May Newsletter

Knit for Mental Fitness Fundraiser 

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, filmed at the Oregon State Hospital, the Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health is proud to announce Knit For Mental Fitness, a 2025 community initiative supporting mental fitness awareness and benefiting both the Museum and Project ABLE. The Museum, along with the Salem Millstream Knitting Guild, and Wild Knits invites the public to join in knitting iconic “watch cap” style hats, inspired by the ones worn by Jack Nicholson’s character, Randall P. McMurphy, in the film. Click here to learn more!

Special Holidays 

Did you know May 12th is National Limmerick Day?

Check out our monthly activity calendars for some other daily holidays!

Closed for Memorial Day

The Salem and Mac offices will be closed on May 26th in honor of Memorial Day. This closure does not apply to the ABLE House respite home.

Save the Date!

The special event for the month will be held on May 30th from 12-2pm at the Salem office. This will be a birthday party for everyone! We will have a potluck (bring something tasty to share, if you are able to!) and classic party games. Hope to see you there!

What's New

Emotional Houseplants is a new group in Salem! It meets Mondays at 11am. Stop by to learn about plants of all kinds! Whether it's houseplants, home gardens, or terranium plants, we've got you covered. In this group, we'll discuss plant care, propogration, and even get our hands dirty planting seeds and messing around in the garden. All experience levels welcome! 

Awareness this Month & Every Month

Did you know that according to the National Interagency Fire Center, humans cause an average of 68% of fires per year in the US? May is National Wildfire Awareness Month. This is a great time to review and practice fire safety procedures to make sure we are keeping ourselves, our communities, and our natural resources safe.

Volunteer of the Month

Our Volunteer for the Month of May is...Alex Mason! Alex has been volunteering for Project ABLE in Mac as a facilitator for over a year. He is also a big supporter of recovery and takes a message of hope with him wherever he goes. People know him by name out on the streets. He treats everyone with care and meets them wherever they are at on their journeys. Alex voulnteers in other peer organizations and has a knack for making those around him feel supported and empowered! Project ABLE is trurly fortunateto have Alex as part of our team! 

Work Anniversaries

May 2nd -- Kenneth Sundrud -- 2 years

May 28th -- Charlie Carter -- 1 year

May 28th -- Joshua Sanchez -- 1 year

ABLE House

ABLE House: A Peer Respite Home opened on March 7, 2025. Since the opening, ABLE House has had approximately 7 guests—a great start to ABLE House! Our guests have let us know that Peer Respite DOES WORK. It does change lives and is breaking the mental health stigmas!

 The ABLE House is available to Oregon residents over 18 and experiencing mental health crisis or emotional distress. This could mean a first responder, a stay-at-home parent or working parent, a student, an executive, a person with a disability, an unemployed person—just to name a few. Plus, there are no costs to the individual!

What is ABLE House: A Peer Respite Home?

ABLE House is where you find refuge that strives to meet people in crisis where they are. ABLE House will provide you with a safe and comfortable place while experiencing mental health crisis or emotional distress for you to live your experience without judgment and with support from others (peer respite support specialists) who have been through similar situations.

ABLE House is a place where you have the freedom to take time away from your normal family/work/personal life – or where you can continue to participate in normal life but have a calming, supportive place to stay at night.

ABLE House is a place to determine what you would like to be your next step with peer staff to collaborate and strategize together when discussing what A Better Life Experience (ABLE) would look like for you.

How Does One Become a Guest at ABLE House?

Self-Referral: An individual in crisis or close to crisis can call ABLE House (541 764-1190) to speak with a Peer Respite Support Specialist (PRSS). The individual and the PRSS will come to a mutual determination if ABLE House is the right fit for them at that time.

ABLE House Staff: ABLE House has an amazing staff of peer respite support specialists with lived experience. Staff have been trained extensively on peer respite support services and peer support. The superstar staff consists of Will and David, our peer respite support specialist leads; our peer respite support specialists—Tabietha, Sam, April, Mari, Theresa, Trisha, Bobbie, Mel, and Troy; and our director, Rebecca, our assistant director, Michelle (aka Miller), and our mascot, Owyhee Blue—a French Bulldog pup.

Please email ABLE House at [email protected] for more information.

Look What's Coming Up

Our special event in June will be our annual beach trip! This is tentatively set for June 18th. Please pay attention to our social media pages or give us a call for further details as they are announced.

Upcoming Trainings

May Trainings:

• May 5th-9th from 9am-5pm in Mac
• May 20th-23rd, 27th-30th from 2-7pm on Zoom

May CEUs:

• May 2nd from 1-3pm in Salem and Zoom - Visibly Homeless
• May 16th from 1-3pm in Salem and Zoom - Harm Reduction

June Trainings:

• June 9th-13th from 9am-5pm in Salem
• June 23rd-27th from 9am-5pm Online

June CEUs:

• June 6th from 1-3pm in Salem and Zoom - Support for the Unhoused 
• June 20th from 1-3pm in Salem and Zoom - Sleep Hygiene 

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