Who Was Cora Dale and why did we name our Clubhouse After her?
Cora Belle Dale was the daughter of JM and Bessie Dale, the couple who in 1889 built the residence that currently houses the Clubhouse. Cora was a teacher, a talented musician and a playwright. She spent much of her young adult life in Chicago studying with famous musicians and artists of the day. In 1909, she returned to her childhood home in Goshen to care of her sick mother. When her mother died in 1918, Cora had a mental break down at the funeral. That very afternoon her family sent her to the state mental hospital in Logansport. They told members of the community that she had died and scratched her out of family photographs. Letters that she wrote from the hospital begging to be allowed to come home were ignored and hidden under the floorboards of the house. She died at Logansport State Hospital in 1941 at the age of 74.
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When the Elkhart County Clubhouse bought the Dale house in 2012 we had never heard of Cora, but over time we were slowly able to piece her story together. A previous owner had found her letters and there were more hints about her life at the local historical museum. In 2020, when a second Clubhouse opened in the neighboring city of Elkhart (and we were no longer the only Elkhart County Clubhouse) we thought it was the perfect opportunity to honor the memory of Cora Dale. We hope that there could be no better way to remember Cora than to create an effective community of support for adults with mental illness. Our aim is to reduce the stigma that continues to surround those with mental illness, both back in her time and today.
Our Staff
Erich Miller
Director
Erich initially joined the Clubhouse as Generalist in June of 2015 and took over as director in July of 2024. He completed Comprehensive Clubhouse Training at Gateway House in South Carolina in April 2016 and joined the Faculty for Clubhouse Development in February, 2024. Originally from the Goshen area, he spent most of his adulthood wandering the world from Bangkok, Thailand to the Oregon Coast before returning to the area in 2015. He spends his free time going on long walks with his wife and hanging out with his 4 cats: Sunny, Sammy, Tweet, and Sarah.
Mindy Kathary
Clubhouse Generalist
Mindy joined us as a Clubhouse Generalist Halloween Day 2022. She comes to us having worked a huge range of jobs in the social service field from case management at Oaklawn to Job Coach for the Special Education program at Goshen High School. She spends her free time hanging with her boyfriend, her parents and her two cats and watching fantasy and historic dramas on Netflix. She is also a proud Grandma to Solana.
Leslie Appenzeller
Clubhouse Generalist
Leslie joined the Clubhouse as a Generalist in September 2023. She comes to us with over 14 years experience within the field of Mental Health. She worked as everything from a Case Manager at Oaklawn all the way up to Supportive Employment Specialist at Bowen Center. Her previous position was at Bowen Center’s residential facility Harbours in Warsaw. She really enjoys being able to help people struggling with mental illness to improve their lives and reach their goals.
In her free time, Leslie loves to do projects with her hands. She will try any sort of craft or art project once, but her passion is painting! She even wants to have her own art business one day.
Leslie grew up in the Goshen area and comes from a family of 4. She loves cuddling with her 2 fur kids – Bubs and Kizmet.
Karen Guerrero
Clubhouse Generalist
Karen joined the Clubhouse as Generalist in June 2024. She previously interned with the Clubhouse through Goshen College and recently graduated with a Bachelor's in Social Work. She loves to bring positive energy wherever she goes because life is hard as it is. Part of the reason she accepted the job was because she saw how the Clubhouse strives to help with what they can.
Karen grew up in Goshen, but also tries to visit family in Mexico every other year. She comes from a family of 5: Dad-Simon, Mom-Elizenda, older sister Yessica, and younger brother Jose. She spends her free time going out to dance with friends and hanging out with family and pet Chihuahua Kenai. Fun fact: her family has given her the nickname Carrot after a kid had misheard her name.
Our Board Members
Summer Berman has worked in the Clubhouse model of rehabilitation for more than 20 years, including as a Michael Walther Executive Fellow at Fountain House. Most recently, she led the efforts to open the first "freestanding" Clubhouse in Michigan and is a leader in Clubhouse quality improvement efforts in that state. Summer was honored to join Cora Dale's Board of Directors in 2023 and is excited to support the Great Lakes region's growing leadership in the global Clubhouse movement. When she's not championing mental health recovery, you can find Summer reading, snuggling her ever growing brood of black cats, on her SUP or yoga mat, or possibly running on Detroit's Riverfront.
Summer Berman
Laurie Blough has been a member of Cora Dale since 2015 and joined the Board in 2020. She is a church organist at Plymouth United Church of Christ and volunteers to play the organ at funerals and weddings. In her free time she is a dedicated pickle ball player.
Laurie Blough
Kay Bontrager-Singer has been a member of the Board since 2019, however her interest dates back long before then. As a Pastor, she has had numerous connections to Clubhouse members, some having lived briefly in one of the Faith Mennonite Church's transitional houses. As a social worker, Kay has supervised BSW and MSW student interns at Cora Dale House in their Practicums. She loves to drop by for a delicious noon meal and chat with the always-friendly welcoming crowd that gathers.
Kay Bontrager-Singer
Andrew Diener learned about Cora Dale House through his work at Oaklawn Psychiatric Center. His current role there involves connecting people experiencing homelessness with housing, mental health, and substance abuse resources. In his spare time, he enjoys kayaking the local waterways.
Andrew Diener
David George has been a Clubhouse member since 2012, and a Board member since 2017. He went to Clubhouse International Colleague training in 2023. “The Clubhouse has helped me immensely with my own illness management and life recovery, so I want to contribute to the continued success and improvement of Cora Dale House.”
David George
Johnathan Gingerich
Jonathan Gingerich grew up in Goshen, Indiana. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager, he struggled with employment and social connection as a young adult. This experience led to his discovery of the Clubhouse model, and eventually to him helping to found Core Dale House. Today, Jonathan continues to be invested in the success of Cora Dale house from his home in Madison, Wisconsin where he works as a software engineer for Microsoft.
Jose Luis Gutierrez
Jose Luis Gutierrez was a founding Board Member for our Clubhouse. “When I received the invitation to be part of the first board, I saw the need for something like a Clubhouse in the community. The number of people in need of help to reincorporate their lives to the working world was amazing. I really enjoyed being a part of this project.”
Jeanne Liechty
Jeanne Liechty joined the Board in the Spring of 2023. Originally from Goshen, she lived in Massachusetts (where she first learned about Clubhouses) for a number of years. Jeanne is the Bachelor of Social Work Program Director at Goshen College and appreciates knowing the Cora Dale House through the eyes of her students, friends, and family. She enjoys gardening, reading good mysteries, and biking, running, or walking the Millrace Trail.
Angie Rosenbrock
“I am a wife, mother, and HR professional. Prior to starting my career in HR, I was an advocate for people living with mental illness. Through that work, I met and got to know many of the extraordinary people who are part of Cora Dale House. I appreciate the support and services that Cora Dale House provides to community members.”