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Fort Pierce Learning Center unveils improvements and gives out awards

May 2, 2022 – New Horizons of the Treasure Coast and Okeechobee hosted an open house at the Fort Pierce Learning Center on Ixoria Avenue to show donors, elected officials, and community leaders the improvements the nonprofit has made at the facility.

The center offers classes in basic living and self-management skills to adults in St. Lucie County dealing with mental health issues. Grants from Truist Bank and Impact 100 St. Lucie provided funding to transform the program and revitalize the building.

Ixoria. W Wims D Trabulsy M Baysinger G Rothman R DelToro N Moylan

In addition, Mary Baysinger, a New Horizons Board Director, was presented with the Mental Health Champion of the Year Award, 2021 for her dedication to and support of the mental health provider’s mission. Previously, Harry Shaw, a Fort Pierce resident who has worked at New Horizons for 30 years, received the Employee Mental Health Champion of the Year Award, in 2021.

Thanks to the advocacy of Truist Vice President Dawn Bloomfield, New Horizons received $10,000 to purchase laptops for the computer lab, including software for budget classes. Bloomfield also helps provide holiday meals to New Horizons clients at Thanksgiving through her leadership of the Caribbean American Cultural Group.

A $5,000 grant from Impact 100 St. Lucie enabled New Horizons to paint the interior and exterior of the building, as well as purchase kitchen supplies, exercise mats, a new grill, and equipment for various programs.

Local resident Nila Moylan donated 10 oversized photographs by Joe Semkow depicting local beachscapes and marine life. Moylan and Baysinger each purchased memorial benches for the outpatient office that provides outdoor seating for clients.

The Fort Pierce Learning Center’s program is based on psychosocial rehabilitation, an effective therapeutic approach that combines learning objectives with socialization opportunities. Classes are comprised of small groups and cover anger management, medication management, cooking, nutrition, budgeting, and health and exercise. Participants in the program also attend field trips, barbecues, holiday parties, and other activities.

Students at the learning center are referred by therapists, and doctors or they may self-enroll.

Established in 1958, New Horizons is the largest mental health agency in the region, with nine offices across St. Lucie, Martin, Indian River, and Okeechobee counties. A non-profit organization, New Horizons serves 15,000 children and adults annually, regardless of their ability to pay for services. The agency has a 24-hour helpline and mobile response team that delivers mental health care directly to the person in need at no cost.

For more information, please visit www.nhtcinc.org or call 772-696-2729.