Choices

What Choices does

Choices, A Community Social Center, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded on October 19, 1992, operating a single peer-run community social center at 320 East South St., Akron, Ohio, serving adults (18+) living with mental health challenges in Summit County. The organization provides free daily services Monday through Friday, including hot meals (12:00-12:30pm), arts and crafts workshops, karaoke and open mic events, men's and women's support groups, computer lab access, and group outings (museums, restaurants, bowling, county fairs, cruises). Membership is entirely free and requires a referral from a primary care physician, case manager, or other mental health provider; approximately 90-100% of staff are themselves mental health consumers, giving the program its distinctive lived-experience character and member-governed structure (including votes on group activities at All-Club meetings).

The organization operates on the clubhouse/peer-run model with no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is entirely in-person and human-mediated. Revenue is generated through a mix of public-sector grants (primary: County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services/ADM Board for rent, utilities, and programming; secondary: OhioMHAS and Peg's Foundation), individual donations and planned giving (including a tiered 'Friend of Choices' donor program starting at $25 annually), and corporate outing sponsorships at $500 per event covering half the cost of member trips. Outreach runs through mental health provider referrals, social media (@choicesakron), a member-curated newsletter and blog, and community events. Choices has 11-50 employees (primarily part-time activity aides, kitchen, reception, and maintenance staff alongside full-time administrative leadership) and serves 60-100 members daily. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors, has no parent company, and is not engaged in fundraising rounds or M&A activity.

Name

Choices

Legal name

Choices, A Community Social Center, Inc.

Website

https://choicesakr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Choices is a peer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit community social center in Akron, Ohio, founded in 1992, that provides free meals, activities, peer support, and outings to adults (18+) living with mental health challenges in Summit County, funded primarily by the County of Summit ADM Board.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government grants and appropriations: Primary funding from the County of Summit Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADM) Board, which provides annual operational grants covering rent, utilities, and programming. Additional grant support from Ohio Mental Health & Addiction Services (OhioMHAS).
2. Individual donations and bequests: Generous individual donations, bequeathments, and planned giving arrangements from supporters. A 'Friends of Choices' donor program at $25+ designation encourages recurring individual giving.
3. Corporate and organizational sponsorships: Business sponsorships of member outings at $500 per outing (covering half the trip cost for all members). Outing sponsorship is marketed to local businesses and organizations as a giving opportunity.
4. Foundation grants: Grant support from Peg's Foundation, a private philanthropy focused on mental health in Ohio, supporting programming and operational expenses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Choices is a peer-run community social center that provides free support services and social programming for adults living with mental health challenges in Summit County, Ohio. Founded in 1992 and operating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the organization offers meals, creative expression activities, group outings, and peer support in a welcoming drop-in environment with no membership fees.

Product overview

Choices is a peer-run nonprofit community social center offering a unified set of services for adults recovering from mental health challenges in Summit County, Ohio. The organization provides member meals, creative expression programs (arts, crafts, karaoke, open mic), group outings, peer support groups, and community activities (games, computer access). Services are delivered through its volunteer-driven, consumer-operated model where 90-100% of staff are mental health consumers themselves. Membership is free with a referral from a mental health provider.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Peer Support Community Center Membership
• Daily Community Meals Program
• Creative Expression Activities
• Group Outings and Community Activities

Quantifiable outcome

• Currently 90% of Choices staff are members themselves, demonstrating the organization's commitment to peer-run principles and lived-experience employment.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered founding and minor.

• Mental Health America (formerly Mental Health Association of Summit County)foundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992The founding organization that established the original three goals for Choices in 1992: socialization, self-esteem building, and job skill development. Originally called the Mental Health Association of Summit County, it set the foundation for Choices as a consumer-operated social center.
• NAMI of Summit CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Alliance on Mental Illness affiliate in Summit County, listed among funders and supporters of Choices. Collaboration supports shared mission of mental health advocacy and support.
• Stark State College (OTA Program)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOccupational Therapy Assistant students from Stark State College assist Choices members by encouraging participation in daily activities that enhance overall health. Students conduct 8-week rotations at the center, bringing structured activities like birdhouse painting and group sessions.
• Portage PathminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorA mental health recovery services provider whose therapists refer clients to Choices for membership. Example: member Dale Marcum was referred to Choices through Portage Path's recovery services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness): The largest U.S. grassroots mental-health organization, operating peer-led support groups, education and advocacy. Choices' local affiliate (NAMI of Summit County) is already a partner; NAMI's broader peer-support and family-education mission is thematically adjacent.
• National Council for Mental Wellbeing: Trade association representing 3,000+ mental-health and addiction treatment organizations, including community mental-health centers, peer-run programs and county-contracted providers. Provides the policy and funding-environment context Choices operates within.
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): Peer-led national organization supporting people living with mood disorders through support groups, education and peer specialist training. Overlaps with Choices' peer-support value proposition for a related but distinct population segment.
• Mental Health America: National community-based mental-health nonprofit founded in 1909 that operates screening, peer support, public education and advocacy. Choices was founded in 1992 by the local Mental Health Association (now Mental Health America) affiliate, making them a legacy institutional peer.
• Clubhouse International: The international accrediting body for the psychosocial clubhouse model, of which Choices' model is a derivative. Provides training, research and a network of 300+ accredited clubhouses that Choices benchmarks against and could formally join.

Direct peers

• People Inc. Western New York provider delivering mental-health, behavioral-health and clubhouse-style day programs alongside housing and employment supports. Closely parallels Choices' combination of community-based psychosocial support and peer engagement.
• Fountain House: The original and most recognized psychosocial clubhouse serving adults with mental health conditions in New York City. Operates a member-driven, work-ordered day program with meals, social enterprises and community engagement — directly comparable to Choices' peer-run social center model.
• Thresholds: One of the largest community mental-health providers in Illinois, operating clubhouse programs, supported employment and residential services for adults with mental health and substance-use conditions. Comparable in mission and clubhouse methodology to Choices.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/choicesakron
• Instagraminstagram.com/choicesakron
• Xx.com/choicesakron

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Choices