Health Challenge
by Marilyn Flores
One of the primary goals of our Impact Resource Center and Arms of Hope partnership is use our existing ministries to springboard into deeper and more transformative relationships with families. The month of May was a great example of that and hopefully something we can also build on. We used our Health and Wellness Fair in late April to promote a 4-week Health Challenge, the purpose of which was to get to know families on a more personal level while addressing their physical and spiritual health.
All four classes were taught by Cindy, who is an RN, and the topics covered were Physical, Emotional, Spiritual and Mental Health. In addition to the health classes there was also a devotional/bible class led by an Impact member. It was so inspiring to see how devoted the ladies were to the health challenge, and how eager they were to learn how to make healthier choices when it comes to feeding their families. During the 4-week period we also helped them monitor their blood pressure, glucose, and weight. As the weeks progressed the ladies were willingly engaging in discussions! They knew that it was a judgment-free zone and that all questions were welcome during discussion time. It was just so awesome to witness some transformation happening. The ladies felt safe and comfortable asking questions about Jesus and heaven as well as discussing their physical health. They were able to see how you need both to balance life. They were also able to enjoy a free yoga class which taught them different breathing exercises that are designed to encourage relaxation and reduce stress.
Overall the Health Challenge was a success and we had a great time getting to know these amazing ladies, and were even able to make free beauty baskets from items at the Impact Resource Center for the ladies that had perfect attendance during the entire 4 weeks.
