Special gift comes full circle

Mary Munger has advocated for people with mental illness since she was a public health nurse in the 1960's. When she made her most recent gift to "Beautiful Minds," she wanted to know how it therapeutically benefited a small but mighty group of C4MH clients.

Almost one year ago, Therapeutic Aide Cheryl Moldenhauer said this group decided to raise money for their Townsend client activity fund through the Beautiful Minds Walk at the MT Expo Park. Their goal was to raise enough money to create a themed tree for the Festival of Trees. They decorated small trees the past three years, but this year their new goal was "go big" with a full-size tree.

Last February, the group made plans for a complete log village to be arranged on the tree skirt itself. Almost everything was to be handmade by clients. They gathered pheasant feathers from a game farm, willows from the river, and even ventured to a rock quarry near Three Forks. A series of carefully constructed smaller log cabins emerged from the workshop and were each tucked deep into the branches of the tree. Handmade stockings, mittens and snowshoe ornaments adorned other parts of the tree.

The centerpiece of the village was a chapel with a handcarved soapstone cross. The larger log homes were surrounded with details like dug-out canoes, woodpiles, a smokehouse and even an outhouse. The attention to detail was so noteworthy that it even won the Governor's Award and garnered $2,300 for Montana kids living with emotional disturbances. Many clients say they remember themselves as those kids once, and they dream of a better life for them.

Mary heard about the opening of the Phoenix House the same day, and she decided then that she would bid on the tree and it should be given to the house. Southern Services Director Rick Henson personally led tours of the house that December day, and he said everyone was so focused on getting the permits in time for the opening that Christmas wasn't a thought yet.

Phoenix House residents were able to enjoy the tree in their new "home away from home." They plan on wrapping the gift to preserve it for the clients staying there this time next year.

Mary is also pleased to hear the Townsend clients are very proud of their 2011 accomplishment. They already have a theme for 2012. Stay tuned!