The Gathering Place presents their 6^thannual “Community Illumination” Advocacy Event on Thursday, March 5^th, from 5:30pm-7:30pm at Central Venue on 29 E. Carpenter Street, Athens, Ohio. The event is designed to raise awareness and bust stigma about mental illness and promote recovery in our community and uses art as a vehicle to conduct outreach to our community about The Gathering Place’s programming and services. The arts event will include: member artwork for sale, member poetry reading, and a live performance by The Gathering Place’s band “The Gatherers”.  Community members are also invited to speak or recite poetry or play a song during our open mic time on issues of community mental health and recovery. We encourage mental health providers/supporters and peers with a lived experience of a mental health disorder or substance use disorder and in recovery to share!

The event is free to the public and families are encouraged.  Donations of Personal Care items are requested for a collaborative project with Appalachian Behavioral Healthcare, (12 oz. bottles of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products and small boxes or bottles of laundry detergent) as we make “discharge” bags for peers integrating back into community life after a hospital stay.     

Made possible by support from Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, 317 Board and Central Venue!