Wellness Initiatives Fund

The fall Self-Care Fair, offered as a joint collaboration between Wellness Housing students and the Office of Human Resources, exceeded expectations in terms of bridging students, faculty, and staff, as well as incorporating a variety of on campus departments and student organizations. The fair also exceeded turnout expectations, rising in participation from last spring by 30%, bringing together approximately 285 students and 40 faculty and staff. Throughout the course of the event, attendees shared their enthusiasm and were given an opportunity to step back from the rush of their daily lives and discuss ideas and opinions in an equal and welcoming environment, while building connections among various community members. Serving once again as a hub for education and personal reflection, multiple stations related to relaxation were offered. Some of these included a meditation station, a station on conscious eating, stress reduction, pet therapy, as well as various giveaways and raffle prizes featuring self-care items.

Katie Horwitch, a cycle instructor and founder of WANT – Woman Against Negative Talk, a platform devoted to improving the way woman treat themselves and others – was invited by one of our student-athletes to teach a workshop, combining the areas of mental and physical wellness. At this event, students participated in a 45-minute cycle class followed by an intimate workshop on self-worth, self-talk, and finding purpose. The program was an immense success, and according to the participants, extremely impactful for all those involved. One student commented that “I am truly so glad I did this; not only was it the best fitness class I have ever taken, it is exactly what I needed mentally."

In late November, two students hosted "Hoops for Health”, a program for their Leadership and Communication class as a way to demonstrate their leadership in the campus community. This event was a 3-on-3 basketball playoff bracket tournament and offered students an opportunity to destress from the end of the semester academic workload. Upon registration, students were encouraged to donate a small fee to play, with donations going to the Hope Happens Here initiative, a program on campus that works to spread awareness of mental health issues. The turnout was much greater than anticipated, with a total of 50 students participating or donating to the event and its cause.

Offered weekly throughout the Lenten season, members of Campus Ministry, along with representatives from their various student groups, invited students to join in fellowship for thoughtful conversation and warm soup. During each of the five one-hour sessions, the group reflected on several topics including intentional living, service, justice, prayer, and community.

A fun, relaxing, and inspiring event, this program addressed emotional healing through a common activity such as baking, as instructed by self-help advocate Dayna Altman. During this intimate gathering, students explored the topic of trauma, emotional distress, and the path to healing and recovery. Throughout their time together, students self-disclosed their past trauma prior to coming to Stonehill and how their peers, staff, and faculty have been a tremendous support on their road to recovery. The guest speaker shared parts of her personal story, as well as tips and guidance of how to cope using creative techniques and references to baking. There were laughs, tears, and the delicious smell of good food baked with friends new and old. Students reported that this program helped create a safe space for them to talk about mental health. One female student was quoted in her evaluation as saying “I feel like we could have sat there for hours talking.” Another student enjoyed the stress relief part of the event and was quoted as saying “Overall, I thought it was a great program. I would love if Health and Wellness did more baking/cooking classes because it was very stress relieving.”

The Offices of Intercultural Affairs and Counseling Services collaborated to offer a "Demystifying Counseling" program for students of color, aimed at acknowledging the barriers that some students may experience when it comes to accessing therapy and raising awareness of mental health resources available to them. The Counseling Services team used this time as an opportunity for students to meet face to face with a counselor and talk about typical barriers to treatment for students of color. The group also included resources for students interested in accessing therapists of color off campus. Food from a local restaurant was available, and this low key event focused on encouraging student engagement and interaction, while offering several crafts and self-care activities.

Inspired by the Happiness Lab podcast based on the work of Dr. Laurie Santos of Yale University, Happiness Week offered opportunities for students to reflect upon their wellbeing physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually so that they become more aware and resilient as a community. The week was promoted and supported by several offices on campus: Student Engagement, Health & Wellness, Athletics & Recreational Sports, Counseling Services, and Campus Ministry. Some of the week’s programs included a kindness-themed day, making blankets for donation to a local elder care facility, Playfair, bubble therapy to promote mindfulness and stress relief, guided meditation, a mindful eating presentation, and glow yoga. The week ended with a “get moving” theme, promoting the health benefits of exercise and being outdoors. Students were provided with healthy trail mix for a walk to the local sheep pasture and rock climbing.