Fallapalooza event will help to support The Fellowship House

The Fellowship House Treatment and Prevention Center in Anna is planning to host a Fallapalooza celebration Saturday, Oct. 26, in Anna.

Fallapalooza is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the parish hall at St. Mary’s Catholic Church at 402 Freeman St.

A chicken and dumpling dinner with homemade desserts will be prepared by  their cook, Betty Webb.

Live music will feature different musicians every 45 minutes.

Acoustic music will be performed by Clay Thomas. The Thundertones will perform classic rock. Dakota Cummins and ModGrass  will perform bluegrass.

The evening also will feature a silent auction, a thematic baskets raffle and a 50/50 drawing.

For ticket information, contact Martha Sensmeier or Kim Etter at The Fellowship House 833-2194. Tickets will be available at the door.

Fallapalooza will be the first event of its kind presented in support of The Fellowship House Treatment and Prevention Center. Organizers are hoping for a big turnout.

Mickey Finch is the chief executive officer of The Fellowship House. She said the idea behind Fallapalooza originated with the staff at the facility. Fellowship House has 33 staff members. The facility is located along North Main Street, near the Illinois Veterans Home in Anna.

Finch shared that she was grateful, and enthusiastic, for the idea of hosting such a celebration. Finch said she and her staff are looking forward to a “really, really fun night.”

The Fellowship House offers a wide range of services to people in Southern Illinois ages 18 and older. Fellowship House is licensed by the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and certified by Medicaid.

As posted on its website, the mission and goals of The Fellowship House follow:

Mission: To help people help themselves by teaching them the tools and skills necessary to improve the quality of their lives.

Goals: To provide quality alcohol and other drug abuse/addiction treatment, problem gambling services, prevention services, and co-occurring mental illness/substance abuse services.

To collaborate with other organizations to assure the continuity of services.

To provide behavioral health services on an individual basis.

To provide excellent training in various areas to staff and community members.

Services offered through The Fellowship House include inpatient and outpatient programs, professional assistance for those going through the withdrawal of alcohol and some drugs, recovery in a safe environment, a prevention program which is offered to area schools, support for families and more.

Finch emphasized that The Fellowship House offers support to people of all ages and from all walks of life. The 40-bed facility serves about 1,000 people a year from throughout Southern Illinois.

Ultimately, Finch said The Fellowship House works to provide a “safe, secure environment” for those who are facing a critical challenge in their lives. In some cases, patients actually have gone through a life-saving experience at The Fellowship House.

Finch credits dedicated staff members for the success of the services offered through The Fellowship House. “I have really good people,” she said.

A majority of the funding for The Fellowship House is allocated by the Illiois Department of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse. Proceeds from Fallapalooza will help to supplement programming.