Friendship Center
Fort Dodge, Iowa
The Friendship Center, a non-profit organization is a very welcoming space located in downtown Fort Dodge, Iowa in the lower level of the First Baptist Church, First Avenue North and North 10th Street. All are welcome to join the folks here for support, fellowship, camaraderie, learning experiences and friendship.
About Us
The Friendship Center is a place that focuses on mental health care. It’s often one of the first stops for someone found with a mental illness in Fort Dodge. But you don’t have to have a mental health diagnosis to be part of the Friendship Center or benefit from the activities
“It’s a place to share time with people, enjoy yourself and learn things.”
Sometimes that means having a cup of coffee and talking with the group. Other times it’s putting together a puzzle or playing a board game. For some, a game of pool or air hockey provides a nice opportunity for fellowship.
“It used to be you had to have a mental health diagnosis to be able to come,” Hoover said. “I believe in being proactive. If we can prevent mental health, why don’t we?”
Jeff Jasper, of Fort Dodge, has been part of the Friendship Center for about three years. It helps him feel like he’s not alone in his mental health fight. “As people come in and we are able to help them, we ourselves get help too because we can bounce ideas off of each other,” Jasper said. “Ideas that maybe I have never tried. Some of it works and some of it doesn’t. If you already know what might work for someone else, at least it’s a starting point. Throwing off ideas, you don’t feel like you’re alone out there.”
What we offer
“I walked in, someone shook my hand, asked me my name and really cared why I was there, That’s what we do here. We reach out our hand. It may not be the same road, but we’ve been down the road. We can’t do the work for you, but we will be alongside you for some of the route.”
Andrew O.
Reading, relaxation and quiet areas are available and open to all. Comfortable and inviting areas to sit and talk amongst friends, enjoy a cup of coffee or just get lost in a “favorite” novel. Free WIFI is available throughout the Friendship Center. We have a game room for board games with maybe every board game ever played! We also offer Billiards, Foosball, Air Hockey, Darts and Arts & Crafts. The area for our workshops and learning experiences is just now coming together and promises to be something else. What that turns out to be, time will tell.
Friendship Center 