For over two years, members of the Fosston community and associates from Alluma Mental Health have been working to create the Firefly Center for Art & Wellbeing. On Tuesday, Jan. 24, Fosston got its first look at what the center could become.

“This entire process started about two years ago with a conversation…” said Firefly Center for Art & Wellbeing Board Member Heidi Danos. “We realized there was a large need for mental health services in our area.”

Firefly hopes to be a space for the community to express their artwork, while also offering a space for people to discuss their mental health. When fully operational, the center would offer a welcoming gallery space for the public to chat and admire artwork, a makerspace for artists to create art and, most importantly, mental health specialists who could offer their services to those in need.

“There’s gonna be direct access for mental health therapists that are professionals, psychiatrists for medication management, groups, individual services that might need mental health or substance use help within the community,” said Alluma Chief Executive Officer Shauna Reitmeier.

Although the center is only in its early stages, it’s already left its mark on the community.

“The reception we’ve gotten from the community is huge,” explained Danos. “From the first time I put the event out on Facebook, we got a ton of responses, we’ve had people asking about it, just a really good response from the community.”

The Firefly Center was also recently awarded with a $110,000 from the Blandin Foundation.

By — Justin Othoudt