Board members for the Lakeshore Clubhouse say they wont stop looking for a solution to keep its doors open. This comes just a few weeks after Ottawa County Community Mental Health delayed the closure by 90 days.
"That will give the Clubhouse and that Board an opportunity to reorganize and try to find some outside funding," Executive Director of Ottawa County Community Mental Health, Lynne Doyle, said.
The news has given Clubhouse member Stella Forist some hope.
"Awesome! It makes me feel like a big load has been lifted off my shoulders," she told WZZM 13 on Tuesday.
But the work isn't over, board members are trying to figure out how to keep some form of the Lakeshore Clubhouse open for good.
"It's just buying us a little more time to figure out what the next steps are," Sandi Beute, a board member said.
"Myself and other board members and other community members are trying to figure out what a sustainable solution would be to keep this program in Ottawa County. So we're looking at being able to become our own entity, to be able to offer the program beyond just CMH consumers and beyond those that qualify for Medicaid, but for anyone with a mental illness in Ottawa County."
"We will continue to work with that Clubhouse Board and the members and our staff certainly to explore all options," Doyle said.
"So whether it's partnering with existing community providers, if it's looking for grant dollars, we will assist them anyway we can."
"We really need a miracle. We need help, we need the support from the community to keep this going. We aren't giving up," Beute, added.
The Ottawa County Community Mental Health Executive Director says the Clubhouse has until about June 1 to get a plan in place. Right now, it costs a little more than $500,000 annually to run the facility.
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