By Dan Spalding
News Now Warsaw
WARSAW — You’ve heard a lot about The Gathering Place recently, the new downtown facility opened by Fellowship Missions that will serve as a location for those in recovery or in need mental health assistance.
The building now houses offices for Allendale Treatment Fort Wayne and the CARES unit, a division of Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory.
But did you know there’s a maker space? It’s in the renovated basement and is intended for anyone to put to use their creative talents.
“It’s a beautiful space for art. We’ve got a lot of donated materials. Just think of art class and every type of art material is down there,” said Eric Lane, executive director of Fellowship Missions. “It’s just a neat area where people can get expressive and creative.”
“It’s for art therapy and music therapy, but also, the community can come in and if they just need some head space and get creative, they can,” he added.
Lane talked with News Now Warsaw for In the Know, the public affairs show you can hear this weekend on Kensington Digital Media Radio stations.
Lane and his wife, Tammy, are co-founders of Fellowship Missions, which opened nearly 15 years ago as a homeless shelter. Tammy is the volunteer coordinator for Fellowship Missions and The Gathering Place.
Over the years, the shelter has increased its efforts to support clients, 70 percent of whom have alcohol or substance abuse issues.
Opening The Gathering Place has offered an opportunity to achieve the goals of further supporting recovery efforts.
In a way, the Gathering Place is breaking down barriers by hosting a facility that invites those in need alongside the general public.
“We wanna break down the stigmas. We want to normalize the conversation of recovery and mental health where a healthy community is helping all of the community,” Lane said.
Lane also discussed the vast history of the home of The Gathering Place at the corner of Market and Buffalo streets, which Fellowship Missions acquired from Generous Coffee when the coffee production group moved to a new location in the downtown.
Fellowship Missions received about $300,000 in opioid settlement money from Kosciusko County to acquire the property and then raised a similar amount to help cover renovation costs. Much of the private funding came from foundations and churches, he said.
Lane came to Warsaw when he served as the construction manager more than two decades ago for Warsaw Community Church on the city’s south side.
In The Know can be heard at the following times:
News Now Warsaw (99.7 FM and 1480 AM):
Fridays at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m.
Saturdays at 7 a.m.
Sundays at 7 a.m. & 2 p.m.
WRSW (107.3):
Sundays at 6 a.m.
Willie (103.5 FM):
Sundays at 6 a.m.
