by Tatiana Tilly, Red Deer Public Library

We are Wellness champions and have been supporting healthy living in the community in a variety of ways pre-COVID and during COVID.

We started running weekly virtual Adult Yoga classes by Zoom, introduced winter Storywalks, have been facilitating a Walk / Run Club Facebook group with weekly activities posted and launched in Spring 2021 about to start a new exciting project – 4 Seasons of Wellness – with our many community partners.

We also have been making Spice it Up kits to-go since September, giving away 30-40 kits each month and a pdf file could be downloaded with just the recipes for those who don’t want the whole kit.

Here are the details:

“Spice It Up Grab and Go Kits. If you can’t travel in person, travel the world and try exotic cuisine in the comfort of your own kitchen! Each month we will have a box with a spice and a recipe that you may not have tried before. Whether you nailed it or failed it, post a picture for all to see with a #spiceitup (and tag us!) to win a fabulous prize!
March 1: Nutmeg and Cloves
April 1: Cardamom and Cumin
May 3: Paprika and Garam Masala
The program is co-sponsored by Alberta Health Services and Red Deer Public Library.”

We also have been offering virtual Health Café on various topics in partnership with primary Care Network.  These Facebook Live presentations are very popular and people can view the recorded videos later as well at the library YouTube channel.

Impacts

Program participation is quite high.

The Adult Yoga has anywhere between 15 and 25 participants each time, the Walk/Run group has grown to 70 members from 0 in one year.

Spice it Up kits are so popular that they are gone in a few days after being on the shelves.