Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County Executive Director Michael Nordin, right, and Grants Manager Michelle Colaiacovo are presented a generous grant from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation by Foundation board member Adam Dimitri.

Executive Director Michael Nordin has announced that the Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County received a major grant from the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation.

“We are so grateful to the Northern Chautauqua Community Foundation for their award of $11,000 to the MHA,” said Nordin. “This grant will cover the costs for rent and supplies for our North County program for all of 2026.” The award was presented by NCCF Board Member Adam Dimitri at November’s Community Foundation Week Celebration at the SUNY Fredonia Center for Innovation and Economic Development.

MHA’s North County recovery center is at Grace Lutheran Church, 601 Eagle Street in Dunkirk. It is open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Jamestown is collecting much-needed items for MHA participants, including gloves, deodorants, toothpaste and toothbrushes, and any kind of coffee. These articles are also welcome from community members who can drop them off at the Jamestown recovery center, Door 14 in the rear of the Gateway Center, 31 Water St. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.

During the holiday season, the MHA also received a $1,000 donation from an individual who was previously associated with the program in a professional capacity.

At the MHA’s December recovery luncheon, Nordin recognized five participants for their accomplishments: gaining employment, volunteering at St. Luke’s Church, getting a Social Security card and an apartment, completing the anger management course, and acquiring stable housing.

Volunteer Denise de la Cerda is facilitating two new groups. Upcycle Sewing, that is making purses out of scraps of material, meets on Wednesdays, 3-4 p.m., and Meditation and Wellness meets on Thursdays, 10-10:50 a.m. A tattoo artist, de la Cerda is the owner of Secret Undisclosed Location in downtown Jamestown.

St. Luke’s members Sandy Kearney and Linda McCallum prepared and served the delicious meal. Kearney offered the blessing before the meal.

MHA recovery luncheons are open to anyone on the third Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. Like all MHA services, the luncheons are free.

The MHA will be closed on Jan. 19 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Plans are underway for a major fundraiser for the MHA at the Frewsburg American Legion on Saturday, Feb, 21, 6 to 10 p.m. In addition to basket and gift card raffles and a 50/50 drawing, there will be separate live music performances by Brian K. Chase and Daniel Nordin.

The Mental Health Association in Chautauqua County is a peer recovery center offering support groups and individual coaching for people looking to improve their lives, deepen wellness, thrive in recovery, or support those on a recovery path. Peers use their personal stories to help people find recovery in their own lives in their own way.

To learn more about the MHA, call (716) 661-9044 or visit MHAChautauqua.org or Facebook.com/MHAChautauqua. A schedule with descriptions of MHA’s dozens of groups and classes in Dunkirk and Jamestown is at MHAChautauqua.org/groups.