Church and foundation ?gifts support mental health

Services at three facilities of Mental Health Community Centers — Prospect House in Sarasota, Beacon House in Venice and Anchor House in North Port — will be greatly enhanced due to the generosity of Unitarian Universalist Church parishioners and a grant provided by the Plantation Community Foundation of Venice.

The center received a $2,260 check from the Unitarian Universalist Church’s Social Justice Committee to support services offered at the Drop-In Centers that provide caring, professional treatment and support to adults suffering from severe and persistent mental illness.

A Plantation Community Foundation of Venice grant award in the amount of $3,400 will help the center at Beacon House in Venice to purchase fresh produce for daily meal preparation and outdoor furniture for its members.

For over 40 years, Mental Health Community Centers has offered specialized education and therapy, peer-assisted liaison, and employment support programs that have enabled thousands with mental illness to develop skills and coping abilities, restore healthy lifestyles and resume more productive roles within the community.