Paradise Stronger Executive Director Aaron Singer and Jess Mercer, a trauma expert, have partnered to create the Equilibrium Wellness Center supporting community wellbeing and recovery from the Camp Fire.
drive to help their community heal, rebuild and grow after the Camp Fire. It’s that drive that led Singer to found Paradise Stronger, designed to be a hub of health, wellness and support for the Paradise community. And it’s what led Mercer to create Butte County Art on Wheels and the Balanced Brain Project in order to help fire survivors and youth process and heal from trauma with art and creative self-expression. The pair crossed paths many times over the past several years as they worked on different community events and programs. (They also serve as board members of The Gold Nugget Museum.) When they realized they had the same dream—to create a wellness center to help their fragmented community connect and heal—they formed a natural partnership.
‘Something for everybody’ What might look like just an empty back room in a Paradise shopping center to some is to Mercer and Singer a blank canvas filled with limitless potential. There will be couches and a projector so people can use the space for family movie nights or game and trivia nights. There are shelves along one wall, where they plan to set up a free book exchange and provide board games, art supplies and a spot to display locally made artwork. They already have a drum set and piano, and aim
“There’s a lot of people dealing with PTSD and emotional trauma. There’s a lot of people who need a space to decompress.” —Aaron Singer
to bring in more instruments and set up a performance space for open mic nights and poetry readings. The center will include a sensory nook as well, a trauma-informed space designed to help people cope with anxiety and shift from a survival mentality into the present moment. There is also an existing kitchen area in the room, which Singer and Mercer plan to get up and running for skills-based nutrition and cooking classes, and hope to offer to community members in need. The pair envision renting out the space for parties or team-building exercises, as well. Other offerings could include one-onone counseling and emotional well-being classes on topics like PTSD. “It’ll be something for everybody,” Mercer said. “It’s like a menu of wellness, and you just choose what you need that day.” The Butte Strong grant will fund the project for two years and cover a portion of salaries (including Mercer’s as the project manager, as well as a center intern), discounts for some members, scholarships for youth, some office renovations and items for the center—e.g., lighting, games, a ping pong table, a pool table, rugs and computers—according to David Little, NVCF executive vice president of communications. Mercer and Singer said it is their goal to create a comfortable, inclusive space that will host a variety of events and classes of all price points—some free, some paywhat-you-can and others with an admission charge. Paradise Stronger will continue to require a membership or drop in fee, but people are not required to use the gym’s services in order to access the center.
Just like home In the aftermath of the Camp Fire, most of the community was scattered and forced to relocate. The sense of separation has intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. “A series of compounded trauma has led to kind of an almost unbearable isolation,” Mercer said. “We were isolated in our campers that were already isolating.” Mercer has noticed that people are struggling to have real conversations outside of Zoom, text messages or online video games. Similarly, Singer said he’s witnessed loved ones continue to struggle with depression and PTSD. They both know people who are still living in RVs nearly NEWSLINES c o n t i n U e d
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