At PMSA’s Mental Health Club, we welcomed Kaitlyn Macias, who is part of the HAP Foundation. She shared valuable resources on grieving and coping. She guided the students in identifying ways to support themselves and others through loss. Additionally, offering tools and sources of support for navigating difficult emotions. As part of the session, students created grief jars that were about someone they had lost. They wrote down the memories they shared with them and placed it in the grief jars.
This week’s community session was yoga, led by Daisa Key, a yoga instructor who previously led multiple yoga sessions in our community. Dasia guided the participants through a mix of stretches and grounding poses. There were also quiet moments on the mats, with calming music playing in the background. Daisa gave everyone space to pause and lie back.
Big thanks to Dasia for holding the space with so much care and being attentive to each participant.
This workshop was focused on creating meaningful memory bracelets to honor our loved ones who have passed and celebrate cherished relationships with those still in our lives. Through the art of bracelet making, we explored grief, memory, and the ways we carry connection.
This workshop was led by Yekseny Guerrero, MA, ATR-P, starting the process by asking “What does grief mean to you?” Participants shared openly - describing their own experiences and feelings. Yekseny continued by asking “Do you go through the grief stages in order?” and reminded everyone that grief is different for everyone. Before we began crafting, Yekseny invited everyone to relax in their chairs, take some breathers, and to focus on a on loss of a loved one or someone personal to them - telling them to allow themselves to feel.
It was time to make bracelets. Yekseny went through each charm/bead, as everyone chose their own. Each charm/bead represented their loved one’s favorite things and what reminded them of their loved ones. Once finished, each bracelet was tied and worn.
Thank you Yekseny for guiding with such care, and to every participant who showed up with openness.
We gathered at The Firehouse Dream for Youth Mental Health First Aid Training (MHFA) in partnership with Community Outreach at Family Service & Mental Health Center of Cicero. Designed by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, MHFA equips community members with the tools to identify, understand, and respond to signs of Mental Health and substance use challenges among Youth. Throughout the training, we explored how to recognize when a young person might be struggling and how to approach them in ways that foster trust rather than fear. We practiced listening without judgment, asking open-ended questions, and learning how to offer support that honors each person’s mental health. We talked about depression, anxiety, and trauma, the real challenges that young people in our communities face every day. We learned how to respond in moments of crisis and how to connect youth to professional help when needed. Also, learning to support others, learned self-care as self-aiders - recognizing that tending to our own wellbeing is part of how we show up for others.
We are grateful to Family Service & Mental Health Center of Cicero for their partnership, and to every participant who was a part of it, ready to learn, reflect, and support the mental well-being of the Youth.
In the Calm Room, we leaned into quiet creativity with a self-guided coloring session. The setup was simple but intentional: stacks of coloring books, vibrant colored pencils and markers, and a special set of coloring pages that read “I choose kindness.” Students were invited to settle in and go at their own pace with this coloring session. These self-guided sessions remind us that healing doesn’t always require direct guidance. Sometimes, students just need space to follow their own rhythm.
