Friendship Room up and running at new Walnut Street location

MORGANTOWN — Milan Puskar Health Right’s Friendship Room is up and running in a new location after a move this past week.
Health Right Executive Director Laura Jones said the Friendship Room opened at 231 Walnut Street on April 4. The facility was formerly located at 304 Willey Street.
The Friendship Room operated on Willey for about 18 months before, as Jones explained, it simply ran out of room.
“We’d outgrown the space we moved into a year and a half ago,” Jones said. “We were to a place where 1,200 square feet just wasn’t enough any more. We’ve basically doubled our space with the move.”
Jones said the facility, which started as a mental-health drop-in center, sees between 45 and 60 guests daily — be it to stop in, visit and play some cards or other activities, or to take part in more regimented offerings, like recovery groups.
“Before we had room for one group and if you weren’t in it, you had to leave the room. Now we can have the drop-in center downstairs and groups upstairs,” Jones said, explaining that the additional space will likely result in additional services.
“We do think that we’ll be able to provide some additional service. Looking at the space, we think we’ll be able to have two or three groups going at the same time,” she said.
Friendship Room is open from 8 a.m.- 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, though those evening hours are extended if the temperature is expected to dip below 34 degrees.
Jones said Health Right is in the process of planning an open house for the new location.