MUNISING — Mental illness has been a large topic of discussion over time, and it’s often been said that no one should have to face mental illness alone.

The Get Away Drop In Center opened in Munising back in 2000 to live out that message.

According to its website, The Get Away Drop In Center is a nonprofit corporation that has a main mission to support and serve the needs of people who are going through mental health issues. Their service area isn’t just in Munising, but the greater Alger County area.

“We pride ourselves on being a peer-run organization,” organizers wrote in an informational item. “We are a community and family focused atmosphere.”

The purpose of the center is for self help/mutual support, offering a resources/referral/information center and advocating for the civil and legal rights of people diagnosed with a mental illness. It is organized to act as a vehicle for acquiring self advocacy skills among participants and is organized to develop special projects as desired by participants, the website said.

According to the informational item, the vision of The Get Away Drop In Center is to provide an atmosphere of acceptance where individuals feel needed and grow in self-worth, dignity, and self-respect through social and recreational activities. Along with peer support, community resources and promoting self advocacy.

Program Director Christina Bowers has a perspective on what she and the staff at the center are trying to help people with.

“With a peer-run center, I, myself, may have faced some of the same things that you may be facing now,” Bowers said in the informational item. “It helps knowing that the person you are talking to has gone through some of the same things.”

The Get Away Drop In Center is located at 226 W. Superior St. in Munising, and they have a Facebook page titled, “Get Away Drop in Center”. Its phone number is 906-387-1757.

Travis Nelson can be reached at tranelso@nmu.edu.