Wellness

We support the emotional health and well-being of our Lopez community through a variety of different programs.

Connecting at the Heart

According to an 80-year study by Harvard University, “the best predictor of your mental health is your current relational health”. In other words, health and happiness go hand in hand with how connected we feel, both to ourselves and to the world around us. That is really the bedrock for all the Peer Support Wellness Programs and all LIFRC’s Programs.

Love coming to the Heart & Soul Café, so welcoming and non-judgmental. You are free to say anything, and it always stays in the group.

Heart & Soul Café is a compassionate recovery community founded on the truth that every human being is precious and worthy of love regardless of their past or present trauma, mental and emotional anguish, addictive behaviors, or past mistakes.

We welcome you Wednesdays and Fridays from 4:00-7:00PM at Grace Hall, (70 Sunset Ln.) for community connection and FREE dinner.

Heart & Soul Café is a chemical-free environment for individuals 18+

Calm and Connected

Thank you for teaching me about the chemicals in the brain.

Feeling calm isn’t something that necessarily comes naturally. It’s something we learn, something we cultivate. Calm and Connected is a toolbox of skills taught to 6th, 8th and 10th graders as a complement to the LISD Health Class curriculum. The toolkit provides mindful approaches to self-regulation, offering youth a safe space to explore and gain understanding of big feelings, as well as concepts like setting goals and boundaries for a healthy, happy life.

Community Health Workers

From left to right: Veronica Ramirez, Laura Contreras, Mariana Beecher Robles, Karina E. Cerda Aquierre, and Melissa Montalvo-Chavez

According to renowned Therapist Ester Perel, “The quality of our relationships determines the quality of our lives.” Thanks to a grant from North Sound ACH, the Joyce L. Sobel Family Resource Center obtained funding to expand their Community Health Worker (CHW) program, launching it on Lopez and Orcas Islands. Now, all three island’s resource centers will have a team of Spanish speaking Community Health Workers, known as the Promotoras.

Community Health Workers (CHWs) play a critical role in the health of their communities, linking diverse and underserved populations to health and social service systems. Based on their life experiences and roles as health influencers within their communities, CHWs work to reduce social and racial disparities in health care. CHWs can improve health outcomes and the quality of care while achieving significant cost savings.

At the core of the Promotores program is the recruitment of Latinx community members who, because they live in the community and have shared experiences, possess a deep understanding of the community’s social networks.

As trusted members of their community, Promotoras provide culturally appropriate support with the following roles:

Patient advocate
Educator
Mentor
Outreach worker
Translator