What is a Clubhouse?

A Clubhouse is organized to support people living with mental illness. During the course of their participation in a Clubhouse, members gain access to opportunities to rejoin the worlds of friendships, family, employment and education, and to the services and support they may individually need to continue their recovery. A Clubhouse provides a restorative environment for people whose lives have been severely disrupted because of their mental illness, and who need the support of others who are in recovery and who believe that mental illness is treatable.

Clubhouses are a local community-based solution to a global problem — these voluntary programs provide opportunities for work, wellness and socialization — in an evidence-based approach that has been proven to help people with mental illness recover their lives. A Clubhouse focuses on strengths and abilities and not on illness. Through friendship, shared work, education and employment, Clubhouses help people regain hopeful and fulfilling lives. In physical as well as virtual connections, Clubhouses make a real and lasting difference in people’s lives by helping them achieve their social, educational and employment goals.

What is a Clubhouse?

A Clubhouse is organized to support people living with mental illness. During the course of their participation in a Clubhouse, members gain access to opportunities to rejoin the worlds of friendships, family, employment and education, and to the services and support they may individually need to continue their recovery. A Clubhouse provides a restorative environment for people whose lives have been severely disrupted because of their mental illness, and who need the support of others who are in recovery and who believe that mental illness is treatable.

Clubhouses are a local community-based solution to a global problem — these voluntary programs provide opportunities for work, wellness and socialization — in an evidence-based approach that has been proven to help people with mental illness recover their lives. A Clubhouse focuses on strengths and abilities and not on illness. Through friendship, shared work, education and employment, Clubhouses help people regain hopeful and fulfilling lives. In physical as well as virtual connections, Clubhouses make a real and lasting difference in people’s lives by helping them achieve their social, educational and employment goals.

Our Mission

Renaissance Club is a program of Eliot Community Human Services, serving adults with mental illness in Greater Lowell. As believers in the guidelines of the International Center for Clubhouse Development, comprising over 300 clubhouses throughout the world, Renaissance Club members and staff provide a supportive community for individuals recovering from mental illnesses. Our community is a safe place where members can form lasting relationships with others and build on those relationships to become more vocationally and socially active in the clubhouse and in the world. Renaissance Club guarantees all members: a place to belong, a place to return, the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships, and the opportunity for meaningful work.

Advisory Board

The Renaissance Club Advisory Board is composed of individuals from our community who are uniquely positioned to provide financial, legal, legislative, employment development, member and community support, and advocacy for the clubhouse.

The Renaissance Club Advisory Board will help to ensure the overall success of the clubhouse and stands united in the mission to eliminate disparities experienced by members of the clubhouse and communities that have been historically underserved and marginalized.

Eliot’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Eliot is committed to identifying and dismantling barriers that prevent people with marginalized racial identities from actualizing their full employment potential, assuming leadership roles, or from fully engaging at all levels in the workplace. We will strive to operationalize policies, practices, attitudes, and actions that produce equitable power, access, and employment opportunities for all people. We are committed to providing a respectful, supportive workplace culture that welcomes and celebrates the diverse social identities of our staff.

The DEI Council will lead the effort to instill in the organizational culture, the values, beliefs, and behaviors that will recognize, respect, and value the diversity of both employees and persons served.