Twin Cities nonprofit that helps adults with serious mental illness facing funding shortfall
One by one, stories shaped by hardship and resilience are taking the stage at the History Theatre in St. Paul. But for the people sharing them, this is not just a performance.
"These are real stories," said Richard Whitman, a longtime member of Vail Communities. "I've been with Vail 19 years… In December, it'll be 20."
Whitman is among dozens of members who rely on Vail Communities, a nonprofit that operates clubhouse-style programs for adults living with serious mental illness across the Twin Cities.
The clubhouse model is designed as a community-based approach to recovery. Members and staff work side by side in a structured daily environment, helping each other build routines, develop job skills, maintain relationships and improve overall health.
For Whitman, an Army veteran living with schizophrenia, that structure has become part of everyday life.
"You walk in the door and everybody knows your name," he said.
That same sense of belonging is what drew Rachel Ayana to the program. Ayana, who lives with complex PTSD, said the clubhouse gave her something she could not find anywhere else.
"Clubhouse has saved my life," she said. "It gives me a place to go every day and to use my talents."
Ayana now spends her time creating art, reaching out to other members and helping people who may be isolated or struggling.
"It means a lot to them to get that phone call," she said. "At the clubhouse, you feel so cared for the second you walk through the door."
But that sense of community is now at risk.
Vail Communities says the Minnesota Department of Human Services will not renew its current contract, putting funding for its Uptown and Ramsey County clubhouses in jeopardy when it expires June 30.
"Unfortunately, right now we're facing a financial uncertainty," said Chad Bolstrom, senior director of clubhouse programs and public policy for Vail Communities. "They were no longer able to provide that funding."
Without it, hundreds of members could lose access to the daily support system they rely on.
"Where would the people with mental health diagnosis go?" Whitman said.
For Ayana, the uncertainty is personal.
"If Vail isn't open anymore, I don't know what I'm going to do," she said. "When I wake up… what's my purpose?"
The performances at the History Theatre are part of a long-running collaboration, where members write and perform their own stories, often inspired by prompts from professional theater artists.
Organizers say the goal is to help members find their voice and share their experiences with a wider audience.
A live performance is scheduled for Thursday from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the History Theatre in St. Paul.
Vail Communities says it is now working to secure alternative funding ahead of the June deadline.
The uncertainty comes as mental health funding has been in flux nationwide. Earlier this year, the Trump administration proposed cutting billions of dollars in federal grants for mental health and addiction services before reversing course after public pushback.
For members like Whitman and Ayana, the focus remains on what the clubhouse provides right now: a place to be seen, heard and supported.