Wabash Valley Friendship Clubhouse to Host Open House and Celebrate Recent Achievements
VINCENNES, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – A local mental health organization has received a three-year accreditation.
The Wabash Valley Friendship Clubhouse, a service of the Family Health Center, has again achieved accreditation through Clubhouse International. Wabash Valley Friendship Clubhouse is a place that allows individuals to gain and give encouragement, to be empowered to connect with community, and to gain back their lives lost to mental illness. Through participation, members are given the opportunity to join the worlds of employment, education, meaningful work, and friendships.
The accreditation is a research-based quality assurance program designed to ensure successful outcomes for Clubhouses and their members. This process is both evaluative and consultative and awarded to Clubhouses that adhere to each of the Clubhouse International standards.
'We are grateful for the feedback from Clubhouse International's surveyors and look forward to implementing their suggestions,' WVFC Director David Engstrom said in a news release. 'Clubhouse International provides great resources and training so that we can adequately serve our members.'
In honor of this designation, the Wabash Valley Friendship Clubhouse is hosting an Open House on Thursday, May 29th, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is open to the public. The Clubhouse is located at 501 South 6th Street in Vincennes.
During the Open House, visitors will be able to tour the facility and view the day-to-day activities members participate in, educational and employment activities, and the David G. James Thrift Store.
Also on display will be the artwork members from the Wabash Valley Friendship Clubhouse submitted to the annual art contest sponsored by the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction. This includes a piece titled 'Keeping Your Mind Sharp,' submitted by WVFC member Cindy, that was runner-up in the Older Adult Group division. This year's theme for the contest is 'The 8 Dimensions of Wellness,' which are physical, emotional, intellectual, social, spiritual, vocational, financial, and environmental. Seven WVFC members submitted artwork for the contest
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
31-05-2025
- Yahoo
Medics spend hours preparing to keep thousands safe at U.S. Open in Oakmont
The U.S. Open is less than two weeks away and first responders are preparing for an influx of people. Safety planning for the event has been a huge operation. In the case of medical emergencies, it takes multiple local agencies, plus a lot of staffing and planning, to be prepared. Advertisement Plum EMS Administrative Director Joe Festa is helping get those logistics sorted out. 'We are going to have to anticipate if the weather is going to be rainy, if it's going to be really hot that week and we've seen many past opens that heat-related emergencies impact us the most. That's just when people start dropping,' Festa said. Plum EMS is running point when it comes to the medical operations for the U.S. Open for the fourth time. They plan to bring in 90 paramedics and EMTs over the course of a week. In the last Open at Oakmont in 2016, there were over 2,200 people who were checked out by medical personnel and 28 were transported to hospitals. Medics said that was a low transfer number and credit four first aid tents that will be set up throughout the course, staffed by UPMC and AHN, for that success. Advertisement 'It is physicians, nurses and, obviously, EMS clinicians who are used to working in that emergency environment or where you get the unexpected,' UPMC Medical Director of Prehospital Care Dr. Vincent Mosesso. Staffed ambulances, staffed carts and even staffed electric bike units will also be on hand. 'I remember in 2016, as a bike medic, that last day I was going from patient to patient, starting IVs and pushing fluids, the cart would show I would get more supplies and go to the next patient as they took them to the first aid tent,' said Plum EMS Director of Operations Brian Maloney. He said it's a well-oiled machine that is the result of a whole lot of collaboration. Advertisement Medics ask for everyone in attendance to come with a plan, be prepared and stay hydrated. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
29-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘Last wish come true': Bringing the zoo to a veteran in Massillon
MASSILLON, Ohio (WJW) — For 22 years, Jim Nash served in the United States Navy as a corpsman and senior chief, including during the Gulf War. 'He loves his time in the service he loves talking about the service anything everything he wants to be remembered for his time in the navy,' said his daughter Cindy Nash. Aboard the USS Guam, he participated in Operation Eastern Exit, the evacuation of more than 280 people from the United States Embassy in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1981. Ohio hiking trail voted one of the country's best Now a resident of Sprenger Assisted Living in Massillon, where he is enrolled in hospice care, the 71-year-old veteran was honored Wednesday with an emotional and surprise pinning ceremony conducted by Wellspring Hospice. The ceremony brought tears to his eyes. But it was not his only surprise. 'I think he loves animals and so he told us his last wish was to go to the zoo,' said Erica Myers, Sprenger's marketing director. Unable to go to the zoo, however, the assisted living home worked to bring the zoo to him. 'He's battled MS for over 30 years he was still in the service when he got that and he just never gave up,' said Cindy. Barkheimer Barns & Nickajack Farms brought animals — including a baby monkey, baby tortoise, baby goat, baby prairie dog, a rooster and an armadillo — to the nursing home as a surprise. 'He's immobile, he's bed bound, but he still has a smile on his face every single day,' said Cindy. 'The last big thing that we were able to do together, we took him to the Akron Zoo and so he's been wanting to go back to the zoo,' she told Fox 8. Akron Zoo sets attendance record 'It's very special, we are just entirely thankful that we have the opportunity to do so,' said Sarah Barkheimer of Barkheimer farms. 'I feel very honored and blessed to give back to someone who served 20 years in some small way to make his last wish come true,' said Myers. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mitchell veterans share honor flight experience as a couple
May 25—MITCHELL — Less than a week ago, on Tuesday, May 20, a journey came full circle for Marty and Cindy Christensen of Mitchell. They had just returned from Midwest Honor Flight's Seed for Success Foundation Mission 25 — a one-day tour to the nation's capital that honors America's war veterans with "One Final Tour with Honor." The Christensens are no strangers to service. Both are veterans with more than five decades of combined military experience. They not only served during the Vietnam War era but also stood side by side during a yearlong deployment to Iraq in 2005. Their participation in the Honor Flight together — accompanied by their sons David and Robert Studsdahl, who served as guardians providing assistance and support throughout the trip — made the experience especially meaningful. "It was really an honor to share this with them," Marty said. "They get to hear our war stories, they might as well get to experience this with us." Marty Christensen served in the U.S. Army for 33 years, rising through the ranks to become a colonel and eventually commanding a reserve hospital in Omaha. A medical doctor by training, he completed his residency at Fort Bragg and was later deployed during both Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Among his lasting impacts was helping implement and refine the Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) used by soldiers during the Iraq War — a game-changer in battlefield medicine according to him. Cindy Christensen's military journey began in the U.S. Air Force, originally motivated by her desire to become a nurse with the help of the GI Bill. But her career took an unexpected turn. "I told the recruiter I just wanted to work in a hospital," Cindy recalled. "Then I found out I was the first female air-to-air missile tech. I didn't know a thing about missiles, but figured I'd give it a shot." Later, she transitioned to the Army Reserves, where she fulfilled her original goal of becoming a nurse. It was at a reserve unit in Omaha where she met Marty. Their relationship developed amid military briefings, hospital wards and training missions. Marty completed three overseas deployments during his military career, earning a Bronze Star for voluntarily extending his second tour in Iraq beyond the usual 90 days. Cindy's only solo deployment was to Saudi Arabia in 1997. In 2005, the couple served together in Iraq for a year, sharing a deployment while married. They decided to retire from military service following that deployment, choosing to close their military chapter together. But retirement didn't slow them down. Cindy went on to teach nursing clinicals at Dakota Wesleyan University and volunteered at the Mitchell Clinic on Saturdays. Marty remained active in veterans' organizations and continued practicing medicine in Mitchell. He retired in 2019. Last year, Marty participated in a Midwest Honor Flight as a guardian for fellow veteran Lyle Sunderland. This year, it was his turn to be honored — and both he and Cindy were selected to participate as veterans. "We decided to apply at the same time and hoped we'd get chosen together," Cindy said. "And we did." Midwest Honor Flight covers all expenses — approximately $853 per veteran — for the one-day journey to Washington, D.C., including flights, meals, transportation and a banquet dinner the night before. Veterans are selected on a "First to Apply, First to Fly" basis, with a current focus on those who served during the Vietnam era. Founded in 2017, Midwest Honor Flight is part of the national Honor Flight Network, which has flown more than 250,000 veterans to Washington, D.C., since its inception in 2005. These flights are designed to recognize veterans — particularly those who never received a proper welcome home — and provide a moment of reflection and honor among peers. Mission 25 included 85 veterans. During the whirlwind trip, the Christensens visited Arlington National Cemetery, the Lincoln Memorial and other iconic sites, with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial serving as the final stop on the tour. "It's a fast day," Marty said. "We left early in the morning and got back late at night, but it's so worth it." This flight marked the 25th mission organized by Midwest Honor Flight, which currently schedules about four trips annually. Mission 26 is set to depart on June 3. For the Christensens, the journey was more than a sightseeing tour — it was a meaningful tribute to a life of service, shared sacrifice, and family legacy. "It was a memorable long day," Cindy said. "I really do feel honored to serve our country."