Wheaton cafe to be run by volunteers recovering from mental illness

A new cafe run by people recovering from mental illness is opening Tuesday in the DuPage County Health Department's community center.

Rise and Shine Cafe is in the lobby of the new center at 115 N. County Farm Road in Wheaton. The building houses health department services and offices for the DuPage chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

NAMI volunteers who will be working behind the counter say the cafe presents them with a unique learning opportunity.

"It gives me something to be excited about, something to take pride in," said an employee named Amanda who will serve as the cafe coordinator. "It gives me a sense of accomplishment."

To start, the cafe will be open only from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays and during some evening events. Volunteer Coordinator Maggie Lancaster said the organization is starting with a small menu and taking "baby steps" with the business, which is the same way the volunteers approach their recovery.

"Dealing with the public is hard for a lot of people with mental illness," she said. "The nice thing about this, because we're not going to have lines going out the door, is it will be a nice pace for them."

Erich Goepel, co-owner of River City Roasters in downtown Wheaton, has been helping with training and providing his expertise to help develop the cafe, which will be open to the public.

"He's been absolutely amazing with getting us where we need to be," NAMI DuPage Executive Director Angela Adkins said.

Many of the volunteers, Adkins said, are bright, educated people, "but their brain got sick." The cafe will give them a chance to build up new skills and confidence that will be helpful to them in the future, even if they don't pursue work in the food industry.

The cafe was funded by a $50,000 grant from Telligen Community Initiative, which also paid for "The Living Room," an alternative to an emergency room for people in an emotional crisis.

Guests are welcome to stop in the room, located just down the hall from the cafe, between 3 and 9 p.m. any day of the week to meet with a peer specialist who has a personal experience with mental illness. The room is peaceful, with comfortable chairs, artwork and large windows looking out to a courtyard.

After talking over their concerns, guests are connected to resources to help them in their recovery. In some cases, that will include signing up to volunteer at the cafe. Adkins said about 80 percent of the mentally ill population is unemployed or underemployed.

"(The cafe) helps them understand, I have to be on time for a shift, I've got to set up, clean up, look someone in the eye, deal with difficult and nice customers," she said. "Being a part of something, having a reason to get up in the morning ... it's a big deal and it is that very first step into what we hope will be a continual recovery."