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With the subject of mental illness in the news due to tragedies such as mass shootings, family members of people with mental illness are articles detailing how difficult and scary it can be, how they can be at a loss on how to act when a loved one is having a mental health crisis.

The Treatment Advocacy Center is dedicated to the timely and effective treatment of severe mental illness. They have just released a wonderful and easy-to-use app for smart phones to assist people during mental health crises– how to respond to someone who is having one, how to talk to 911 operators, vocabulary, and much more. It is a lot of information packed into such an accessible app.

We hope that you will help the Treatment Advocacy Center spread the word about their new app. You can click on this link to see the app and download it on your phone.

Last Thursday, twelve University of Michigan students came to volunteer at GMC as part of their alternative spring break trip. We first led these students on a two-hour walk around Georgetown and Foggy Bottom to conduct street outreach and pass out toiletry kits. We saw a lot of people on the street who were very happy to receive a toothbrush, shampoo, hand sanitizer, and tissues.

Afterwards, the group came back to GMC where they split up. Half of the group hung out with our members and started a very intense Scrabble game that had members, students, and staff gathered around. The other half worked in our clothes closet and put together a clothing rack to hang out all of the coats we had received from Water Street Gym’s coat drive.

Thank you, University of Michigan students, for spending your spring break helping those less fortunate! We loved having you here and hope you come back next year.

Jane is one of our stellar volunteers. Just about every Tuesday for the past ten months, Jane has faithfully come into our center to help with anything that needs to be done. She manages our computer lab, distributes sandwiches, and provides camaraderie and conversation.

She first heard about GMC at Holy Trinity Church, where she is a parishioner. We look forward to seeing Jane’s smiling face every Tuesday. Read more about her in Holy Trinity’s latest bulletin.

This is the last poem in our first GMC Poetry series. This one was written by Program Manager Stephanie.

Homelessness we seek to end
One person at a time.
Broken minds and spirits mend;
It is an upward climb.

This is a welcoming space;
We work with everyone.
Our job is not a race,
Our job — never done.

And still we press on and on,
We try to persevere.
Until homelessness is gone
Our aid we volunteer.

This week’s poem is titled “Along Wisconsin Avenue,” by Jimmy.

Summer comes in winter’s time
the ivy plants blink in rhyme
from Indian summer’s dew;
the lights are on
and the lights are off
in the shops
Along Wisconsin Avenue.

Stray-bird breaks
a stray cigarette
Breakfast comes
but he’s not breakfast yet
in the shops
Along Wisconsin Avenue.

Aimless loves
that were born to wander
Knights-errant
in athletic gear
The morning’s breath
pops right in your ear
Along Wisconsin Avenue.