Community News

5 Healthy Towns’ Working Well Initiative inspired Chelsea Senior Center (CSC) to establish a well-being initiative for its team members. After launching a new wellness program this year, CSC earned a Bronze Award from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) for its holistic workplace program.  

The MDHHS Michigan Healthy Worksite Award recognizes employers who utilize Designing Healthy Environments at Work (DHEW) tools and actively invest in well-being programs designed to improve the health of their workforce.

The first step to launching CSC’s new 2024 program was to appoint team member Katie Garvey as Working Well Ambassador in addition to her role as Respite Care Coordinator for CSC. Using tools and resources provided by 5 Healthy Towns, Garvey surveyed CSC’s staff about their individual healthy habits and interests for improving overall health. This assessment guided Garvey to challenge the CSC team to a February hydration challenge to increase water intake during the workday.

With quarterly programs the goal, Garvey next focused on an opportunity for the team to eat healthy and participate in a fun physical activity together. In July, a CSC team member hosted a gathering for the staff to enjoy a potluck farm-fresh salad and to share from-scratch healthy salad dressings. The camaraderie in the kitchen was followed up by a friendly match of badminton and strolls around the flower gardens.

“I had not played badminton since I was a young kid,” said Jan Scarbrough, CSC’s Bookkeeper. Her muscle recall for the sport was spot-on. The spirited game engaged those in action and the team members cheering them on.

“Our wellness initiative is designed to encourage team members to establish new routines or take a fresh approach to create new healthy habits,” says Garvey. “We plan to continue to implement healthy, holistic activities. Our next program is mental health training in collaboration with Chelsea Hospital Community Health.”

Chelsea Senior Center is in good company with its Bronze Award recognition. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (Gold), W.K. Kellogg Foundation (Gold), Oakland County (Silver), Jackson District Library (Bronze), University of Michigan (Honorable Mention) and Food Bank of Eastern Michigan (Honorable Mention) are just a few of the many organizations that spearheaded wellness initiatives in 2024.