Comforting quarters

SANDUSKY — With his face perfectly still, Ed Barnes concentrated when lining up the cue ball in hopes of drilling the orange-shaded 5 ball deep within a corner pocket. Seconds later, a smile spanned his face once he accomplished the task. Though, what he is really happy about is the room in which he played a round of pool with some friends on Thursday afternoon. Barnes represents one of a record 517 members belonging to Erie Shore Network. "The new space has benefited the guys. It's relaxing to be able to just come in and play a game of pool. If you're feeling stressed, it's the hangout spot" said Barnes, a Sandusky resident. "You get a lot of quality time with the other members. There's a good support group we've got going for sure." The nonprofit advocates for community members with mental illnesses — such as depression, schizophrenia, PTSD, among other conditions — and helps to provide a sense of togetherness through social activities, like billiards, as well as providing resources for those who need them. With a recent expansion at its Sandusky office on East Market Street, doubling in size to nearly 2,800 square feet, the network can better accommodate its members, like Barnes, and further achieve its mission. "We want to encourage people to be here not just for programming but to come in and visit, socialize and have a fellowship with their peers." network executive director Brenda Baum said. "This is important because isolation is dangerous for people with mental illness." The nonprofit receives a primary portion of funding from the Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services Board of Erie County along with support from various local foundations. But it also seeks out grants and donations within the community. Local foundations also support the network. The expansion includes a new game room, private meeting areas and a separate place for conferences. Beyond hanging out and socializing, a bigger space also caters to the network's support groups, educational programming and annual events. Before the expansion, the organization was limited to one large primary meeting room, preventing multiple events and activities from simultaneously happening. Baum wanted to debut the new room ahead of May. "This is an awesome time for us to be presenting this because May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and that is a huge deal around here," Baum said. Coming out of the pandemic, Baum also talked about the room's significance. "It was important that we had separate space to spread people out and keep them safe during COVID." Baum said, "Expansions like this also allow for opportunities to bring in new members and expand the resources the organization can provide." People can call 419-626-2006 or visit erieshorenetwork.com for more information.