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6th Annual Women’s Wellness Conference was a success!
By Angela M. Coggs
(EMPIRE NEWS NETWORK (ENN)— On Saturday, September 8, Young Women Empowerment Foundation (YWE) hosted their sixth Annual Women’s Wellness Conference at San Bernardino Community Hospital in the Henderson Auditorium located at 1805 Western Avenue in San Bernardino from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. YWE invited family, friends, faith-based organizations, students and community supporters to their augural event that focused on emotional and physical health and wellness. It was a free event for women in the Inland Empire, although there were several men in attendance.
1. Gwen Rodgers (YWE Founder and CEO) and Eloise Gómez Reyes (California’s 47th Assembly District)
This year’s theme was Tragedies to Triumph. It refers to recovery and resiliency. When horrific things happen, how a person responds can make a difference in the rest of one’s life. During the wellness conference attendees learned how some individuals triumphed in the face of unspeakable tragedies. Another component of the event was acknowledging the importance of self-care.
The featured speakers included Spring Eatmon, Nina Torres, Tina Darling, Patricia A. Gonzales (Natural Health Educator) and Wendy Whitmore (LMFT/ Clinical Life Coach/CEO Truth Healing Evolution Counseling). The diverse group of speakers provided the perfect combination of knowledge and resiliency. They represented the most effective group of women who could deliver their message with compassion and decorum. Each speaker allowed time for questions at the end of their segments and they did not disappoint.
2. Speaker Spring Eatmon and Gwen Rodgers (YWE Founder and CEO)
Vickie Lee and Madeline Freeman performed an emotional and riveting dialogue that centered on a real-to-life situation regarding health issues and grief and loss. Lee’s performance brought many of the attendees to tears because so many resonated with her familiar story. It took the engaged audience into a deep and personal look inside a medical issue that is preventable yet so many of us ignore the warning signs.
“Their stories were so impactful. Sadly, I’ve experience both,” exclaimed one of the attendees at the conference.
It was an eventful and interactive conference. The women in attendance had the opportunity to participate in interactive demonstrations and hear life changing testimonials from other women about self-care, tragedies, and triumphs.
3. Attendee Tamika Casey and Dr. Margaret Hill, San Bernardino City Unified School District Board Member
In addition to providing useful self-care and wellness information at the conference, the attendees was also invited to get physical during the live line dance demonstrations by Heart and Soul’s Linda Gibbs. The line dance demonstrations has been a huge success for the past three years and this year was no different. Gibbs energetic personality match her energetic performance. Everyone participated in the dancing segment and enjoyed the heart pumping activity.
The event was sponsored by San Bernardino Community Hospital and Kaiser Permanente. Special acknowledgement to The San Bernardino Symphony for donating several sets of tickets to the eager audience and Crown Wigs & Beauty Supply for donating several big gift baskets filled with hair accessories and products for raffle prizes. Nebu & Co. raffled off a beautiful wig to an excited and thankful attendee. Additionally, gift cards and the beautiful centerpieces from each table were also given out as raffle prizes.
There were several vendors at the event that provided samples, information, as well as products for purchase, as the attendees visited the booths thought out the conference. The vendors included:
- Shalikah Skeete- Mindful Complexions
- Dorothy Jarmon- Artistic Flow (jewelry and clothing)
- Ipyani Lockert- Motivational Realizations/ Mama’s Tea Cakes
- County of San Bernardino Workforce and Employment
- Ceara Holloway- Riverside/San Bernardino County Indian Health, Inc.
- Staci Leak- Nebu & Co.
- Valley Star Counseling Services
- William Long – Option House San Bernardino
- Brenda Sutton- Paparazzi Jewelry/ Sutton Insurance Services
YWE serves to strengthen the character of young women of high school age in the San Bernardino City region of the Inland Empire in Southern California. Young Women’s Empowerment was founded by CEO Gwendolyn Dowdy- Rodgers. The mission of our program is to empower these young women to achieve at their highest potential, particularly in education, and to instill in them a commitment to return to their community as leaders and mentors.
The Young Women’s Empowerment Foundation (YWE) is dedicated to strengthening the self-esteem, character, integrity and capacity of young women ages 12-21 so that they may achieve their highest potential. YWE accomplishes its purpose through strategic partnerships with other organizations. YWE is guided by ethics and principles which exhibit respect for cultural diversity.
