KU Hillel kicked off their weekly Wellness Wednesday programming this past week.
Each week, Wellness Wednesday is hosted at KU Hillel’s new location for three hours around lunchtime. Students are welcome to stop by for any period of time and wind down.
“Wellness Wednesday is a weekly mental break for students to take some time off and enjoy food and activities together,” said Ally Fabes, KU Hillel program director.
The program features a different theme every week. A recent theme involved fidget and sensory toys. For students needing a well-deserved break, KU Hillel provided fidget spinners, coloring books, and “pop-its” for students to enjoy during lunch.
KU Hillel has always implemented mental health and wellness programming. From its partnership with Jewish Family Services of Kansas City — which provides free therapy to Jewish college students at KU — to training the entire staff to recognize and support students in crisis, KU Hillel understands the necessity of mental health services. College is such a transitional time that it is crucial to be there for our students, Suzy Sostrin, Executive Director, said.
“Anxiety and depression are on the rise among college students, and COVID-19 is not making things any easier for them,” Sostrin said. “By creating programs that consistently connect students to wellness options, we are able to help them develop into more resilient adults.”
In prior years, KU Hillel hosted Wellness Wednesdays at McLain’s Market, but Fabes believes the new location makes it easier for students to participate in Hillel programming.
“It’s so easy for students to swing by for lunch or to work on homework,” Fabes said.
By having Wellness Wednesday on a consistent schedule, it continues to attract more students each week.
“KU Hillel is truly invested in the mental health and wellness of our students, we continue to innovate our programming to better serve our student population,” Sostrin said. “Our new location has furthered that, because students can easily stop by to tell us about their day or for us to point them to resources such as our amazing licensed therapist through JFS.”
Students have also been receptive to the location change for Wellness Wednesdays and are happy to have a space to relax during their stressful weeks of classes.
Kate Jacobs, a junior, was effusive about Wellness Wednesdays and its presence as a mid-week de-stresser.
“Wellness Wednesdays are a great opportunity to wind down in the middle of the week, especially during midterms and finals when I can go somewhere peaceful to relax for a moment,” Jacobs said.
