Staff members at the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County’s January recovery luncheon included Finance Director Jill Marsh, left, and Bilingual Peer Support Specialist Miguel Evangelista. Marsh is planning the February 21 fundraiser at the Frewsburg American Legion. Evangelista was introduced as the MHA’s newest staff member and is full-time at the Jamestown recovery center.

At the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County’s January recovery luncheon, Executive Director Michael Nordin introduced the association’s newest staff member, Miguel Evangelista, bilingual peer support specialist.

Evangelista is working full time in the Jamestown recovery center at Door 14 in the rear of the Gateway Center, 31 Water St.

Also at the luncheon was Finance Director Jill Marsh, the major planner for the MHA’s fundraiser at the Frewsburg American Legion, 9 Meadow Lane, on Saturday, Feb. 21, from 6 to 10 p.m. With free admission, the public is invited to support the MHA’s mission to serve individuals and families through recovery services, veteran support, prenatal care, job assistance and many more community support programs. In addition to basket and gift card raffles and a 50/50 drawing, there will be separate live music performances by Brian K. Chase and Daniel Nordin. The event can also be supported by clicking on the green Donate button at MHAChautauqua.org. For more information, contact Marsh at 716-661-9044 or Jill.Marsh@MHAChautauqua.org.

Nordin recognized volunteer Denise de la Cerda for facilitating two new groups, Meditation & Wellness and Upcycle Sewing. The MHA is seeking donations of used fleece items – blankets, sweaters, etc. – that could be used by the sewing class to make mittens for those in need. A tattoo artist, de la Cerda is the owner of Secret Undisclosed Location in downtown Jamestown.

The meal was donated by Conduit Ministries. On Sundays, Conduit Ministries’ gives out free to-go meals from their van in the parking lot at the Riverwalk Medical Center in Brooklyn Square/15 South Main Street from 3 to 4:30 p.m., or until the meals are gone.

MHA recovery luncheons are open to anyone on the third Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. Like all MHA services, the luncheons are free.

The Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County is a peer recovery center offering support groups and individual coaching for people looking to improve their lives, deepen wellness, thrive in recovery, or support those on a recovery path. Peers use their personal stories to help people find recovery in their own lives in their own way.

The Jamestown recovery center is open Monday-Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Hours for the North County recovery center are Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

To learn more about the MHA, call 716-661-9044 or visit MHAChautauqua.org or Facebook.com/MHAChautauqua. A schedule with descriptions of MHA’s dozens of groups and classes in Dunkirk and Jamestown is at MHAChautauqua.org/groups.