PI organizations join forces
to begin pilot wellness effort
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A collaborative of County organizations has come together to offer a series of monthly public presentations focusing on various aspects of wellness.
The LiveWell Aroostook: Presque Isle Community Wellness Pilot Project was formed by several non-profit, educational, healthcare and municipal entities in the greater Presque Isle area.
Using eight recognized “Pillars of Wellness,” and adding a ninth for physical activity and nutrition, the partners are working to develop a series of free interactive community sessions on each topic, to be held monthly at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, Northern Maine Community College and The Aroostook Medical Center, beginning this month and running through May.
Project coordinators have created a calendar matching each of the coming nine months with one of the wellness pillars. Experts on each topic will present at each location at different times to reach as many community members as possible.
September’s focus will be nutrition. “Your Stomach is Not a ‘Waist’ Basket!” will be led by Dawn Roberts, Healthy Aroostook’s community education specialist, and Colette Thompson, Healthy Aroostook’s 5 2 1 0 Let’s Go! program coordinator.
“That old saying is true: ‘You are what you eat’,” said Roberts. “You need to fuel your body with good food and not trash. Many people have nutrition advice and not all of it is real life and/or user friendly. And some extreme diet and nutrition tips, though they may produce results, are not a healthy lifestyle change.”
The sessions will be presented on Tuesdays as follows: Sept. 15, 2015 at 7 a.m. at UMPI’s Gentile Hall and Sept. 22 at 6 p.m. in the conference center at TAMC.
The October presentations will focus on social wellness, specifically healthy relationships and bullying. These will be co-presented by staff members with Hope and Justice Project and The Northern Lighthouse.
These sessions, also on Tuesdays, are planned Oct. 14 at 12:00 noon at the Smith Wellness Center at NMCC; Oct. 20 at 7 a.m. at UMPI’s Gentile Hals; and Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. in TAMC’s conference center.
Other topics will be:November, intellectual wellness; December, spiritual wellness; January, physical wellness; February, environmental wellness; March, financial wellness; April, occupational wellness; and May, emotional wellness.
The LiveWell Aroostook: Presque Isle Community Wellness Pilot Project is a partnership of the TAMC Total Health Team, UMPI, NMCC, the Aroostook County Action Program, Healthy Aroostook, City of Presque Isle, Presque Isle Downtown Revitalization Committee, AMHC, Hope and Justice Project, The Northern Lighthouse, and Wintergreen Arts Center.
Partners plan to assess the pilot and, if successful, the program may expand to other areas involving additional collaborators.
For more information, call 768-4044.
