1 YEAR TO EMPOWERMENT HAS GAINED SUCH MOMENTUM, WHAT LED YOU TO DEVELOP THIS PROGRAM? In our practice we see a lot of teenage girls. And it doesn’t really matter where she comes from, what her background is, what school she goes to, or what her home life is like - teenage girls are all faced with many of the same issues. Today, everything is online. Teens have access to a lot of things that they just shouldn’t and they don’t ever get a break. Their WHAT TIPS CAN YOU RECOMMEND TO OUR READERS TO social world is 24 hours a day. I soon grew frustrated DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE? in practice feeling like I was giving good advice but it wasn’t advice that they could really follow through I really believe in mental health and physical wellness; the mind on. It’s really easy to say just don’t go online, don’t listen and body connection. One of the things that I really try to teach to those girls or stand up for yourself but many girls my clients and girls in the program is balance. You have to unplug, either can’t or they don’t know how. So that was one you have to get offline and you have to take breaks. I think it’s of main reasons why I started this program. I thought really important to set aside time for things that make you feel if I could come up with a few fun activities that make good and that are relaxing. A lot of people tend to forget how the girls feel good about themselves but also better important sleep is and taking care of your body by exercising & our community maybe they would understand eating healthy. If you’ve had a good nights sleep what I was talking about. And the and you’re well rested and have eaten, you’ll program has just exploded because these girls love it. I think they didn’t A lot of people tend probably be more effective in what you’re doing and save time on daily tasks. I do understand that realize how many different things they to forget how important it may be hard to slow down because our lives can could do and what kind of impact they become so busy. Finding a way to balance your sleep is and taking could make in their lives and in the with some down time and things that are lives of other people as teenagers. And care of your body by stress relaxing, while focusing on the positive things in really, their enthusiasm is what life may seem small but can be extremely exercising & eating sparked the program to become so beneficial to your heath. big. They are the ones with all of the healthy.” ideas; I facilitate and help make them happen.
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Our group is really neat because I try to find girls from different backgrounds; most of them don’t know each other. They are from different schools, different family make ups, some of them come from a lot, some of them come from a little and it’s nice because it doesn’t matter. The only rule for the program is to be accepting and nonjudgmental of yourself and of others. And it works because they have no reason to form cliques. They are here to do good things that make them feel good about themselves and to positively encourage one another. For more information about the 1 Year to Empowerment Program, please visit oneyeartoempowerment.org.
IN WHAT WAYS DO YOU SEE WICOMICO PUBLIC LIBRARIES EMPOWERING THE COMMUNITY TO MAINTAIN A POSITIVE LIFESTYLE? I think a lot of people in Wicomico County still don’t recognize how much you can get from our public library. It’s not just a place to check out books, there are activities for kids of all ages, teens & adults that are engaging. And the importance of reading is just monumental in a child’s life. The employees that work at Wicomico Public Libraries are all very supportive and caring people. And it is a nice, safe, friendly environment for kids and adults to go to learn and better themselves. So I think as a community it empowers us to do some of the things I was talking about in terms of keeping a healthy mind and always growing in lifelong learning but in a safe environment that our county already offers.