Mental Health Association welcomes St. Susan Center director

At the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County's August recovery luncheon, Michael Nordin, executive director, welcomed the return of volunteer and certified personal trainer Brian Mayo.

All are welcome to Mayo's bootcamp fitness classes that meets on Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m. at the Jamestown recovery center.

Nordin also introduced Cherie Rowland, executive director of St. Susan Center that served 4,900 meals last month. Rowland announced that on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Little Caesars Love Kitchen will be in the parking lot adjacent to their entrance on the east side of the Gateway Building, 31 Water St., Jamestown. The big-rig semi-truck converted into a mobile pizza kitchen travels across the United States and Canada to serve free, hot meals to people who are hungry, homeless, or affected by natural disasters and major crises. They will be giving away free pizza to anyone who stops by, and any leftovers may be distributed as needed.

Rowland also described the recent vandalizing of their 28-foot-square freezer. Jamestown Ice and Storage, Lindsey Refrigeration in North East, Pa., and several local food pantries have come to the rescue, storing 6,766 pounds of food. With the work of more than 100 volunteers, much of this food is recovered from partnerships with local farmers and retailers, including Wegmans, Tops Markets, Panera Bread, Ecklof’s Bakery, Target, and Walmart.

St. Susan's is working on grants from Cummins, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, and Empire State Development to replace the freezer. The community is invited to support St. Susan's in this effort by participating in their Battle of the Badges. Every Thursday night in September from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will be a friendly soup cook-off in their parking lot in honor of a police, fire, or EMS agency. For details, visit StSusanCenter.org/battle-of-badges.

The luncheon meal was prepared, donated and served by the Kohler family, Kimberly Volk and David, Emily and Jacob Kohler. Jacob Kohler is treasurer on the MHA Board of Directors.

Before the meal, the blessing was offered by Sonny Burns, who was accompanied by his service dog, Denver.

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.

Everyone is welcome to the free MHA recovery luncheons in Jamestown on the third Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m.

The Jamestown recovery center is at Door 14 in the rear of the Gateway Center, 31 Water Street. Normal hours are 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays.

The North County recovery center at Grace Lutheran Church, 601 Eagle Street in Dunkirk, is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9:30 a.m.-4 p.m.

To learn more about the MHA, including all their groups and classes, call (716) 661-9044 or visit MHACHQ.org or Facebook.com/MHAChautauqua. Go to MHACHQ.org/newsletters for MHA's quarterly newsletters.