Elena's Light Kicks Off Its Children's Wellness Program!

We are proud to announce that Elena’s Light has kicked off the Children’s Summer Wellness Program! Thank you to all of our volunteers who got up bright and early to set up everything and ensure that the event was fun and safe! COVID care packages were prepared and distributed to the families, and everything was conducted according to health guidelines. We had doctors check temperatures and symptoms, lines to indicate social distancing, and handwashing stations to help everyone be as safe as possible while they had fun!

The Children’s Wellness Program is aimed at providing free health education and other healthcare services for the women and their families. Through brain wellness activities in both outdoor, socially-distanced and virtual environments, the program seeks to provide social and emotional enrichment for refugee families and their children. Using art, music, and physical exercise, staff members help participants learn self-awareness, emotional expression, and healthy coping strategies. The program was developed through the efforts of Fereshteh Ganjavi, Executive Director of Elena’s Light, and Dr. Tricia Ryan, Ph.D., a pediatric neuropsychologist at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare. We also want to thank Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, Yale New Haven Hospital, Junior Art and Music (JAM), as well as NeighborWorks New Haven for their all of their support, without which this program would not have been made possible.

If you would like to help contribute, consider buying a face mask from us – for every mask you purchase, we will donate a mask to a member of the community, and all proceeds go towards supporting the organization! You can also find other ways to get involved at our website!

Stay safe, and thank you again everyone!