colleagues about mental health issues.
Danette Tipton, Executive Director
June 2011 Volume 58 Page 2
Breakthrough House News!
Residential Services
In June, think about service for your hard-working air conditioners. Change or clean filters, let a
professional change Freon for you, and be cool this summer.
We would like to welcome Daniel to the housing staff team.
If you have any questions or concerns about housing, please call Ashley or Theresa at
785-232-6807. Have a wonderful, safe summer.
Clubhouse
Greetings from the Clubhouse! It has been a very eventful month with the weather. There has
been much devastation throughout many states. The members have started donating money to the
Red Cross Tornado Relief Fund. It is wonderful to see everyone pitch in what they can to help
others who have lost everything. During prayer concerns at the meetings, we have been keeping
all of the victims of severe weather in mind. Remember to practice Tornado Safety and be aware
of all safety precautions during the storm season!
The Open House that was hosted at the Clubhouse was a great success! One of the special guests
who attended the open house was Senator Laura Kelly, who shared empowering thoughts and ideas
with us. She asked consumers to know how important it was for them to voice their thoughts and
concerns to the legislature.
The Art Experience was also a great hit! The artwork was show-cased in the library at the
Clubhouse for everyone to enjoy. A special thank you to everyone who made this possible!
Consumer Services
April Showers bring… May showers? Where is the sunshine??!! It will come eventually, with lots
of heat. Enjoy the rain, for now. But, remember to bring you umbrella, just in case. I saw several
mostly drenched people today who’d forgotten theirs. Also, it’s very important to pay attention to
the weather reports, especially during a tornado watch.
Remember: a Watch means a tornado may form, but a Warning means one has formed and
everyone needs to get into a basement or lowest level available as soon as possible. If you don’t
have a battery-powered radio, let Lynn or Patty know. Oh yeah, if you don’t have an umbrella,
we’ll talk about getting one of those, too!
In the meantime, enjoy the GREEN!
June 2011 Volume 58 Page 3
We have about 20 guest passes to the
YMCA of Topeka. The guest pass will get
a volunteer and his/her match into the
YMCA for FREE!!! There are tons of
things to do at the YMCA… go swimming,
walk on the track, play basketball, and
much more. The passes will be given out
on a first come, first serve basis— and are
available to volunteers and matches only.
Are you interested in taking pictures with
your match, but don’t have a digital camera
and/or the money to pay for prints?
Compeer is giving volunteers the
opportunity to check out a digital camera, in
order to take pictures with your buddy.
Compeer will event pay to print 5 different
pictures for you and your match to enjoy.
Photo releases must be obtained.
Contact Cheri for details.
Computer classes are filling up at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. Learn
important skills such as Windows, Word, Facebook for Beginners, Editing Digital Photos,
Powerpoint, Excel & Access, and much more. To register call 580-4606.
Wednesday, June 15th– Brent Dellinger
That national yo-yo champion dazzles his audience by performing freestyle routines to
lively music using single-handed, double-handed, freehand and off-string styles. Doors
open 15 minutes prior to performance.
Marvin Auditorium, TSCPL 9:30-10:30AM, 11AM-12PM
Open Mic Night (12-18 years) Wednesday, June 29th
Move your band out of the garage and onto the stage. Tell jokes or show off your dance
moves. We have a place for you, whatever your talent. Come to our casual Open Mic
Night and perform if you wish. Email [email protected] to sign up in advance. You can also
sign up the night of the event if there is space. The Edge, 4-5:30 PM
Monday Farmers Market @ your library
From the farm to your library, get your staples every Monday at our farmers market. Vendors offer fresh produce, potting plants, herbs, flowers and eggs. On June 27th at 10AM,
Doug Petrie, Millennium Café chef, presents Garden Herbs, a program during the market
aimed at using herbs medicinally and for seasoning.
Farmers Market is every Monday in June from 7:30-11:30AM.
For a list of more summer events at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, feel
free to call Cheri at 232-6807 x 304. The library is a great place to take your Compeer
matches!
June 2011 Volume 58 Page 4
June Skillbuilders’ Event
Compeer will be hosting two events in June to make up for cancelling May’s
Skillbuilders’ Event.
Saturday, June 11th
Gage Bowl
2-4 PM
Monday, June 27th
Breakthrough House Clubhouse
Time: TBA
Art Activity
If you are interesting in attending
these events, please call Cheri to RSVP at 232-6807 x 304.
Volunteer Outing
Come socialize with fellow Compeer
volunteers on Monday, June 27th at Las
Fuentes, located at 3656 SW Topeka
Blvd. by White Lakes Mall. The event
will be after Skillbuilders from 7-9PM.
If you are interested in attending please
call Cheri to RSVP as we will be making
reservations.
We hope to see each of you there!!
Recruit
Volunteers
& Win
Gift Cards!
Our waiting list is growing.
As more and more funding is
being cut from Mental Health
services, the need will continue
to rise.
The best recruitment tool is
word of mouth. As an incentive
for current volunteers, we are
offering gift cards (for gas and
groceries) to the first 3 people
who recruit a new volunteer.
June 2011 Volume 58 Page 5
Birthday Celebrations!
Happy Birthday to:
Aley B.
Michele R.
Marcia B.
Cheri S.
6/8
6/13
6/13
6/30
Wishing you a special day!
Accepting New Positions!!!!
Do you have ideas for how to improve the Compeer
Program? Do you like working behind the scenes
coming up with new, creative, and innovative
strategies for improvement? If so, you would be a
perfect addition to our Compeer Committee.
We are currently seeking to fill one Committee
position. Committee responsibilities include attending
a monthly meeting, helping with the Annual
Monopoly Tournament, having a passion for youth
and adults with behavioral or mental health problems,
and much more.
If you are interested in this opportunity
please contact Cheri at 232-6807.
Male Volunteers Needed!!!!!
If you are 18 years or older, and are interested in being a mentor to a
youth in need of a consistent and dependable male role model, please
contact Cheri at 232-6807 x 304.
We are trying to diminish our youth waiting list! Please help us do this
by spreading the word about our programs. If you are a volunteer—
share your experiences with your friends.
The best recruitment tool is word of mouth! Thank you for your help!
Breakthrough House
Compeer Program
603 SW Topeka Blvd, Ste 100
Topeka, KS 66603
Compeer Contact Information
Cheri Stortz, Compeer Director
(785) 232-6807, Ext 304
Fax Number: (785) 232-0751
E-mail: [email protected]
www.breakthroughhouse.org/Compeer.html
Weird & Interesting June Holidays
June 1st– Dare Day
June 3rd– National Donut Day
June 5th– World Environment Day
June 6th– National Yo-Yo Day
June 9th– Donald Duck Day
June 11th– Hug Holiday
June 14th– Flag Day
June 15th– Smile Power Day
June 18th– Go Fishing Day
June 18th– National Splurge Day
June 19th– Father’s Day
June 21st– First Day of Summer
June 23rd– National Pink Day
June 25th– Log Cabin Day
June 26th– Forgiveness Day
June 29th– Waffle Iron Day
June 30th– Meteor Day
Do any of these Holidays interest you? Find out more about each holiday by visiting
www.holidayinsights.com.