Welcome to our new website! Please pardon our dust as we adjust.
ABOUT US
On a slow quiet street in the Nelson neighborhood of downtown Muskegon, MI, sits a small unassuming craftsman house. Unlike the many of the houses around it, and unknown to many in the community, for the last 20 years, this house has been home to hundreds of neighbors needing family and support.
This house is nothing but ordinary, it is an oasis for many in the community who struggle with mental health and/or addiction issues, who not only are looking for support but who also wish to be the support that others may need. As Judie, founder of the Lemonade Stand shared “When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, and that's where the name came from.”
Social isolation, family disownment, job loss, homelessness, hunger, addiction, and abuse all play a part in the lives of many within this community of The Stand. And that’s what often holds them together, no one else can understand the struggles of their lives, but at The Lemonade Stand, there is understanding, shared experiences, acceptance, and family.
A membership day center for people who may be struggling with mental health and/or addiction, The Lemonade Stand works on a participatory method, each member is responsible for keeping the center clean and tidy, to help do the chores, cook food, and most importantly, to look after each other. But it is much more than just a treatment center. As an independent endeavor, the Stand has no obligation to provide programs or treatments, but is instead free to simply treat its members as friends and family.
Although the majority of members are connected to the local Mental Health infrastructure where their medical and counseling needs are met, their community needs are met at the Lemonade Stand. As Judie puts it, "If you have someone to take care of, that builds your confidence, it gets you out of your head. If you're helping someone else, you're going to benefit too. That's what I want to give them, a chance to be part of a family because so many people have been abandoned by their family".
Judie Pratt founded The Stand in 1999. In early 2020, she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and chose to spend her remaining time focused on family and ensuring the future of the organization. With great care, she passed leadership to her daughter and entrusted the day-to-day operations to the dedicated Stand members. Today, The Stand continues under the thoughtful stewardship of Maribeth and Steve Clarke, who carry forward Judie’s vision with deep respect for the foundation she built. Click here to read Judie's story. For recent updates, please visit our Facebook page.
“If you're helping someone else, you're going to benefit too"