Ten years ago, Bill changed the trajectory of his life by joining the AIM Center Clubhouse.
He officially became part of AIM Center on March 4, 2016, and connected with AIM Housing on March 1, 2016 after moving here from Florida. Bill was first introduced to the Clubhouse model at Footprint to Success Clubhouse in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. At the time, he knew he needed a new life and a fresh start outside of South Florida.
He searched online to see if there were any Clubhouses near where his parents lived and found AIM Center. He toured in 2013, and three years later he was able to make the leap and move.
“I was super excited to get involved and was quick to start my goals,” he says. “I felt like a kid in a candy store.”
Bill came into the Clubhouse with ambition, immediately taking advantage of housing, employment, and education opportunities. Within his first year, he got a job at Food City, where he is now coming up on nine years of employment.
He bags groceries, changes trash, cleans bathrooms, brings in carts, helps guests with questions, and puts go-backs away. He takes pride in being part of the team. He was named Associate of the Month in October 2019 and September 2024, and Associate of the Year in January 2020.
After two years at AIM Center, Bill went back to school at Virginia College School of Business and Health and earned his diploma in Business Administration. In 2017, he met his now girlfriend, Susie, and they have been together ever since.
Bill has also stepped into several leadership roles. He has served on the AIM Housing Board of Directors and the IPS Advisory Board Steering Committee. He has hosted three solo narrative art exhibits at Hart Gallery and has been featured on television and in newspapers for both Hart Gallery and AIM Center. Through his advocacy work, he has met Governor Bill Lee while speaking on the Hill for mental health awareness, and he has met Bo Watson, even running into him one day at work.
Today, Bill continues to set goals and work toward them while taking time to reflect on the past ten years with gratitude.
“I’m exactly where I want to be now,” he says.
A typical day for Bill includes coming to the Clubhouse to check in with staff and members, attending unit meetings, connecting with his recovery coach, IPS specialist, and peer support specialist, and spending time in the art studio. His favorite part of the work ordered day is creating art.
Bill began making art in 2003 at Rebels Drop-In Center, and over the years it has become an entrepreneurial outlet. He shows his work around the city, participates in gallery exhibits, and regularly sells his artwork. When he is not working at Food City, Bill also stays active in his recovery community by spending time at Hart Gallery and participating in Celebrate Recovery, both of which continue to support his personal growth.
By nature, Bill has become a passionate advocate for mental health recovery.
“Once someone gets a diagnosis, life isn’t over. You just have to adapt and learn how to live your life with it,” he explains.
He believes much of the stigma around mental illness comes from people experiencing a crisis and not being able to access help.
“A lot of people without a diagnosis just pass judgment and don’t realize people with mental illness can still live productive, successful lives,” Bill says. “There are resources out there that can help. I wish more people knew about them.”
One of the most surprising things Bill has learned over the last decade is how much AIM Center has grown and evolved.
“Ten years is a long time. I’ve seen so many different eras of this place,” he reflects. “And I’ve seen the change in myself too. I’m more calm, more mellow, and happier now.”
He values connection and is not afraid to speak up when he sees opportunities for improvement. Bill sees himself as a mental health advocate and a living example of what recovery can look like.
AIM Center is a place for people living with mental illness who want to lead law-abiding, productive lives. The Clubhouse model has transformed Bill’s life, and it can transform others too. To learn more about AIM Center Clubhouse membership, click here: https://aimcenterinc.org/membership/