Meet Ellen Novack and John Park: Supporters and Friends of Eli’s Place

Meet Ellen and John, supporters and friends of Eli’s Place. “Active with family, friends, and work, we have had many blessings in our lives, including wonderful children, grandchildren, friends and passions.”

Anhedonia

How did you become Friends of Eli’s Place?

We have always been admirers of our friends David and Deborah Cooper, and their lifelong commitment to community.  We know that from the tragedy of their son’s illness, will arise hope for many others.

Anhedonia

How have you been involved with Eli’s Place?

We were privileged to share their first vision of Eli’s Place over wings and beer, and we wanted to be on board immediately to support it. We realize the importance of community and how critical support is for those with mental illness, and so we give to Eli’s Place each year to ensure this dream becomes a reality.

Anhedonia

What would you like to add to the conversation about mental health? 

Mental health issues affect every family to some degree, including our own.  However, it’s often difficult to figure out how to help; David and Deborah have provided a pathway.

What does our tagline Where Recovery Grows mean to you?

Where Recovery Grows is a message of hope.  Like seeds in a garden, plants can flourish with the right care and environment. So can people.

Eli’s Place Communications Team

Our Eli’s Place blogs are developed & written by the Eli’s Place Editorial Team — a collaboration between staff and volunteers committed to raising awareness about serious mental illness in Canada. We aim to inform, inspire, and engage with readers who care about mental health and recovery. 

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Eli’s Place will be a rural, residential treatment program for young adults with serious mental illness. Learn more about our mission and our proven-effective model.

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Our newsletter and blogs offer consistent, original content designed to inform and educate. We explore mental health from diagnosis to treatment and resilience to recovery. Our outlook includes both a systems point of view and personal perspectives.

We're Hiring!

Eli’s Place is hiring an Executive Director to lead the opening and growth of our new residential treatment centre for young adults (18–35) living with serious mental illness. The centre will be based in Guelph, Ontario (with a minimum of three days per week on site at launch). The Executive Director will serve as the Chief Executive and operational leader, responsible for bringing the organization’s vision to life.

Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter and CV, addressed to Cathy Preston, by email to cathy@phcap.ca. The application deadline is February 6, 2026 at 5:00 pm ET.