HOPE CLUBHOUSE OF SOUTHWEST FL INC

Hope Clubhouse has occupied the same 2,700 square feet of space since 2010. This is the square footage of a house for a family of four. Yet in 2021, the Clubhouse served 205 unduplicated members, provided 21,676 hours of training and skill building, which included aiding with obtaining paid employment and access to education, housing, food, and wellness. Additionally, the Clubhouse served 4,749 hot meals, and the Garden of Hope produced 4,710 pounds of produce that was used in the Hope Clubhouse kitchen, taken home by members, or distributed within the Fort Myers and Cape Coral communities.

Due to space limitations, members attend Hope Clubhouse on a first come first serve basis. The remaining members must participate via Zoom, not by choice but by necessity. Keep in mind, both noise and personal space are triggers for many of the people we serve, and several of them are not willing to participate as often based on how crowded the Clubhouse is.

There are approximately 81,000 adults in Lee County who have a diagnosed serious mental illness. To further complicate this situation, Lee County is the second-fasted growing county in Florida. With growth comes an additional population of new residents in need of mental health resources and programs.

Hope Clubhouse has reached its critical inflection point and needs the help of the community to move forward. The solution is a new 10,000-square-foot space. With that, the Clubhouse could accommodate a daily average attendance of 100-125 people without the members feeling crowded.

Hope Clubhouse is an evidence based accredited non-profit organization that provides a community of support for individuals and families living with serious mental illness. It is a membership community built on a work ordered day that emphasizes shared responsibilities between members and staff. This proven model aids in building healthy relationships, communication skills, and trust. The members have opportunities for paid employment, access to education, housing, and wellness. Hope Clubhouse has supported more than 700 members over the last ten years. Services are provided Monday through Friday from 830 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Additional support is provided on weekday evenings, Saturdays, and holidays.

Persons with mental health issues are at greater risk of unemployment, food insecurity, housing instability, and domestic violence. Multiple public health sources have confirmed that COVID-19 created new or worsening barriers for people suffering from mental illness while simultaneously creating an entirely new segment of people struggling with their mental health.

Hope Clubhouse works daily to lessen the impact these inequalities have on the day to day lives of our members.

At the beginning of the pandemic the Clubhouse adjusted our service model to meet our members' increased needs. The Clubhouse switched to a hybrid service delivery model (offering in person and Zoom participation options), addressing food insecurity with the creation of DeliveringHOPE meal delivery, and increasing the number of members who had access to virtual connectivity with the creation of HOPEConnects. These programs were created as a direct response to COVID; however, we plan to maintain them indefinitely.

Like most organizations, COVID challenged Hope Clubhouse to do more with less. Increases in isolation and loneliness are indicators that an individual is at risk to also experience increases in mental health symptoms, substance abuse, and even suicide.
Hope Clubhouse Revenues have not returned to their pre-COVID levels. Financial statements from 2020 v. 2019 saw a 28% decrease in funding. While 2021 was better overall, there was still a 7% decline in funding compared to 2019.

We are working diligently to increase and diversify our funding sources to meet the needs of our members.

In 2021, Hope Clubhouse served 205 members providing 21,676 hours of total member training and skill building to included assistance with obtaining paid employment and access to education, housing, food, and wellness. The Clubhouse served 4,749 hot meals. The Garden of Hope produced 4,710 pounds of produce that was used in the Hope Clubhouse kitchen, taken home by members, or distributed within the Fort Myers and Cape Coral communities.
Hope provided housing case management to 167 members and assisted 56 members with becoming gainfully employed. These members collectively earned $702,866 in wages during 2021, which is an 9% increase from 2020. These earned wages created substantial direct economic and societal impact for Southwest Florida.
Members who participate in Clubhouse services have reduced or zero engagements with law enforcement, acute, or emergent mental health service providers.