By EmmaLee Italia | Correspondent
Youth in Blessed Sacrament-Our Lady of the Divine Shepherd Parish, Trenton, inspired a recent health event that attracted adults from the parish community as well.
“Youth Fitness: Keeping Your Mind and Body Healthy III” was hosted April 29 in Blessed Sacrament’s Wessel Hall as a collaboration between the parish’s Health Education Committee and youth ministry. More than 50 youth and adults attended the program. The topic had been suggested by youth during a recent meeting, when they requested that the parish address mental health.
“Our actual health program includes the entire congregation, but each year for many years we’ve made a special effort to address the youth’s specific concerns,” said Doris Clark-Lewis, registered nurse and chairperson for the Health Education Committee.
Clark-Lewis, who also founded the parish Nursing Program, and is the parish nurse, has been collaborating for many years with youth ministry coordinator Tracey Walters. This is the third year they have hosted the fitness program.
The interactive experience included a presentation on mental health by Winifred Chain, director of the National Alliance of Mental Illness in southern New Jersey, followed by aerobics and a nutritious meal provided by parishioners. Participants were given information about making exercise a daily part of one’s life and how to deal with stress triggers.
“Chain spearheads the only African-American mental health support group in southern New Jersey,” Clark-Lewis said. “She also sponsors a youth group composed of individuals who have mental health concerns.”
The physical component, led by Clark-Lewis, gave participants an opportunity to exercise – which is always included in the health programs, she noted.
The health education at BS-OLDS Parish is designed to be comprehensive, and follows Mass on Sundays to encourage participation.
“Last year our focus was on nutrition and exercise,” Clark-Lewis said. “We told them this year, ‘There’s no definition of youth – everyone who wants to can come exercise!’”