Proudly Introducin

Health

Grammy Award Nominee

Cantor. David
Monte ore

"Cantor Monteflore, a strong tenor, has clarity and fervor
with all the right musical instincts."
New York Times

Live

in Concert
with the

Zamir Chorale
of Metropolitan Detroit

Performing works by
Halevy, Copeland, Janowski and Heitman

Sunday, September 10, 2000
4:00 p.m.

5075 W. Maple Road
West Bloomfield

(btwn Inkster 8i Middlebelt)
248.851-6880
www.cbahm.org

Bell=

gt4;

8/25

2000

98

This concert has been generously underwritten by Olga Paul Friedman,
the Walter Litt Jewish Music Fund, and Friends of Congregation Beth Ahm.
It is being offered at no charge to the public.

progress to an organization called FAIR
includes both chemical and electrical
— Friends Assisting in Recovery
signals.
"When I found out about FAIR I
Today, volumes of evidence attest
had just spent two terrifying months
to the way the biology of the brain
in a group home," recalls Meltzer.
goes awry in mental disorders. The
"The people at FAIR helped me find
chemistry at nerve cell junctions, the
an apartment I could afford. I felt safe
metabolism in different brain regions
in the FAIR drop-in center and they
and subtle anatomical anomalies all
supported my efforts to recover. Now
point to mental illness as biology gone
I'm trying to give something back to
bad. Sorting out how this happens is
the center by volunteering to make
almost as complicated as the brain
sure others know about the organiza-
itself.
tion so that they may consider helping
"Sometimes we may have as many
us out financially.
"The center is over-
crowded most days,"
he says. "We need a
larger facility and
more resources to sup-
port our clients."
FAIR is a nonprofit
group whose mission
is to help themselves
and others recover
from emotional and
mental health prob-
lems. The 11-year-old
drop-in program is
unique because it is a
recreation and rehabil Allan Meltzer stops for a chat.
itation center that is
operated by the peo-
ple who use it. Meltzer is vice presi-
as 70 people for lunch," says Jeff
dent of FAIR's board of directors.
Segnitz, director of operations at the
It wasn't that long ago when people
FAIR Drop-in Center. "There doesn't
like Meltzer lived at home or resided
seem to be a place for them in our
at large state institutions such as the
health system. FAIR helps to connect
now torn-down Clinton Valley Center
individuals to area resources and pro-
in Pontiac. More recently; the empha-
vides in-house services to meet their
sis has been on accelerating people
needs. Allan Meltzer's dream is for a
who are mentally ill to return to their
larger shelter that serves as home for
homes and communities.
those in need until they can achieve
"Resources for the mentally dis-
some independence on their own.
abled are becoming increasingly limit-
"The peer support we all receive
ed, even though mental illness is the
makes FAIR a special place, where
second leading cause of disability and
trust and understanding are priori-
premature death," says Jackie Castine
ties," says Signitz. "FAIR helps indi-
at Community Education, Oakland
viduals to remain in the community
County Mental Health Department.
and to become somewhat productive
"There is. a great need in this commu-
if at all possible in that community
nity to have a public facility at which
"The organization has a food bank
those who are mentally disabled can
so that individuals living independent-
feel at home."
ly and on fixed incomes can be assist-
FAIR fills that gap for many by
ed. We've also been successful in help-
providing support and encouragement
ing individuals relocate from group
as well as helping individuals with
homes to affordable housing and have
such things as transportation to
a network in the Pontiac area to help
appointments and job interviews or
with clothing, furniture, household
making sure someone has enough
appliances and such."
food until the end of the month.
"What's important for our recov-
Mental illness goes by many names
ery," says Meltzer, "is a sense of family
— schizophrenia, major depression,
and that's what FAIR provides. Most
bipolar disorder are just a few. The
of us at FAIR don't have the constant
one characteristic they have in corn-
live support we need from our families
mon is the biological equivalent of
so we make sure we provide them to
faulty wiring in the brain, which
each other."

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