September 2017

The Haverhill

Clubhouse

September 2017

Birthdays

Terry C 9/1

Ron B 9/3

Gina S 9/3

Mark Bu. 9/4

Donna G. 9/4

Colleen

P.

9/5

Wilfredo

O.

9/6

Brenda

B.

9/7

Bill P. 9/15

Rocky H. 9/18

Gail S. 9//20

Leah C. 9/20

Mitch H. 9/21

Russ J. 9/23

Joe K. 9/24

Clarence

G

9/25

Annual Picnic In August we had our

annual picnic with the

Point After Club. Eve-

ryone enjoyed them-

selves. The event was

catered by Chicken

Connection. Every-

one enjoyed, food fun,

games, music and

plenty of raffles!

Pictured

Right is

David D.

with a Point

After Club

Member.

Pictured above

left is Kerry

and Vasanth of

Point After

Club.

Pictured left is

a group of

members and

Sam from

NILP, who

runs our peer

support group.

Page 2 September 2017

Annual Picnic Cont.

Throughout the Picnic we had many friends and fam-

ily join us, as pictured above of Eric B. and his mom

Kathy! To the right, is pictured staff Taylor and Nicci’s

daughter, Tay is working on her squats! The picnic had

a beautiful day from bright blue skies to the amazing

scenery with a background of the castle. Many mem-

bers enjoyed playing card games and water balloon

toss. There was even prizes and raffles. I hope all en-

joyed!!

Page 3 September 2017

Happy Birthday Toni!!

Right before the picnic we got ready to cele-

brate all birthdays in August and the day of the

picnic we celebrated Toni W. Pictured right is

Kerry and Kitty frosting the cake. Pictured be-

low is the cake all frosted an ready for the pic-

nic. Finally pictured below is Toni completely

surprised by the cake. Happy Birthday to Toni

and all other Birthdays that happened in Au-

gust.

Page 4 September 2017

New Improvements at

the Clubhouse

At the Clubhouse we have started on a

new improvement to help new mem-

bers and staff learn each others names

in an effort to help build relationships

quicker! We decided to start making

name tags. Each member is encour-

aged to design their own. Pictured left

is Russ J. with his name tag that he

has designed himself. Other members

and staff have decided just to have

their name on their tag. It is all up to

you!!

Looking for

Housing??

Check out the Hot

Housing board over

in the IOOH Unit

Page 5 September 2017

Education Updates

Congratulations to Betsy G. Betsy has

been working on getting her GED and

has risen above and beyond to work as

hard as she can. She has just accom-

plished the second level of math and

English and will be going to the third

level. We are so proud of you Betsy and

your hard work!!! Here she is holding her

certificate of completion.

5 Study Tips for the New

Year

1. Study When Sleepy

During sleep the brain strength-

ens new memories so there is a good

chance you will remember what you

reviewed before you fell asleep.

2. Tell a Tale:

Turn details you need to

remember into a silly tale such as

remembering PEMDAS: (P)lease

(E)xcuse (M)y (D)ear (A)unt (S)ally.

3. Move around:

Studies show moving around and

studying in different places each day

makes us less likely to forget

information.

4.Make me wanna Shout!:

Reading information out loud

means mentally storing it in two ways:

seeing and hearing it.

5. “Treat yo’self!”:

Think up a small reward for

studying. Knowing there is a reward

makes things easier and less likely to

procrastinate.

Page 6 September 2017

In August Taylor and Basilio nominated the Pro-

gram Director Kerry for Vinfen’s Never Quits

Award. Kerry has dedicated her time and effort

each day to help our Clubhouse achieve

everything we have over the years. We would

like to thank Kerry and when you see her don’t

forget to say congratulations and thank her for

everything she does.

Never Quits Award!!

Don’t Forget to Check on the Hot Jobs Board

Located next to the Activities Board.

I was very honored to have Basilio and Taylor nominate me for the Never Quit

Award! I am so proud of the members, staff and overall dedication and TEAM-

WORK we try to achieve daily! A quote I use daily at the clubhouse is “Never ,

Never, Never Give Up.” By Winston Churchill —Kerry C. Program Director

LEADERSHIP is

about making oth-

ers better as a re-

sult of your pres-

ence and making

sure that impact

lasts in your

Absence! -Sheryl San-

berg COO of Facebook.

Page 7 September 2017

Congratulations Saroun on graduating

from the GIFT Training!!

We were honored to attend Saroun’s Gathering

along with Francesca from VinFen’s Transitions to in-

dependence Program, TIP at Inspiring Future Talent

“GIFT” Graduation held at “You Forward” in Law-

rence, MA. Saroun worked very hard to complete

this training. She opened herself up to a new net-

work of friends and mentors who helped her on skill

Page 8 September 2017

Haverhill Clubhouse Food Drive

Haverhill Clubhouse Staff Lynn R. and

several members initiated a food drive

in the Haverhill community in an effort

to support our colleagues at Merrimack

Valley Food Bank. We retrieved 150

pounds of food donations which we

brought to the food bank. Vinfen’s Hav-

erhill Community Based Flexible Sup-

port Teams joined in our efforts.

Pictured above is the box that was outside

the clubhouse.

Pictured right is Lynn with members

Marlene and David collecting food

Donations.

Pictured bottom left is members and staff

outside the new CBFS office.

Pictured bottom right is Toni holding a

donation bag.

Page 9 September 2017

Linda Jean’s 1 Year

Anniversary!!

Linda’s addition to The Haverhill Clubhouse has been

wonderful! Her experience with Vocational Rehab has been a

tremendous asset. Her expertise with job development assists

the members with acquiring new jobs and she helps maintain

the Employee and Employer relationship. Linda has been vital

to our success. She is a team player who brings her enthusiasm

and love of the Clubhouse model to us! Kerry C.

Page 10 September 2017

Member Writings

I don’t wanna go to the hospital

I don’t wanna go to the hospital tonight

My bags are packed just in case I get admitted

Thru these times I would appreciate my own space

I just don’t wanna go to the hospital tonight

Thru my actions I slowly admit myself to the hospital

hoping for the best

I never rule out the possibility of being admitted

It is a requirement if I want to stay out of the hospital to

control my rash judgments

Seeing the positive even in the negative makes everything

better

I don’t need the flippen hospital

Hello, I can take care of myself

I don’t need nurses and staff constantly watching my

every move

I really don’t wanna go to the hospital tonight

My mind is made up

I have far better places to go than the hospital

Home sweet home sounds alluring

I don’t wanna go to the hospital tonight

Cancel my admission

It was a false alarm

I am not totally fixed

I am not broken either

I will not be going to the hospital tonight

Written by David D.

Remember to

work in your

unit.

Unit work =Job

Skills!

It’s a Bridge to

your job

success

Page 11 September 2017

Member Writings

At the end of July I once again applied for the Certified

Peer Specialist Training. Once again I did not get in,

but like I have said in the past: you cannot give up.

One question on the application is what recovery

means to me. I would like to share with all of you what

recovery means to me:

Recovery….it is always hard to put into words

what recovery means to me. Recovery to me has had

many stages in my life. The first stage started when I

was 14 and was first diagnosed. I felt very alone and

was labeled by peers because not only did I not under-

stand my diagnosis but neither did my peers. The sec-

ond stage was when I went to college. It was the first

time on my own. I stopped taking my medications and

that made for a rough ride. The third but not final stage,

because in recovery there really is no final stage, is

where I am at in my life now. I am a very tenacious

young woman. I have a quote that sits on my desk

every day to remind me. It reads “Never Never Never

Give Up.” It is by Winston Churchill. Although I have

had my ups and downs, I have learned how to pick my-

self up as I fall and I am now working to help others

pick themselves up when they feel down.

All in all, you can see that recovery is a fluid thing. It

never really ends. Like I said I recovery comes in

stages and I can’t wait to see what the next stage

brings.

Written by Katie L.

Winston Churchill

Looking for a

Job??

Come visit

the Club-

house!!

Page 12 September 2017

Health and Wellness

Chicken and Gnocchi Dumpling Soup

Active Time

14 Mins

Total Time

27 Mins

Yield

Serves 6 (serving size:

1 1/3 cups)

Homey and hearty chicken and dumplings has never been

faster or easier, thanks to store-bought gnocchi. Browned bits

from the seared chicken thighs create a rich base for the soup,

while carrots and peas provide texture and fresh veggies to

the soup. This kid-friendly soup is perfect for a weeknight

dinner, and leftovers can be packed for lunch tomorrow.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

12 ounces skinless, boneless

chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided

1 1/2 cups chopped red onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped carrot

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rose-

mary

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

5 cups unsalted chicken stock (such

as Swanson), divided

8 ounces whole-wheat gnocchi

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup frozen green peas

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black

pepper

How to Make It

Step 1

Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add oil; swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken with 1/4

teaspoon salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 5 minutes

or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove

chicken from pan.

Step 2

Add onion, celery, carrot, rosemary, and thyme to

pan; cook 7 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Add 4 cups stock, scraping pan to loosen browned

bits. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 8

minutes. Add gnocchi to pan; cook 3 minutes or

until gnocchi float to the surface.

Step 3

Combine remaining 1 cup stock and flour in a

bowl, stirring with a whisk. Slowly add stock mix-

ture to pan, stirring constantly with a whisk. Stir in

chicken and peas; cook 5 minutes. Stir in remain-

ing 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.

Page 13 September 2017

Activity Updates

Wait… instead of an activity of mini

golf, why not drive down the street

and go to a driving range and hit

some real golf balls? There were

four of us that went, and boy did we

have a great time. It was so much

fun and we came back completely

sweating and laughing our heads off.

After going to the driving range we

decided to go get ice cream a little

ways down the street. On the way

home we stopped at a local farm

stand and Marlene got some corn.

Even though we changed our plan

last minute, we still had a blast at the

driving range!

Pictured above are the members Liza B., Katie L.,

Marlene R. and Nicolle who went golfing

together.

Pictured left

is the

machine that

gave each of

us a bucket of

golf balls.

Pictured right

is the bucket

of golf balls

and a nine

iron that we

were able to

hit the golf

balls with.

Page 14 September 2017

Activity Update Cont.

We were not the only clubhouse that had their annual picnic this past month. The

Crossroads Clubhouse held their annual picnic and many members went. The members

enjoyed the food and many activities that the Crossroads provided.

Pictured below are

pictures from the

beach. Throughout

the summer many

members wanted to

go to the beach. So

on a Saturday mem-

bers went and had

such a fun time

including going to a

crystal store and

swimming in the

ocean.

Page 15 September 2017

Activity Update Cont.

The beginning of the month mem-

bers went and enjoyed Taco

Tuesday. Members enjoy going

out spending time with each other

both in and outside the clubhouse.

COMING SOON SPECIAL EDITION OF

OUR WHALE WATCH!!

Work Order Day is 8 AM to 12 PM

& 1 PM to 4 PM

Groups and meetings are available throughout the day if interested.

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri

11am Art and Relaxa-

tion

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Peer Support

2-3pm Activity

Planning

10am Yoga

10:30am Newsletter group

11am Community

Meeting

MOP Holy Family

11am DRA

11-12pm YMCA

1:30pm Music

Expression

10:30am Job Club

1pm Chess Club

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Organized Chaos

Band Practice

11am Art and

Relaxation

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Peer Support

10am Yoga

10:30am Newsletter group

11am Community

Meeting

1:15 Book Club

MOP Anna Jacques

11am DRA

11-12pm YMCA

1:30pm Music Expression

10:30am Job Club

1pm Chess Club

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Organized Chaos

Band Practice

11am Art and

Relaxation

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Peer Support

2-3pm Activity

Planning

10am Yoga

10:30am Newsletter group

11am Community

Meeting

11am DRA

11-12pmYMCA

1:30pm Music Expression

10:30am Job Club

1pm Chess Club

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Organized Chaos

Band Practice

11am Art and

Relaxation

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Peer Support

10am Yoga

10:30am Newsletter group

11am Community

Meeting

1:15pm Book Club

MOP Anna Jacques

11am DRA

11-12pm YMCA

1:30pm Music

Expression

10:30am Job Club

1pm Chess Club

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Organized Chaos

Band Practice

11am Art and

Relaxation

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Peer Support

10am Yoga

10:30am Newsletter group

11am Community

Meeting

11am DRA

11-12pm YMCA

1:30pm Music

Expression

10:30am Job Club

1pm Chess Club

12:30-1:30pm YMCA

1pm Organized Chaos

Band Practice

September 2017

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat

1 2 CAMPING!! Be

at the Club by

9AM YMCA

CAMP LYDON

4 Labor day /

Camping Trip

Club is open

at 9 BBQ for

lunch

5 Pizza and

Paint Night 4

to 6 pm

6 7 Shopping and

Coffee Westgate

Plaza 3:30 PM

8 9 Plugs Pond

POW WOW

Leaving

Clubhouse at

10:30am

11 12 Bowling

League

13

14 Out to Dinner

at 110 Grill 3:30

PM

15 16 Mystery Ride

18 19 Essex Art

Center / Law-

rence MA

Clubhouse

leaves at 3pm

20

21 Shopping at

Seabrook NH

22 23 Yard Sale in

Methuen Commu-

nity / Rocking-

ham Mall

25 26 IT’S A

MYSTERY??

27 28 Plaistow NH

Town Forest

wellness walk /

hike and out for

Ice Cream

29 30 Movies at the

Loop leaving

Clubhouse at

9:30am

The Clubhouse Connection

Clubhouse Mission Statement

The Haverhill Clubhouse offers re-

spect, hope, and unlimited oppor-

tunity for membership to access

friendship, housing, education and

employment in their community.

Vinfen Mission Statement

Vinfen transforms lives by building the ca-

pacity of individuals, families, organiza-

tions and communities to learn, thrive and

achieve their goals. Our services promote

the recovery, resiliency, habilitation and

self-determination of the people we serve.

As a human services leader, we strive to be

the provider, employer and partner of

choice.

Phone: (978) 521-6957

Fax: (978) 521-7028

Email:

theclubhouseconnetion@gmail.com

Haverhill Clubhouse

100 Locust Street

Haverhill, MA, 018306957

Fax 978-521-7028

Page 18

Looking for old

newsletters or more

about our clubhouse.

Please go to our

website:

www.haverhillclub.org