The Gathering Place - a home away from home

By Katie Fitzgerald

This story is part of an Outlook series showcasing agencies affiliated with United Appeal for Athens County. This year's countywide campaign goal is $203,000.

The Gathering Place has stood for 27 years as a place where people in the community can come and feel like a part of a family. It serves as a drop in center for people with mental illness where they can participate in family-type activities and learn life skills.

"It's a safe place to experience life," said Mary Slater, volunteer coordinator. "Most are living independently in the community and it is our desire to help them maintain on their own."

The staff members and volunteers teach life skills like cooking and writing. They have different activities such as music therapy, camping trips and a poetry class. In fact, they just published their first book.

"We are very family oriented," Slater said. "We want to make people feel like they belong." Stopping by you'll find people lounging, playing guitar, talking or participating in some activity.

The Gathering Place also realizes the importance of giving back to the community that supports them. Slater is in charge of finding volunteer work in the community.

"We volunteer at Monday lunch at the Methodist church, day care centers and have done cemetery clean up," she said. Slater looks for short-term volunteer opportunities such as yard work and painting in addition to some of the more regular volunteer opportunities to accommodate those who aren't able to make long-term commitments.

"Volunteering makes our people feel special and needed," she said. "And that is someone else in the community that we know. I think we do a good service."

Slater said that the diverse community of Athens benefits The Gathering Place in terms of support of finances and time.

"We get really good support and are very fortunate in this town," Slater said. "They do think of others here. I think its awesome and we appreciate the effort."

Some of the volunteers who come every week have been volunteering since the Gathering Place started 27 years ago by the wives of some Ohio University faculty.

"We have some who are in their 70s and 80s who are here every week," Slater said. "I think it's pretty awesome that they still donate their time. It shows how much they care."

In addition to volunteers The Gathering Place has five staff members and a live-in physician who is a medical student that works 12 hours a week. They serve Athens, Hocking and Vinton Counties and are currently opening new outreach programs in Hocking and Vinton because of transportation issues.

"We want to keep the people who come here in the community so they don't have to go back to a hospital," Slater said. "We're doing a pretty good job."

The Gathering Place is located at 7 N. Congress and is open every day from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. including holidays.

Katie Fitgerald is a student writer with University Communications and Marketing.