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Saturday, February 20, 1999 Page: 1C
57 attend Mardi Gras celebration
Inaugural event held at the First Presbyterian Church in Hazleton was
sponsored by Our Choices, a nonprofit, consumer-run mental health drop-in
centerHAZLETON- They came to sample a traditional Mardi Gras celebration.
And members of Our Choices, a nonprofit, consumer-run mental health drop-in
center, did their best to make sure participants walked away with smiles on
their faces.
Fifty-seven children and adults attended the inaugural Mardi Gras
Celebration held on Monday, Feb. 8, at the First Presbyterian Church, at
Church and Broad streets, Hazleton.
Our Choices coordinator Florence Houston said participants used paper, glue
and colorful feathers to make festive Mardi Gras masks.
Using recipes retrieved from the Internet, they cooked and sampled
traditional New Orleans-style cuisine, including jambalaya, candied pralines
and “king” cake.
With colorful beads draped around their necks, and in a room decorated with
traditional Mardi Gras parade decorations, participants used play money to
test their luck with games of chance. A roulette wheel, horse-racing game,
blackjack table and a dice game were played. Gift certificates to Vesuvio’s
Restaurant, Broad Street Deli and Wendy’s, all of Hazleton, were awarded to
top winners.
Our Choices members were encouraged to bring family members to the Mardi
Gras Celebration.
“We do a lot of socializing,” said Houston. “It helps people with mental
illness.”
The First Presbyterian Church in Hazleton houses Our Choices. The
organization, which boasts a membership of more than 100, is supported by
Northeast Counseling Services and the Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
Houston said the drop-in center’s mission is “to support consumers of
mental-health services, advocate for the improvement of area mental-health
services, and engage in activities that better the lives of persons with
mental illness.”
The facility is open three days a week. Hours of operation are: Monday and
Wednesday, 12:30 to 8:30 p.m.; Friday, 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
For a $5 annual membership fee, adults are entitled to utilize all the
services at the center.
For more information, call 455-1669.-
by Patti Pandya
For The Times Leader/JIM JUKA
Colorful handmade masks, festively decorated with paper and feathers, grace
the faces of Mardi Gras celebrants during a party held at the First
Presbyterian Church in Hazleton. Mardi Gras activities, sponsored by Our
Choices, a nonprofit, consumer-run mental health drop-in center, were held
Feb. 8.