The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1472537
The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, July 6, 2022 B-3 AREA HAPPENINGS Celebrate Recover y – Will meet ever y Monday at 6 p.m. at the River of Life Church, 342 E. CR 300 N., Peters- burg. For more information, contact Pastor Jim at 812- 354-8800. Pike County Histor y Center – Will meet the fourth Monday of each month at the Histor y Center, 1104 Main Street, Petersburg at 6:30 p.m. New members welcome. Histor y Center hours Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. until further notice. DAR – Local chapter of the Daughters of the Ameri- can Revolution meet the second Monday of each month September through June at 6 p.m. at the Histor y Center in Petersburg. Free Clothing Bank, CLOSED – Oak Grove Cloth- ing Bank in Oakland City is now closed. No other free clothing bank location available in Oakland City. Winslow Alcoholics Anonymous – will meet ever y Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. Call 812-789-8535 for location of the meeting. Odd Fellows IOOF Pacific Lodge #175 meeting – the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. All area members are encouraged to attend. Otwell Ruritan – will have its monthly meetings the second Monday of each month at 7 p.m. Pike Lodge #121 F&AM regular stated meeting – the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. All area Masons are invited to attend. Jefferson Township Community Center of Otwell – will have its monthly meetings the first Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. All members are urged to attend. Perinatal Loss Support – Expectant parents who suddenly lose their child often experience a wide range of emotions and grief. Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center offers support to assist those who have ex- perienced the loss of a child (conception to one month of age) through the grieving process. For more information about Perinatal Loss Support, contact Theresa O'Br yan, Pastoral Care, at 812-996-0219 or tobr yan@mhhcc.org. Stendal Community Create and Craft Night – The first Tuesday of each month, anytime between 6-9 p.m., at St. Peters Lutheran Church fellowship hall. Bring a craft, sewing, yarn or unfinished projects. Create and finish projects, and learn new ones while having fun. For more information, call Sherr y Meyer at 812-457-9842. Grief Support Series – The death of a loved one, a child leaving home, over whelming changes in one's per- sonal life – each can cause profound grief and suffering. To offer reassurance and comfort, Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center has developed a free support pro- gram called "Grief Support Series." Call for the next five- week program. Programs will be at 6:30 p.m. in Memorial Hospital and Health Care Centers Chapel. This program is free and space is limited. Pre-registration is necessar y, call 812-996-0219. Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Caregiver Support Group – Memorial Hospital's Caring Hands Senior Ser vices sponsors an Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Caregiver Support Group. Meeting dates have changed to the first Tuesday of ever y month, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in the Medical Arts Conference Center, located in the lower level of the Medical Arts Building at 721 W. 13th St. in Jasper. For more information, visit Memorial Hospi- tal's website at www.mhhcc.org and click on "Classes and Events." If you would like more information on dementia and being a caregiver, call 812-996-0218. Pre-registration is not necessar y. Living with COPD – If you or if someone you care for is living with COPD, join us for an educational meeting on the second Tuesday of each month, from noon-1:30 p.m. in the Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center Mar y Potter Meeting Room, located inside the hospital at 800 W 9th St., Jasper, IN. For more information, visit Memorial Hospital's website atwww.mhhcc.org and click on "Classes and Events," or call 812-996-5232 or 812-996- 1528. Pre-registration is not necessar y, and there is no cost to attend. Memorial Hospital Offering Stroke Sur vivor and Caregiver Support Group – The support group will be held on the fourth Tuesday of each month, from 1-3 p.m. in the Medical Arts Building Conference Center located at 721 W. 13th Street in Jasper. The support group will be held monthly. Pre-registration is not required to attend. For more information about the Stroke Sur vivor and Caregiver Support Group, please call Mar y Jo Eaton Cal- houn, BSN, RN, Telemedicine Ser vices, at 812-996-6364, or Brandie Beck, RN, Neuroscience Nurse Coordinator, at 812-996-5912 or. You can also e-mail questions or com- ments to strokesupport@mhhcc.org. Petersburg Senior Citizen Will be Offering Senior a Lunch Menu – Petersburg Senior Citizen will be of- fering seniors lunch on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to ? At the Petersburg court house basement, 801 Main Street. Otwell Community Librar y – Summer reading pro- gram is on Tuesday at 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. There will be stories, crafts, games and activities. Terri Whitehead and Deb Troutman will be in charge. Medicare 101 presentation – There will be a free in- formation Medicare event on July 7 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. at the Pike County Librar y, located at 1008 E. Maple St., Pe- tersburg. For more information, contact Kelly Williams, 812-204-2975. Benefits of outdoor play By Jenna Kruse Youth First, Inc. It's no secret that there has been a great shift in the types of activities that children prefer. According to the Child Mind Institute, the average American child spends 4 to 7 minutes a day in unstr uctured play outside, while spending more than 7 hours a day in front of a screen. These numbers are concerning and are directly correlated to the increase of mental health concerns in young students. There are many benefits of outdoor, unstr uctured play for children. Unstr uc- tured time outside is said to reduce stress and is impor tant to foster skills such as creativity, respon- sibility, and confidence. Outdoor play also improves physical health and overall mood. Here are several other benefits to sending your children outside for playtime. 1) Playing outside pro- motes creativity. When chil- dren par ticipate in unstr uc- tured play outside, they are challenged to create their own activities, use their surrounding resources, and interact socially with those around them. 2) Children learn how to care for the living things in their environment. Responsibility is taught in this environment because children quickly learn that, in nature, living things do not sur vive if they are not tended to. 3) Making choices helps children build confidence. Children have the power to make decisions about what activities they want to play and where. 4) Playing outside re- duces stress. Children who play outside can take a break from stressors such as homework, social media, technology, etc. 5) Another benefit of outdoor play is a dose of Vitamin D. Vitamin D is im- por tant for bone and muscle health and is absorbed from sun exposure. It is impor tant for children to spend time in the sun, as this vitamin is not as easily absorbed in large quantities through food. 6) Children thrive in open spaces. Outdoor play pro- motes better physical health due to the large space for children to move, play, and explore. When children play inside, they are often more restricted. Several sources suggest children need at least one hour of physical exercise a day. To create the right environment for out- door learning, it is impor tant to eliminate harmful tools or hazards such as chemicals. It is impor tant to listen to your child's feedback and interests, plan outdoor time into your busy daily sched- ule, and reduce barriers for outdoor play time. You can par ticipate in several dif ferent outdoor activities with your child. Finding a local park with a playground, taking a walk, throwing a Frisbee, swim- ming at the local pool, or tak- ing a hike are all great family activities. It is impor tant to note that students are more willing to play and spend time outside if they have positive role models showing them the way. Outdoor play has many great benefits. How can you begin to reduce screen time and increase unstr uc- tured outdoor play for your child? Jenna Kruse, LCSW, is the Youth First Social Worker for Holy Rosar y Catholic School in Vanderburgh County. Youth First, Inc., a nonprof- it dedicated to strengthening youth and families. 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