The YMCA of the Sandhills hosted a screening of the film Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope and a community storytelling session at its  Saleeby Family YMCA branch earlier this month in collaboration with the Harnett County Partnership for Children, the Resilience Initiative, the Salvation Army and the Raleigh Center of Hope. 

Screening the film and hosting conversation was designed to educate community members about what Adverse Childhood Experience (ACEs) are, how they impact our physical and mental health, and what factors facilitate resilience to enable people to overcome challenges. Michael Lembo, Executive Director of the Saleeby Y, and Chealsea Sias, Director of Youth Development at the Y, participate in the Resilience Initiative in Harnett County, on behalf of the Y and partner with other local organizations working to support community members who may have ACEs.

 
Partners in the local initiative are developing a resilience packet to provide resources and connections to help people facing homelessness, substance abuse or other challenges. “We hosted the screening because we want to serve as the beacon of light, particularly for anyone in the western part of the county, who is seeking help,” Lembo said. 

At the screening, Sias also shared the Y’s new work around teen mental health and the  “Get Summer” program the Y is launching to bring more teens into the Y to provide a safe place for teens to be during the summer and receive instruction in life skills topics, participate in fitness programs designed for them and be mentored by adult volunteers and Y staff who have been trained in Youth Mental Health First Aid.