On St. Patrick's Day, residents of Lake Lenore and visitors from across the province were taking "A Journey Toward Mental Health and Empowerment" at the Lake Lenore Community Centre. The so-titled one-day experience was hosted and sponsored by the Lake Lenore Lioness Club. The event saw around 100 participants, a number that took organizers by surprise.

Keynote speaker, Dr. Kasie Kelln of Strasbourg, approached a variety of topics including non-pharmacological approaches to mental health including cognitive behavioural therapy, gentle yoga, art therapy, and guided imagery. The event included presentations by other health professionals.

Event organizer and participant Pat Gerwing explains the purpose of the event, "It was a day to empower people and give them ideas about how to cope with mental health."

Part of the genesis of the day stemmed from Gerwing's own experience with anxiety. By listening to the advice medical practitioner, Dr. Kasie Kelln, Gerwing came to understand that the strategies she was learning would be of benefit to others. She outlines, "I contacted her and she agreed to do this day. She came up with lots of the presenters. Together with Dr. Kelln and our Lioness Club, we came up with an agenda that we thought was quite uplifting. We decided to put it out there to see if we got much, if any, response."

The response was such that the organizers actually had to change the venue. Originally slated for the Lake Lenore Curling Club Lounge, the event was moved to the much larger Community Centre to accommodate the response. 

"We were hoping from 20 to 40 people, but with our club, we had around a hundred people there," Gerwing explains.

The word 'empowerment' was a recurring theme throughout the event. With so many strategies discussed, Gerwing encapsulated the message of the day, "There's help out there, that people need to reach out and work to take control of their physical and their mental health. And that there's hope. Keep asking, keep trying and seek out help. Feel empowered; feel that you have some resources and some choices. Do the work."

The Lioness Club in Lake Lenore has been active for over thirty years, seeking need in the community and opportunities to support their residents.