National Health Corps Florida members retreat in St. Augustine

While our National Health Corps Florida AmeriCorps members spend majority of their term in service to others, the program also ensures our members have an enjoyable experience full of fun and long-lasting memories.

Twenty-three members gathered in historic St. Augustine to retreat on March 5, 2019. Stress is a common human sympathetic response for those in public health positions. The retreat was designed to decrease stress through teambuilding and self-care activities.

“Not everything in the public health field is threatening or full of pressure. Most of the members are going into medicine, health care or public health field for their career,” Dustin Arceneaux, program director of National Health Corps Florida said. “We’re preparing them to take breaks and not just serve, serve, serve.”

Members took a break over board games, yoga at Discovery Yoga and a scavenger hunt around St. Augustine. The scavenger hunt had several tasks such as reenact a scene for a famous movie and find someone eating healthy and commend them for their choices.

The scavenger hunt had a dual purpose as it also helped members, most who have relocated from other states to serve, learn about Northeast Florida. St. Augustine is the oldest city in Florida, and one of the most beautiful. It is a tradition to have members explore its attractiveness and authenticity.

The National Health Corps Florida program is an initiative of Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition. The mission of National Health Corps is “to foster healthy communities by delivering and connecting those who need it most with health and wellness education, benefits and services, while developing tomorrow’s compassionate health leaders.” Members become community leaders in the course of 46 weeks and 1700 hours.

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