Head Start/Early Head Start of Fayette County Wellness Day 2022

This year on June 24^th Fayette Count Head Start /Early Head Start of Fayette County hosted our annual Wellness Day event for staff. It was held at Hutchinson Park located on Hopwood-Fairchance Rd in Brownfield Pa. from 9:30-3:30pm. The park offers a lovely outdoor area with pavilions, walking trails, and a lake. We reserved two pavilions for the anticipated 130 people that were expected to attend. The day is meant for staff to learn ways to work on self-care and supportive mental health practices throughout the work year.

This year we had two knowledgeable speakers on the subject of Staff Wellness. Our first speaker was Dr. Robert Mehalik, Assistant Professor with the Department of Health and Human Service Professions from California University of PA. He spoke about mental health and well-being. He focused on techniques to reduce stress in our daily lives. Our second speaker was Judy Siebert. Judy is a dietician for WVU Family Medicine and is a certified tobacco treatment specialist. Judy shared lessons learned from her career and journey in the field of nutrition and dietetics. She gave wonderful tips on thinking about food in a different way and stressed the importance of getting enough water daily.

The Wellness committee worked all year to create a special and relaxing day for staff, where they had time to socialize with colleagues they knew and also opportunities to meet new people. The theme of the day was Gnomes and gardens. The T-shirts sold for the day had a Gnome on it with the saying “There’s GNOME-ONE like you.” Activities included Rock painting, a Garden themed photo booth, free introduction to yoga and meditation, a relaxation area with books on wellness and nutrition, planting flowers, making your own rock garden, and a bracelet making station. Staff were able to browse and pick activities that they would enjoy. There were also games brought in by staff including frisbee, corn hole and giant connect four boards. Staff were able to relax in their camping chairs and sit in the sun or enjoy the shade at a picnic table under the pavilion. We also had several community representatives and small business owners sharing their wares and knowledge with staff.

As with last year, the Candy/Gram station was a hit. Staff were able to purchase boxes of candy for co-workers and add a personalized message to that person. Wellness committee members then delivered the candies to the staff. Each staff attending also received a goodie bag with surprise wellness items upon registration that included an emergency car kit, keychain, stress ball, and motivational ink pen. The committee also secured donations of wonderful items from the community businesses and friends to use for an auction, which is how we ended our day.

We were fortunate to have beautiful weather on the day of the event. Spirits were high and staff seemed to really relax and enjoy the outdoors. They learned valuable tips on self-care, nutrition and over-all wellness. The Wellness Committee worked diligently all year to ensure an enjoyable day for all.

We are already looking forward to starting the plans for next year’s event!