'Up and Adams' Wellness Initiative to Begin in February
ADAMS, Mass. — The town's "Up and Adams" wellness initiative, which seeks to improve health and wellness behaviors in the community, is slated to begin early next month.
The initiative will feature several events and activities intended to promote cooperative and sustainable wellness practices. On Wednesday, the Board of Health officially approved a Berkshire Health Alliance mini-grant application for the 12-week program, worth just under $3,500, in addition to funding and donations already obtained from the Barrett Foundation and other sources.
"This is hoping to build in a more sustainable stress reduction, peer connection, and then through all those things, wellness is really born," said program coordinator Erin Lenski, who explained she has reached out to several businesses and some of the largest employers in town to be involved, such as Hoosac Valley Regional School District, Adams Community Bank and Specialty Minerals.
Program events, which Lenski said will be recorded for later viewing, are meant to be cooperative, so people encourage others to get involved. Lenski said feedback from initial outreach on the initiative so far has been favorable, with more planned outreach in the weeks to come.
"They all had some really positive feedback in terms of how this wellness for employees aligns with their greater mission in their business," she said.
Selectman Howard Rosenberg said the initiative should help spread community awareness about wellness. He said this year, being the first year of the initiative, will allow them to learn and improve the program for future years.
"The people who need it the most are the most disenfranchised and the hardest to reach, actually. So our thinking is, given the budget we have, let's pilot something and then ask key questions, like how do we access people who need this but don't participate," he said. "That's a question. At this point, I don't have the answer to it. But we could use this as a way to learn more about it. And then, as this thing goes forward, now we know more about it."
When asked why the program does not have as much of a competitive focus, Lenski said this model pushes people to continue with newly learned wellness practices after the initiative is over.
"We did want it to feel more inclusive and sustainable. And not like a one-off, you win the prize now you're done," she said. "So kind of building in these strategic networks of wellness and well-being with people with whom they have encounters in that business model on a daily basis."
In other business:
- The board welcomed Elias Masse, the town's new administrative assistant, who will do the minutes and other administrative duties on behalf of the board. Department of Public Works Administrative Assistant Michelle DeRose had previously done this for the board.
Rhoads thanked DeRose for the time and effort she has given to help the board.
- The board briefly discussed its cannabis-related guidance on the town website. Rhoads said several establishments are coming into the town, and he hopes to be involved in public health outreach and any potential community impact fees.
"You have to justify it, you have to track it track it. You have to show that it is directly related to the impact," he said. "Great Barrington has done a great job, because they're putting funds into addition resources and stuff like that."
Rosenberg suggested the board canvas other boards of health for more information on what they do with community impact fees.
- Rhoads discussed potentially reviving the town's Solid Waste Advisory Committee. He said he is working to make this happen and could help with potential grants and other opportunities.
Tags: health & wellness,
