March 10, 2017
By Paragon News Director Paul Joseph –
One area judge’s passion of making Beckham County healthier mentally, spiritually and physically is coming together.
The plans for Associate District Judge Michelle Roper’s first annual wellness week is getting more detailed and organized by the week.
Roper says her two main goals include prevention – by becoming healthier along with community involvement. Since early February, the judge has announcing, explaining, cajoling and drumming up support for the week-long event – April 18 through 21 – that encourages community knowledge about resources available in the local community.
She says prevention means that when people feel better, happier and more energetic, they’re less likely to be involved with self-harming behaviors, like drug and alcohol abuse.
Roper wants people in the community to learn where to seek out their own treatment for physical and mental health issues. That’s done with knowledge about what resources are already available in the county.
It begins with a simple step: checking out an internet social page.
During the week, every day is set aside with a new topic of discussion. Tuesday is Mental Health. Wednesday is Spiritual Wellness. Thursday is Physical Wellness and Friday focuses on Social Wellness.
One way to get everyone involved is to provide freebies. Free items are going to be a big incentive, she hopes, even offering freebies to attend some of the classes during the week that are held at the Western Tech Center in Elk City.
One can see the passion she has for the concept that’s more than just “a week” to her. Wellness and living healthy is her lifestyle that she wants to share with the entire western Oklahoma community.
The complete official name of wellness week is “Come to the Well,” a name that came to her as the result of several personal experiences.
Wellness week targets fourth-graders through the eighth grade along with their families and making it enticing and affordable is the key.
For her, it’s a habitual lifestyle that’s been key to her life. She wants others to taste it so they can share in its benefits.
But her secondary interest to host Wellness Week is closely tied to her job, and her view from the judicial bench. She wants a better lifestyle for others, especially children, and knows living healthier will make the community a better place for everyone.
As her committee continues to meet and plan Wellness Week, she’s continuing to look for new helpers and for individuals to volunteer in all areas.
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