Palm Beach Perspective 1290 WJNO

Talked with Brittany Grimshaw Houghtlin, MS, Palm Beach County Youth Services and Oshane Lawrence, Palm Beach County Parks "Get Your Green On" about  May's Mental Health and Trauma Informed Care awareness.  Youth Services provides free therapy/counseling for children up to 22 years old.  There are multiple locations in Palm Beach County, including a residential facility. Listeners can go to pbc.gov/youthservices to get more details or sign up for therapy by clicking the purple button.   Palm Beach County Parks is promoting mental health awareness with their "Get Your Green On" campaign throughout the month of May.  Folks can download the free Goosechase app, find GYGO HUNT '24 or join code MXP5L6 and create a team or play solo. Then complete scavanger hunt missions and earn points throughout the month of May. For Hunt Help contact prevention@pbcbhc.org.  Listeners are encouraged to wear Green on the 16th to help show their support.  Then on the 18th they can go to Okeeheelee Nature Center and participate in the family wellness camp led by youth services.  For all the events/programs that are happening in the parks, listeners can go to pbcparks.com.

Talked with Andy McAusland, CEO and Jennifer Sellars, Chief Programs Officer, Mental Health America of the Palm Beaches.  MHAPB, mission is to create a supportive community where all people can flourish.  They offer programs including Clubhouses where members build skills, relationship and increase their confidence.  At Peer Place Well Being Center they offer a less structured setting  than the clubhouses. Members can drop in any time, take part in mindfulness, art, or music activities, join a group support session, or just have a coffee and talk one-on-one with one of our trained peer support mentors. Members sometimes go back and forth from Peer Place to a Clubhouse, finding what they need to flourish, when and where they need it.  And they will be adding more services in conjunction with Alpert Jewish Services.  Coming up on Saturday May 4th it's their Take Strides for Mental Health at the Mind & Body Connection 5K and Walk at Dreher Park.  There's a 5k and 3/4 mile walk.  For more info about the walk or programs, listeners can go to www.mhapalmbeaches.org or call 561-832-3755.

Talked with Barbara Abernathy, CEO, Pediatric Oncology Support Team (P.O.S.T.).  They have been providing support for families with children who are receiving cancer treatment for twenty-six years.  "POST provides counseling services, case management, financial crisis stabilization, support groups, hospital visits, educational planning, services for siblings and bereavement care."  The services are 100% free for families who have a child diagnosed with cancer. For more info listeners can call 561-882-6336 or go to POSTFL.org.  One of their big fundraisers is POST Gold Ribbon Heroes Luncheon on May 7th from 11:30am to 2pm at the Country Club at Mirasol.  This year's event is Mother's Day themed and will honor moms who have a child battling cancer.  There are auction items, wine raffle and a young ambassador who's been fighting Neuroblastoma stage IV for over 2 years. Tickets are $200 and can be purchased online.  You can also sponsor someone else's seat, volunteer to help, or make a donation at www.postfl.org.

Talked with Emilie Travis, Okeeheelee Nature Center (ONC) and Alissa Koch, Daggerwing Nature Center about upcoming Earth Day events and programs they offer.  Okeeheelee is having their Earth Day celebration on Saturday April 20th from 10am to 3pm.  They are starting the day off with several walks. 10am Guided Bird Walk, ONC & Audobon Everglades, 10:30am Guided Nature & Deer Walk, ONC & Florida Trail Association, 11am Pollinator Plant Walk, ONC & PBC Pack & Paddle, 11:3am Climate Change Impacts on Public Health by Dr. John Pipoly, Broward County Parks & FAU, 12:30pm Rehabilitated Animal Release, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary, 1pm Live Bat Chat, Shari Blissett-Clark, Bat Belfries Inc, 2pm Live Reptile Show, SF Herpetological Society and 2:30pm Raffle drawing, Friends of Okeeheelee Nature Center.  Daggerwing is hosting their EarthDay event on Saturday April 27th from 10am to 2pm.  It's free and full of fun family freindly activites.  And when listeners arrive they can see the newly installed Peace Pole right in front of the butterfly gardens.  They can also submit their suggestions for the new baby alligator name.  Then on Saturday May 4th at 10:30am they hae Florida Animals: Purple Martin Conservation presentation.  Listeners can follow both nature centers on Social Media and get info by emailing ONC@pbc.gov or Daggerwing@pbc.gov.

Talked with Lauren Jenkins, Environmental Education Coordinator and Tessa Roberts, Senior Environmental Community Outreach Coordinator, Volunteer Coordinator from Oxbow Eco Center. They are getting celebrating Earth Month and getting ready for their 20th St. Lucie Earth Day Festival.  Admission is free and they have multiple locations for parking with free shuttle service.  Music is provided by Neuvaux Honkies and there will me lots of food trucks including one run by the boys and girls club.  Listeners can come out and see over 70 vendors/exibhitors plus a silent auction. The "Be the Hamster" folks will be back with their interactive "snow cone" exhibit.  Listeners can get more info about the event at www.StLucieEarthDay.org.  To find out more about Oxbow, volunteer opportunities and programs, they can email at oxbow@stlucieco.org.

Talked with Bill Hayes, Producing Artistic Director of Palm Beach Dramaworks.  "Palm Beach Dramaworks is a professional nonprofit theatre company that engages, entertains and educates audiences with provocative and timeless productions that personally impact each individual."  Their Dramasworkshop is a lab for encouraging developing new plays and assisting playwrights to nurture their work.  They are running  Arthur Miller's Pulitzer Prize winning play, Death of a Salesman now through April 14th.  The last show for this season is Trying by Joanne McClelland Glass. Next year is their 25th season and they'll be running Neil Simon's Lost in Yonkers, The Dresser, The Humans, Camping with Henry and Tom, and Dangerous Instruments.  For more information, listeners can go to www.palmbeachdramaworks.org.