Safe Harbor Coronado provided the Coronado community with tools to support and strengthen mental health and wellness at their second annual ‘Catch the Wellness Wave’ Mental Health & Wellness Fair held at the John D. Spreckels Center Thursday, May 22.
Danielle Maske, Executive Director of Safe Harbor Coronado, explained why they chose a new venue. “We chose to move the event to the Spreckels Center because it offers a warm, welcoming, and centrally located space that beautifully aligns with Safe Harbor’s community-centered mission. Its accessibility and proximity to local schools and the library made it easier for a diverse range of attendees to participate. The layout also encouraged meaningful interaction across generations; between breakout session presenters, resource table hosts, and community partners, creating an intimate and engaging environment for authentic connection.”
With that new location came a significant increase in attendees. Maske went on to say, “Safe Harbor Coronado is proud to support the well-being of those who live, work, and go to school in our community. We believe in the power of prevention, connection, and compassion. Through school-based programs, community events, and mental health counseling, we help families and individuals strengthen resilience and navigate life’s challenges — together.”
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Safe Harbor Coronado demonstrated its commitment to helping the community thrive, from the youngest of children to its seniors, by raising awareness, offering services and support, and connecting the community with a wide variety of wellness partners. From aromatherapy and nutrition services to lawn bowling and self defense classes, the offerings were varied and valuable.
Safe Harbor shared their four key goals for this event and built a program to meet these goals. Their primary goal was to “Help our community to be stronger, healthier, and prepared to better access a multitude of ways to feel their best.” With breakout presentations on healthy eating, demonstrations in self defense and Qi Gong and a presentation by Jean Pierre Marques on “Power of the Mind to Change your Life,” patrons had many opportunities to add tools to their toolkit.
Safe Harbor’s second goal to “Share resources, strategies, classes, and information that helps improve mental and physical health,” was achieved through heir breakout sessions and special exhibits from from their community partners. With presentations on how to help with anxiety and “Lavender: The Power of a Cup of Tea” along with exhibits including mindfulness activities and art therapy, the event provided patrons with information they could bring home and build upon if needed. Coronado Sharp Hospital, one of this year’s sponsors, had multiple tables providing information on their wellness offerings and support tools as well.
Safe Harbor wants this event to “Provide a springboard to help improve mental health through awareness, prevention, and intervention in May and beyond.” A three-hour event can provide information and tools but Safe Harbor hopes the community will continue to use these resources to become more resilient, healthier and stronger throughout the year.
Safe Harbor’s final goal was to “Encourage the community to connect and come together around all aspects of health which directly impacts mental health.” They partnered with many local businesses, health and wellness centers and schools for this event and successfully achieved their goal of offering community connection, support and health services.
Safe Harbor offers events throughout the year to support the community. They also offer an internship program to the high school in which 22 students participated this year.
When asked if this year’s event met their expectations Maske said, “We were so excited to see such a wonderful turnout and so many smiling faces! It was especially heartwarming to welcome students from CoSA Dance and Visual Arts—partners from our fall Unravel event—who engaged fully with the day’s offerings. Their presence, along with our interns added energy and enthusiasm.” Maske went on to say, “Seeing these emotionally intelligent young people participate was inspiring. Whether learning about Lavender tea, petting Cooper the Therapy dog or creating with Lego dots, they were practicing their calming oasis techniques. Further, this was the first time we had a Title Sponsor for this event, the Coronado Community Foundation. Their generous support helped us elevate and expand our mental health offerings, allowing us to create a more impactful experience for attendees of all ages.”
Safe Harbor Coronado said this event would not have been possible without the support of their sponsors and partners including the Title Sponsor, the Coronado Community Foundation, and their partners SHARP, The Coronado Eagle and Journal, Coronado Unified School District, The Coronado Public Library, and the City of Coronado. For more information about Safe Harbor Coronado Visit their website.
