Non-profit aims to create a clubhouse serving three Upstate counties

ANDERSON, S.C. (WSPA) – United Way of Anderson County is hoping to make a difference within the community for those living with a mental illness.

United Way of Anderson has partnered with Clubhouse International as a part of the new statewide initiative to expand the number of clubhouses across South Carolina.

“A clubhouse is a place for people who struggle with mental illness,” said United Way President and CEO Carol Burdette. “They go there to have purpose. They’re not patients. They’re not clients. It is not a treatment center. It is a place where people struggling with mental illness come to be members.”

The goal is to help clubhouse members increase their social and vocational skills helping them build relationships and obtain education or employment.

“As a member, they come in and they have jobs to do. Some of them work in the kitchen and they prepare lunch, some work at a snack bar, some might work in the clubhouse bank. There are others that go out who might go to further their education,” continued Burdette. “That will have been arranged through clubhouse or maybe they have an off-site job that was arranged through a partnership that clubhouse has, but everyone that comes to clubhouse as a member finds a purpose.”

Officials said over 400,000 people live in Anderson, Oconee and Pickens County. Around 80,000 are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition and 16,000 are experiencing a serious mental illness.

“I can assure you that they will be excited about the opportunity of having a clubhouse because the statistics say that it does reduce drastically the number of people who have to go to an emergency department for services related to their mental health struggles,” said Burdette.

United Way is planning to have the clubhouse open 365 days a year.

“For most of us, we think about the holidays and how much fun we have being with family and friends, but it could be that a person struggling with mental illness is isolated and holidays might be the worst time for them. So knowing they have a place to go, whether it’s Christmas or the 4th of July, where they can be with other people who are members as well, we think that’s an important role for Clubhouse,” said Burdette.

Later this month, the United Way of Anderson planning committee will create a budget and look for a location for the clubhouse that will serve Anderson, Oconee and Pickens residents.

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