Unity House

06/02/2026

Cliff is a participant in our PROSperity Program (PROS) who has openly shared his lived experience with mental health challenges and recovery.

At our Mental Health Awareness Walk in May, he reflected on the strength he found in his Unity House support system following the loss of his mother during the pandemic.

“It warms my heart to see many who view mental health without stigmatized glasses,” Cliff shared. “Those who struggle each day deserve to be nurtured and cared for — not judged for the silent wars going on in their head.”

Cliff has spoken candidly about his diagnoses, including bipolar disorder, depression, and binge eating disorder, and described some of his lowest moments:

“Every day, it hurt to breathe and to move, like my bones were made of stone,” he said. “All I could think about was not feeling the pain anymore. But thankfully, I had a tremendous support group that guided me in the right direction.”

In his spare time, Cliff enjoys working on automobiles with his father, listening to metal music, and caring for his cat, Luna.

He closed with a message of encouragement, urging others to seek meaning and connection in their own lives.

“This program gave me hope in what I thought was a bleak world,” Cliff said. “I implore you all to find something that gives you reason ... this world is a brighter place with you in it.”

Learn more about Unity House's mental health services here: https://unityhouse.org/programs-and-services/mental-health-services/

06/02/2026

To celebrate the dedication of Unity House’s most loyal supporters, we created four giving circles in 2025.

If you’re among Unity House’s most loyal supporters, you deserve to be celebrated. Members of each giving circle are invited to special events and are honored in each year’s annual report.

Read more about our giving circles by clicking below.

https://unityhouse.org/giving-circles/

Evergreen Society members provide steady support year-round through regular monthly or scheduled contributions. You can provide steady, ongoing support for people with disabilities.

To become a monthly/recurring donor, click here:
https://secure.qgiv.com/for/monthlgivfor

06/01/2026

When the kitchen sink springs a leak, who ya gonna call?

At Unity House, it’s our dedicated facilities team.

The six members of Unity House’s maintenance crew respond to calls across more than 100 locations in five counties. In 2025 alone, the team completed 2,300 work orders.

“Our maintenance team spends every day, and sometimes evenings and weekends, handling emergencies and other general needs,” said Unity House CEO Darlene Podolak. “In addition to all the good hands-on work they do, our guys enjoy interacting on the job with the people we support, and that makes a difference. They really support the mission.”

Leading the team is our director of facilities, Maurice Coit.

You can learn more about Maurice and our dedicated maintenance crew in the upcoming summer Spirit newsletter, arriving in mailboxes in mid-July.

05/28/2026

At Unity House, we’re encouraged by the inclusion of a 2.7% Targeted Inflationary Increase (TII) in the 2026–27 New York State Budget for behavioral health and community-based services.

"I am grateful to our legislative partners who have heard us and demonstrated their support and continued advocacy," CEO Darlene Podolak said. "They know who we are and the excellent support our staff provide to our neighbors and community members. This targeted inflationary increase helps our organization to meet increased costs and support better wages."

This investment recognizes the essential role these services play in supporting people with mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and disabilities to live with independence, dignity, and community connection. The increase helps address rising costs affecting providers, including workforce retention, supportive housing, transportation, and other essential services people rely on every day.

This 2.7% increase is progress, but sustained investment is essential, as it falls short of the 4% we and many providers advocated for. While this is a meaningful step forward, Unity House recognizes that continued investment is needed.

We remain committed to advocating for a system that is accessible, person-centered, and fully supportive of people with disabilities and behavioral health needs across New York State. We stand with our partners across the state in support of sustainable funding that strengthens essential services for the people and families we support.

05/28/2026

Congratulations to Mark Pesek (left) and Roishon Bowman, our two Unity House graduates from Leadership Cayuga’s Class of 2026!

As the class’s chosen speaker, Roishon shared reflections on his experiences. A day-long curriculum centered around human services was particularly impactful, he said.

“The presentation opened my eyes to how interconnected our work really is and how much stronger we are when we collaborate instead of operating in silos,” Roishon said. “It gave me a snapshot of the real challenges people in our county face every day — housing insecurity, poverty, trauma, and lack of resources — but it also highlighted the incredible work being done to meet these needs.”

He also emphasized the importance of “leaving your ego at the door” in order to foster growth, maturity, and collaboration.

“I think about the speakers who stood in front of us and shared stories that were raw, honest, and deeply human,” he said. “Those moments reminded me that leadership isn’t about titles or position. It’s about showing up, using your talent, and doing the work.”

Conducted by the Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Cayuga is a nine-month professional development program that stimulates public-minded thinking and builds a network of informed, capable leaders committed to strengthening our community. With more than 770 alumni, the program continues to make a lasting impact.

Are you a member of the ?

05/27/2026

Kelli Barker is proof that helping one person overcome addiction can improve the lives of many others.

With support from Unity House’s Supportive Apartment program, Kelli grew stronger, began rebuilding her family and got the training she needed to start a new career.

Today, as a full-time Certified Recovery Peer Advocate, she helps parents get the help they need to fight addiction.

“It feels really good,” Kelli said. “I’m able to help clients get through it because I’ve been there myself.”

Thanks to Unity House's Mental Health Housing program, Kelli has an apartment. Her kids are either in childcare or doing well in school, and Kelli is working toward a future as a Credentialed Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Counselor (CASAC) – a clinician who can provide direct care.

Kelli is one of many people the Supportive Apartments program helped in 2025, said Program Director Dorothy Radcliff.

05/25/2026

This Memorial Day, we remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice defending our country.

Land of the free — because of the brave. 🇺🇸

05/22/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us this afternoon in Auburn for our Mental Health Awareness Walk, hosted by our PROSperity Program for mental health rehabilitation (PROS).

It was an inspiring day of connection, advocacy, and community. Attendees had the opportunity to hear powerful testimonials from Martin Kasey, Cliff Bond III, and Vikki Buman, whose stories reminded us of the importance of support, resilience, and hope.

We extend special thanks to Terri and Bart Wasilenko of NAMI for their meaningful remarks, and to all the organizations who tabled and shared valuable resources, including NAMI, Nick's Ride 4 Friends, Cayuga Counseling Services, Cayuga County FAST, the Alliance for Rights and Recovery, and the League of Women Voters of the US. We are grateful to Sheriff - Brian Schenck for attending as well.

We are grateful to everyone who helped make this event a success and for continuing to support mental health awareness in our community.

To make a donation to support mental health recovery, visit unityhouse.org/donate

To learn more about the PROSperity Program, visit unityhouse.org/pros

05/22/2026

We're hiring full-time CASACs to work with our Grace House substance use rehabilitation team in Auburn! Apply today.

$58.4k–$70.1k per year ($28.08-33.71 per hour)

Shifts available:
40 hours per week. Tuesday - Saturday, 3 - 11 p.m.
40 hours per week. Sunday - Thursday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

A career with a cause At Unity House, we're dedicated to supporting people with disabilities. That's why we're dedicated to our employees. At Unity House, you'll empower people to learn, grow and thrive. In turn, Unity House will empower you with: Full-time benefits - health insurance and more for w...