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Healing up with Rise to Resilience
Did You Know?
The first study of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente from 1995 to 1997. The study found that exposure to ACEs was linked to a higher likelihood of negative health and behavioral outcomes later in life, such as heart disease, diabetes, and premature death.
events
March 26: Career Horizons:
- T-Shirt Tie-Dying
March 29: Pathways to Financial Power:
- Interview Like a Boss
March 31: Financial Fitness:
- Tax Workshop
The Journey of Becoming
Traumatic experiences are sometimes difficult to heal or even identify – that is why Just in Time created the Rise to Resilience service. On Saturday, March 19th, we hosted our third annual Rise to Resilience retreat led by Rise to Resilience Coordinator, Krystal Monroe. This year’s retreat, titled “The Journey of Becoming” focused on providing a space for health, wellness, and healing by having a one-day self-care retreat where we as individuals and as a community could pause, reflect, restore, and rejuvenate.
The retreat opened with an overview of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) led by Clinical Psychologist, Dr. Zemed Berhe. She explained how toxic stress experienced throughout one’s childhood could lead to adverse health outcomes and what we can do to mitigate them. Holistic Health Coach, Author, and JIT Participant, Angela Quida-Banks, followed up with a passionate and inspirational spoken word titled “The Echoes of Our Past.” Angela helped frame the day by reminding us that we have the power “To feel alive and not just survive, to take the chance to finally set the tone.”
Our goal for this year’s retreat was to share and practice different “healing rituals” that reduce the effects of ACES. We had four healing sessions where participants had the opportunity to explore and practice throughout the event. “My highlight of the day was seeing everyone get together… and that they dedicated time to self-care. I heard from many that the yoga healing session was their favorite,” shared Krystal.
We want to send a huge thank you to our volunteers who facilitated the healing breakouts:
Mindfulness – Marcia , (OUR Arts nonprofit, Founder) Elle (Yoga and Mindfulness Instructor), Lawrence and Erin (Wellness Interns) helped us stay in the moment and grounded by painting/planting our succulent vases.
Nourishment – DeRahn (Personal Trainer and Nutritionist) and Claire (Director, Health Education Nonprofit) reminded us of the importance of our relationship with food as we built our trail mix.
Holistic Body Movement – Edoho and Christina (Yoga Instructors) led a beginner-friendly yoga session centered around the importance of body movement for a healthier body and mind.
Sleep and Rest – Joel (Buddhism Scholar), Tanya (Program Coordinator, Community Health Clinic), Noelle (MFT and Alternative Healing Arts Practitioner) guided a group discussion on sleep hygiene and shared tips on healthy sleep habits.
During lunch, JIT Chief Empowerment Officer Don Wells and JIT Co-Founder Diane Cox led a talk on Healthy Relationships and how we are all capable of identifying the key “red flags” in a toxic relationship and that it’s up to each of us to move away from unhealthy relationships. They also shared the importance of healthy communication and what having someone’s best interest in mind looks like. They ended their interactive discussion with a swing dance- A reminder that play is a key component to a happy life.
The entire day was filled with calm and healing energy. Samantha, one of our participants, shared, “I love the community I have here at JIT. This week was very mentally hard for me, and this was so grounding.” Just in Time for Foster Youth aims to create meaningful events where we can connect with each other, be a part of a community, and go deeper in our self-exploration. And this retreat did just that. Thanks to all the volunteers and community members who helped bring healing to our Rise to Resilience retreat!