Members hear who they helped and are encouraged to ‘take time to breathe’
By BARBARA BARBIERI
It was the 11th year for LiGHT to present their “Lighten Up!” gathering, this year at Lighted Gardens, as they were told about the programs they had helped fund in 2022 and were encouraged to take time to breathe by their guest speaker Brenda Jank.
LiGHT board member Kim Gentis welcomed everyone to the event and announced that currently LiGHT has 258 members who have donated a minimum of $25 to become a member for the year. Wells County Foundation Director Tammy Slater introduced representatives from each of the organizations who had received grants from the group.
During 2022 the grants had gone to the following organizations who assist women and children in Wells County:
• Adams Wells Crisis Center: to assist with clients’ needs.
• Camp Watcha Wanna Do: to assist with camperships.
• Community Care of Northeast Indiana: to assist with the Fresh Start program and rent and utility assistance.
• Grace & Mercy Transitional Housing: to replace heating and cooling units at their facility.
• Community Harvest Food Bank: to purchase food for the county’s Kids Backback/TeenPak program.
• Helping Hands Pregnancy Resource Center: for the Parenting in Progress program.
• Park Community Church: for the Foodfight program that pays for school lunches for students in need.
Slater then introduced speaker Jank, the CEO of Run Hard, Rest Well, who encouraged all to take time to breath in and out slowly to bring them to “restorative wellness.”
A hand out sheet gave encouraging hints of how to replenish energy when one is tired. Her “Take Home Plan” explained that “Minutes make a difference” and that all should take time to breathe, smile, eat more dark chocolate, sing and hum and give long hugs.
To encourage all of the ladies to take time to slowly breath and smell the flowers all were presented a stem of flowers and a small candle to remind them to do so.
Those attending also were reminded that more information was available www.runhardrestwell.org
barb@news-banner.com
