by Trinity Gruenberg

trinity@inhnews.com

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Helping others prosper every day is the hope of the Hope Center in Wadena which opened their doors on March 22. The center was created to assist adults in the community with mental health needs. 

They began as Friendship Haven and with the new building and a fresh start they chose the new name. The peer center will be consumer driven and focus on the consumer’s needs and benefits as well as their goals in order to introduce and reinforce community resources. 

There was a steady stream of visitors throughout the open house.

“It took two years for the center to come to fruition. We were chomping at the bit for our grand opening,” said Wadena County Human Services Director Tanya Leskey.

Human Services rented the basement space at the former location from Oakridge Woodview.

“One of our driving forces is we wanted to get to the center of town. We wanted it to be really inclusive and now we have this bright, beautiful, open space in town and in the community,” said Leskey.

Human Services contracted with Oakridge Woodview to manage the peer center and the building is owned by Wadena County. The center is peer operated.

Their vision is to reduce stigma about mental health. The new location allows for inclusive, ease of assess for members. The center is open to everyone.  

“It’s really about going there to have support from one another,” said Leskey. “It’s about focusing on overall wellness.” . . .

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