How 2 Centre County organizations are teaming up to help feed kids, promote mindfulness
A new collaboration between the YMCA of Centre County and Jana Marie Foundation will tackle food insecurity and help promote wellness and mental health for local kids this summer.
The Jana Marie Foundation, which works to open minds and save lives through educational programming and community mobilization to empower young people, according to its website, has teamed up with the YMCA’s Traveling Table mobile feeding bus for a “Free to be Me Summer Tour.”
The Free to be Me Tour, which stopped in Centre Hall on Monday, encourages just that: kids to be themselves, while at the same time practicing mindfulness and getting a good lunch.
“We have seen and heard about just the increase in mental health concerns with the pandemic and everything, and so we thought now would be a great way to just get the message out there about taking care of yourself and promoting mental health and self care,” Marisa Vicere, president and founder of the Jana Marie Foundation, said.
During Monday’s event, kids participated in various activities, including playing with a parachute. While they waved it up and down, they learned breathing exercises — breathing in as the parachute went up and out as the parachute went down. At another station, kids played a version of Jenga that incorporated mindfulness, with a conversation starter or a mindful activity on each block.
While playing with drums, kids practiced “mindful rhythm” to remind them of the importance of marching to the beat of their own drum, Vicere said, all while coming together and making music.
“We just found different ways to kind of incorporate all those important messages but still keeping it really fun and upbeat,” she said.
The pandemic has been hard on everyone, but kids haven’t had the same kinds of opportunities to engage with others as they have in past years, Vicere said.
“Having spaces where community members and kids can come out together and just get that interaction, as well as learn those life skills, is really important,” she said. “It reminds them that they’re not alone and that there’s an amazing community here who’s got their backs.”
The YMCA’s Traveling Table, where kids can get a nutritious lunch, also makes an appearance at every Free to be Me event. Mel Curtis, anti-hunger program director for the YMCA of Centre County, said the mobile feeding bus is open to any child and encourages every family to take advantage of it.
“I think a lot of times people think that it’s just for kids whose families can’t afford food and stuff like that. And it’s the furthest thing from the truth. In some places we have sports teams that come out,” he said.
Pre-pandemic, Curtis said one in seven children were facing food insecurity. Now, it’s one in four.
“Centre County has a very high food insecurity rate. I think sometimes when we think about Centre County, we think about Penn State and things like that, but 30% of Penn State students are food insecure,” he said.
If parents are at home with kids this summer, Curtis said they should all take advantage of the free summer feeding program, which has sites up all across the county.
“I hear a lot that, ‘I’d rather that food go to somebody else.’ The food is prepared daily. And we know what we’re up against, we’ve been doing it since 2004. So I think that people need to take advantage of them because it’s not costing them anything. It can save them money to do other things that they may want to do and the kids have fun,” he said.
The Free to be Me Tour’s next stops are planned for the pool in Snow Shoe from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Friday and the South Hills Business School in State College from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on Monday. Dates and sites for July will be posted on the YMCA’s website.
The YMCA will distribute meals at sites in seven school districts throughout Centre and Clearfield counties through Aug. 18; those distribution times and sites can be found online.
Additionally, Centre Volunteers in Medicine will host walk-in COVID-19 vaccine clinics at some of the upcoming summer lunch program sites. Vaccines are free and available to everyone 12 and older. The Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines will be offered and medical professionals will be available on-site to answer any questions. Sites and dates can be found at https://www.ymcaofcentrecounty.org/ymca/covid-19-vaccine-clinics-centre-volunteers-in-medicine.
This story was originally published June 24, 2021 at 6:00 AM.
