DAYTON, Ohio — It’s been a decade since one group started helping people with mental illness find work, but they said COVID has changed the number of people who need help. 

What You Need To Know

  • Leaders at the Miracle Clubhouse in Dayton said they've helped close to 900 people with mental illness find work and support they need to recover

  • The clubhouse, run by Goodwill/Easter Seals, has been helping people with mental illness for the last 10 years

  • Leaders at the clubhouse said that since COVID more people have been recognizing mental illness and coming to them for help 

Brandon Spatz is working on starting his own podcasts, but what you can’t see is his daily battle. 

“It’s hard, when one gets better another one pops up, another one gets worse,” said Spatz, “I have bipolar one disorder with psychotic features, OCD which is severe, generalized anxiety disorder and anorexia nervosa,” he said.

He said that started when he was just 11. 

“A lot of it has come from trauma in my past. My father was sick from the time I was 7 to 18 when he passed away. Basically, I watched him die for that many years,” said Spatz. 

He said that’s when he found the Miracle Clubhouse in Dayton. 

“It’s just so much better; you’re not alone, and you get to be around people who understand you,” said Spatz. 

The clubhouse, run by Goodwill/Easter Seals, has been helping people with mental illness find work for the last 10 years, but in the last two years, organizers said it’s been different. 

“With isolation being a major barrier the individuals with mental illness are facing, COVID certainly, amplified that challenge for us,” said Vice President of Program Services Jen Bonifas. 

Bonifas said they’ve helped support or find work for close to 900 people and still counting. 

“I think we’re seeing more individuals who are willing to step up and say, 'I am struggling a little bit with my mental health,' and so that stigma is slowly being reduced,” said Bonifas. 

Like many at the clubhouse, the kitchen is where Spatz started. He worked his way up to his job in the podcast room, where he plans to launch programs about mental illness as he recovers. 

“Each day, you challenge yourself and hope progress will come,” said Spatz. 

If you or someone you know is suffering from mental illness and needs help, click here for more information about the Miracle Clubhouse program.