With the help of a million-dollar anonymous donation, The National Alliance on Mental Illness McHenry County is opening a community hub that provides free mental health assistance.

NAMI McHenry County debuted the Foglia Family Living Room and the Drop-In Center during an open house event Thursday. The doors to these new spaces, located at 338 Memorial Drive in Crystal Lake, officially open to the public Monday.

The living room model is described as “an evidence-based alternative to emergency departments for adults experiencing a mental health crisis,” according to a NAMI McHenry County news release. Instead of bright lights and long waits, people can enter a homelike atmosphere for completely free services, with no need for insurance.

“Walking into a living room feels like walking into a friend’s home,” NAMI McHenry County Executive Director Abbey Nicholas said in the release. “It feels human. People are greeted with warmth, listened to without judgment, and supported in a way that restores dignity and choice during one of the hardest moments of their lives.”

Created by the Illinois Department of Human Services, this is the first living room program space in McHenry County. There currently are 22 other living rooms in the state, including in DeKalb, Aurora and Waukegan, that are provided by a number of different organizations, according to the IDHS.

Visitors can come to the space on their own, and NAMI works with hospitals and law enforcement to recommend this new service to those who may need it.

“This has been a dream for the mental health community for a really long time,” Nicholas said.

NAMI McHenry County has 11 full-time staff members, one being a veteran through the Veterans Assistance Commission of McHenry County. The veteran support specialist will be in the living room two days per week, with plans to add additional staff support.

NAMI McHenry County, which provides services to people with mental illness and their loved ones, was able to purchase the new location last October through an anonymous $1.3 million gift.

The Foglia Family Foundation, a major contributor to McHenry County College and other area endeavors, launched the campaign with a $100,000 lead gift, and NAMI McHenry County’s new living room has been named in the family’s honor.

Right next door is the new drop-in center, which aims to combat the “loneliness epidemic,” Nicholas said. Equipped with a game and computer room, Nicholas envisions the space to be used as a way to create community, make friends and simply serve as a safe space where people can be themselves.

“Loneliness is one of the most overlooked drivers of mental health conditions,” Nicholas said in the release. “The drop-in center gives people a place to belong—whether that means sitting quietly with a book, working on a puzzle, or joining a yoga, meditation, or workforce development class.”

A calendar of activities for the drop-in center will soon be available that includes craft nights, support groups and game nights.

Nicholas said the organization welcomes any donations of video games and video game systems, DVDs, musical instruments, yoga mats, yoga blocks, meditation cushions and anything else that could benefit the space.

“We also, of course, are always taking monetary donations too,” she said.

The Living Room will, at least initially, operate from 12:30 to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. The aim is to expand hours as additional funding becomes available. Both the living room and drop-in center serve adults 18 and older. Bilingual support is available in both programs.

More information about the programs and services is available at namimch.org/support.