Rise and Shine Cafe opens in DuPage County Community Center

A new cafe at the DuPage County Community Center is letting those struggling with mental illness find self-confidence and build skills.

The Rise and Shine Cafe is staffed entirely by volunteers from the DuPage chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, including those going through the nonprofit's mental health programming.

Angela Adkins, executive director of NAMI DuPage, said underemployment and unemployment for those with severe mental illness is as high as 80 percent.

"We just want people to feel self-worth and help them along the road to recovery," she said.

The cafe, which officially opened Jan. 27 at NAMI's partnership facility with the DuPage County Health Department at 111 N. County Farm Road, serves coffee from downtown Wheaton cafe River City Roasters as well as an array of different snacks and fresh-baked cookies.

Eventually, Adkins said, the cafe will even prep its own sandwiches and other items, giving more opportunities for volunteers to develop skills, including food and safety certifications and customer service experience.

Amanda, the manager of the cafe, said the cafe has thus far been very well received both by patrons and volunteers.

"I'm so excited to help people develop their potential – I'm a big believer that everyone is a genius in their own way," she said. "This can help people find their own giftedness in their own way and meet people in their recovery. ... They can be proud of themselves at the end of the day."

Adkins said those who are involved in NAMI's job programs, including its print shop, are grateful for the opportunity to work. Many have lost jobs due to depression, bipolar disorder and other challenging mental health diagnoses, she said, and needed an opportunity to start over and work through whatever limited their employment previously.

Brian, a volunteer taking human services classes at the College of DuPage, said he appreciated the opportunity to get involved with the nonprofit and help those who also have mental illness.

"I deal with a lot of mental illness in my life, and it's rewarding to be a part of the community," he said. "There's a lot of stigma in the community that says that people with mental illness can't have a job, which makes them difficult to get. ... It's an awesome idea and a great way to get the mental health community into the workplace."

Maggie Lancaster, the volunteer coordinator at NAMI and a longtime volunteer who used the nonprofit's resources through her own struggle with mental illness, said the cafe represents a small step on the road to recovery.

"The hope is to get people to feel more confident," she said. "Sometimes that hour makes a big difference to someone."

Simply showing up for a few hours a week for shifts can represent a massive step for many, Adkins said. It represents part of the bigger picture of getting back to a fulfilling life.

"The print shop and cafe aren't about employment, they're a training ground," she said. "We at NAMI really believe you can't cure mental illness, but you can live well with it. ... You've got to get yourself up out of bed every day, face the world no matter what the side effects of the medication [are], and just achieve something."

---

Note to readers

The last names of cafe employees were omitted to protect their privacy.

---

Know more

The cafe is open from 9 a.m. to noon weekdays, with expanding hours in the future. For information, visit namidupage.org.