Residents will warmly welcome visitors to their mental health sanctuary next week, when Sunflower House throws open its doors to the general public.
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The charity will hold its open day on October 24 to show the community that it is back open for business, after having been shut for several months due to the coronavirus.
Long-time patron Stephen Hall said he was overjoyed when Sunflower House opened its doors again, saying it was a relief to be reunited with his friends after months of isolation.
"It was pretty lonely," Mr Hall said.
"I didn't do very much - stayed at home, watched the TV."
Volunteer turned receptionist Tam Hagenbach said Sunflower House was like a close-knit family, and that they were now looking to invite more people into the fold.
She helps run the house's various daily events, programs, and social outings, which they are steadily scaling up again as restrictions ease.
"It's a very busy house, but there's never a dull moment here," Mrs Hagenbach said.
"The members are always very welcoming, and we always focus on having a good rapport with each other, and sometimes I get to play Articulate! with them."
During the open day she and some of the members will be giving visitors a tour of the house and displaying various activities, which include everything from tennis, to gardening, to dungeons and dragons.
Sunflower House president Mark Horton said it was all in service of keeping their members active, maintaining their mental health, and connecting them with their community.
Mr Horton said social isolation was a major problem for people battling mental illness, and that he was hoping more of them would be able to find a community for themselves at next week's open day.
"There's 70,000 people in Wagga, and going on the statistics that 1 in 5 people have to deal with a mental health issue at some stage in their life, there's got to be thousands of people out there struggling," Mr Horton said.
"A lot of people don't want to admit they have the conditions or the challenges, but their loved ones, friends, and carers do know, so we're encouraging them to come and see what we do so they can send that message back to their loved ones."
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
