Blog

Many of the women who walk into our doors are dealing with constant stress due to finances, employment, housing, and much more. These women rarely have time to spend on themselves and to make themselves a priority. Bread for the City’s Women Strong program helps women living in SE DC deal with these stresses.

On April 22nd, we held our annual Women’s Wellness Day event where women came together at R.I.S.E. Demonstration Center to learn about the importance of self-care and also have the opportunity to be pampered. The event included education on oral health and emotional trauma, drum meditation, massages, yoga, raffle prizes, and much more!

The program began with the reading of a powerful poem by Maya Angelou, “Phenomenal Woman” and the first of many raffles, with prizes including BFC t-shirts and gift cards to TJ Maxx and Regal Theatres.

Our very own Dr. Myles spoke to the women about the importance of oral health. He urged them to put their needs first, even amidst their super busy lives that involve taking care of everyone else. “Leave this earth with what you came with,” Dr. Myles advises, giving advice that goes far beyond just oral care. He urged these women to take c
harge of their own health and left them all with an oral health goodie bag.

Therapist Rebecca Helem talked to the women about emotional trauma and the importance of finding your own therapeutic practices that can help you feel better. Women opened up to share their own personal experiences, the trauma in their lives, and how they have learned to not only cope but to move past it.

A powerful drum meditation was led by Richael Faithful who invited the women to close their eyes and focus inward to be in the present.

Women’s Wellness Day ended with “Pamper Me” stations where women could practice yoga, get their nails done, receive relaxing massages, and pick out new bras. Former BFC board member, Carol Preston, collected over 700 donated bras to be given to these women! Each participant left the event in style with a crocheted flower made by BFC’s crochet class and an Athleta gift bag!

Women’s Wellness Day 2016 was a huge success! Many thanks to all those who made it happen and to the incredible women that came to celebrate themselves and each other!

For more photos from the event, check out our album on Flickr!

Bread for the City’s WomenStrong DC is proud to be a consortium member of WomenStrong International (WSI), a new network of organizations worldwide dedicated to empowering women and girls and to sharing what works. For more, and to learn what you can do as part of this effort, see www.womenstrongintl.org.