When Amberley Village joined WeTHRIVE!℠ in 2011, their WeTHRIVE! team focused on promoting healthy eating and physical activity. Early projects included the Amberley Green Community Garden, a new French Park trailhead, and new parcourse equipment.
With adoption of WeTHRIVE!’s environmental health pathway in 2015, Amberley’s WeTHRIVE! efforts began focusing more on activities led by Amberley’s Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC), including the annual One Stop Drop recycling event, Arbor Day and Earth Day events, and Clean the Green.
Last year, with the help of Amberley resident Carole Donnellon, WeTHRIVE! in Amberley expanded to develop and promote health and wellness related activities for residents, in addition to their successful environmental initiatives.
WeTHRIVE! in Amberley started by bringing together interested residents and forming a partnership with the Mayerson Jewish Community Center (JCC). Last summer, WeTHRIVE! in Amberley and the JCC offered free outdoor yoga classes at Amberley Green. About 50 people participated and the response was positive. “People said how it was so nice to be out there in the sunshine, in the nice weather, and coming together as a community,” Carole said.
WeTHRIVE! in Amberley continues to look for opportunities to bring together environmental efforts with health and wellness initiatives. “A lot of what we’re doing is trying to build on what’s already here in Amberley,” Carole explained. “We’re trying to identify what is already going on, then figuring out how we can partner and how can we all work together.”
One example is how WeTHRIVE! in Amberley is hoping to promote physical activity during the Clean the Green event. “We’re looking at billing that as a community-building, family type of thing to do that’s also a healthy activity,” Carole said. “It’s an event that gets people moving, so it’s good for wellness and the environment.”
In addition to hosting events, another goal is to increase messaging and raise awareness of opportunities for residents and surrounding communities.
Carole has a master’s degree in health promotion and education and she says this gives her a unique perspective as a member of the WeTHRIVE! team. “I’ve lived in Amberley for ten years. It’s a great community. I’m really looking forward to building resident involvement and figuring out how to create a culture of health in Amberley.”
To get involved or learn more about WeTHRIVE! in Amberley Village, click here.
Photo at top: left to right, Cristie Iwasko (Hamilton County Public Health), Merrie Stillpass (former Amberley mayor), Jim Rulli (Amberley resident), Justin Ragsdale (JCC), Carole Donnellon (Amberley resident).