FORTVILLE – Each year Hancock Health hosts a resource fair called Rise Above It, offering a place to learn about emotional health, wellness and self-care.
Organizers say this year’s event – to be held 5-8:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at Mt. Vernon High School – will be bigger than ever.
The free event includes informational sessions, vendors and several self-care stations including massage, weighted blanket demonstrations, Zumba and more. Dinner and childcare are available to those who register in advance.
This year’s Rise Above It features breakout sessions provided by the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation, through its Parent University program.
Amanda Hinkle, Local Systems Coordinator for Hancock Health, said officials from both the foundation and Hancock Health opted to combine their two programs this year.
“These two events happen close to the same time, and our goals aligned, so we decided to combine the events to make it bigger, better and reach more people,” said Hinkle.
The program’s theme is “It Starts With You – A Mindful Experience,” focusing on mental health, positive parenting and self care.
“We want people to leave knowing that support is all around them, and we want them to feel that support,” said Hinkle.
Visitors will have the chance to have a family-friendly dinner in the school cafeteria from 6-6:45 p.m., but are able to take advantage of free childcare in the library in order to attend the adults-only breakout sessions throughout the evening.
Vendors will also be on hand from 5-7 p.m. with a wealth of information to aid in mental health and wellness, provided by agencies in and around Hancock County.
Guests can also talk with Connection Center support navigators through Hancock Health to get connected with local programs and services.
Hinkle said a number of stations will be set up in the cafeteria to promote the importance of self-care.
A Relaxation Station will offer chair massages and facials provided by Hancock Wellness Center and A Focused Touch Day Spa, and a Beautification Station will offer haircuts, styling and nail painting by the New Castle Career Center and A Step Ahead Beauty Salon.
A Stress Relief and Regulation Station will allow visitors to try out different stress relieving techniques like interactive art, fidgets and weighted blankets, while a Move and Groove Station will showcase how Zumba can help relieve stress and elevate mood.
Bentley’s Buddies, a local nonprofit which uses canine companions to help children enhance reading skills, will also be on site with some four-legged friends.
Other demonstrations include Narcan training, which teaches how to recognize the signs of an opioid overdose and administer an opioid reversal drug, and a domestic violence simulation, which will enable participants to see first-hand what teens in abusive relationships experience. The simulation creates an opportunity to talk about dating violence and healthy relationships.
Parents will also have the chance to attend educational break-out sessions and hear from keynote speaker Jessie Hyde, a training specialist with Hope Alight, which works to bring hope and healing to children who have experienced adversity.
Hyde will lead a session on authoritative parenting, which focuses on holding boundaries with children while maintaining healthy connections to them. According to an event brochure, the session will equip parents with tools to build empathy in children through healthy connections to their parents while helping parents understand the importance of boundary setting to help our children grow into their healthiest, most productive selves.
Parents can also attend breakout sessions at the event, including: Navigating Today’s Technologies; Building a Strong Sense of Worth in our Children in Room; and Infusing Joy, which focuses on creating engaging and memorable school experiences.
The event will also feature two interpretive dance performances, including one by Arc of Hancock County’s adaptive ballet class.
En Point Indiana Ballet will also perform a dance called “Jekyll & Hyde,” which touches on the struggles one may experience with mental health or a substance misuse disorder, and how the illness feels like it can take over one’s life.
The Rise Above It event takes place from 5-8:30 p.m. Nov. 12 at Mt. Vernon High School, at 8112 N. 200 W. in Fortville.
Registration is required only for dinner and childcare, both of which are sponsored by the Mt. Vernon Education Foundation.
To register, visit hancockhealth.org/event/rise-above-it-2.
Schedule:
5-8:30 p.m. – Stations (cafeteria)
5-7 p.m. – Vendors (main hallway)
5:30-6 p.m. – Breakout Session 1 (classrooms)
6:00-6:45 p.m. – Dinner (cafeteria)
6:45-7:15 p.m. Breakout Session 2 (classrooms)
7:15-7:20 p.m. – Arc of Hancock County Adaptive Ballet (auditorium)
7:20-8 p.m. – Main Session (auditorium)
8:05-8:20 p.m. – En Pointe Indiana Ballet (auditorium)
