Tucked away in a single room on the second floor of the Pajama Factory, 1307 Park Ave., can be found the Beacon Hub Drop-In Center, a get-away for mental health consumers of the area.
"It's a retreat for me," said Charlene Bartraw, of Williamsport.
Deb Milheim, program supervisor, Consumer Family Satisfaction Team and the Beacon Hub, said the facility was opened in July as a place for people to go.
"So they can socialize and do different things," she said.
On Tuesday, an open house was held to help get the word out about The Hub.
Milheim is one of three staff people who oversee activities there. But as she put it, "I'm just here to guide them."
After all, the Hub really is for the consumers who aree looking for a place of their own.
"We wanted to find a place in Williamsport," said Kelly Shuler, program director, Skills of Central Pennsylvania. "Right now, people are just learning where we are."
Lycoming-Clinton Mental Health/Mental Retardation Services offered some support for the facility.
Milheim, for one, is hoping The Hub catches on with more in the community.
"I look for us to outgrow this in two to three years," she said.
Milheim noted that people can come to relax, socialize or engage in various fun activities. A lounge area with couches and a snack bar help lend a cozy atmosphere to the room.
"It's free," Milheim said. "It's some place they can call their own."
Millie Crowe, of Lock Haven, said she finds the Hub to her liking.
"You get to do what you want, like crafts. It's for people who have nowhere to go. You can talk to people and get fellowship."
The Hub is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays.
