GAC Winter Appeal 2025

Dear Friends of Grand Avenue Club,

As the holiday season approaches, we reflect on a remarkable year of resilience, community, and achievement at Grand Avenue Club (GAC). Each day, our members remind us what recovery looks like through meaningful work, education, and social connection. With your support, GAC continues to be a place where people living with mental illness find purpose, belonging, and hope.

This year, however, we are facing a new and serious challenge. For decades, Milwaukee County has been an important partner in our work. Yet, due to deep financial constraints tied to long-standing pension obligations, the County is reducing its support for community mental health programs like ours.

For GAC, this means a phased reduction of our Behavioral Health Services (BHS) contract, once $200,000 annually, now set to be cut in half in 2026 and eliminated in 2027. This decision is not based on performance; our outcomes continue to exceed expectations. Rather, it reflects difficult budget realities across the entire human services system.

At the same time, we are seeing increasing strain in our ability to provide healthy, balanced meals to members each day. Food pantries and community partners that once supplied vital ingredients are struggling themselves, forcing us to purchase more of what we serve. These combined challenges represent a significant loss of stable funding at a time when our services are needed more than ever.

As we look to the year ahead, your gift to our 2025 Winter Appeal will play a vital role in sustaining the programs that define GAC, meaningful work opportunities, daily meals, and a welcoming community that hundreds of members rely on. Your generosity directly helps people rebuild their lives with dignity and purpose. This letter shares the experiences of Danielle and Trevin, whose journeys reflect the profound impact of GAC. We hope their stories inspire you to support our community and the life-changing work that happens here every day.

During this season of giving, we invite you to stand with us once again. Together, we can continue to be a community that works. On behalf of our members, staff, and board, thank you for being a vital part of our community and for your commitment to our mission.

---------------------------------------------------- 2025 MEMBER STORIES -------------------------------------------------

Meet Danielle

When Danielle first came to GAC, she was looking for a change of pace and a reason to get out of the house. “I was isolating in my room way too much,” she recalls. “I needed something positive to do.” Her first impression of GAC was immediate: “I thought, oh wow, I’m really going to like this.”

Danielle began her journey at GAC in the library because she loves to read. She then discovered the Greeting Marketing and Development Unit, where she made a custom GAC T-shirt and began building new friendships. She also became a regular in the Culinary Unit, helping prepare meals and learning new recipes.

Education has become a major focus for Danielle. With support from staff and GAC’s scholarship fund, she is close to completing her GED, scoring 85% on her civics test. Once finished, she plans to pursue CBRF (Community-Based Residential Facility) certification so she can work as a caretaker, something she’s always been passionate about.

Danielle recently started working as a dishwasher at Denny’s, a job she found with help from GAC. Staff supported her in creating a résumé, completing an online application, and preparing for several mock interviews until she felt confident for the real one. She has now been in the position for several months and says, “I really like being a dishwasher, it’s kinda soothing hearing all the water and seeing everything come out clean.” Looking ahead, Danielle hopes to get her own apartment, quit smoking, and adopt a cat. “They help you with so much, you can tell they really put their all into you.”

Meet Trevin

Trevin arrived at GAC looking for a way to break out of years of isolation and uncertainty. “Before GAC, I didn’t know what to do with my life,” he recalls. “I couldn’t keep a stable job; sometimes I’d quit after a week, a day, or a month.” Trevin’s therapist recommended the Clubhouse as a place to build confidence and community.

Since joining, Trevin has gained a renewed sense of confidence and direction. “When I first came here, I was really quiet and shy, but participating in the work-ordered day helped me open up.” With support from staff, Trevin secured employment at the Pabst Theater Group and enrolled at Milwaukee Area Technical College, where he made the Dean’s List. When housing challenges arose, GAC supported Trevin in connecting with resources and securing an independent apartment.

Looking ahead, Trevin hopes to transfer to UW-Milwaukee and continue his education. He’s proud of the stability he’s built at work, having held his current job for over a year. “That’s the longest job I’ve had in years.” Trevin also hopes to explore social work, peer support, and one day contribute as a Clubhouse International faculty member. “I’d love to help others the way I’ve been helped.” What stands out most to Trevin is how much his life has opened up since finding GAC. “I’ve built up confidence, made new friends, and started putting myself out there again,” he says. “Before, I felt stuck. Now I feel like I’m really living again.”