Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society renews, refreshes

Photo By Martin Egnash | Rita Fountain, director of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society aboard Marine Corps Air Station New River, spoke to NMCRS Staff and volunteers from the air station, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point gathered for the annual Personal and Professional Development Day at the Staff Noncommissioned Officers' Club, March 6. The NMCRS staff and volunteers talked about ways to combat stress and lead healthier lifestyles.  

JACKSONVILLE, NC, UNITED STATES

03.06.2013

Story by Cpl. Martin Egnash 

Marine Corps Installations East       

JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - The Marine Corps Air Station New River Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society hosted the annual Personal and Professional Development Day at the Staff Noncommissioned Officers’ Club for the NMCRS groups from New River, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune and MCAS Cherry Point.

The NMCRS Personal and Professional Development Day is designed for NMCRS staff and volunteers to get together, identify stress and find ways to live a healthier, stress-free lifestyle.

“We deal with stressful situations with Marines and Sailors every day,” said Rita Fountain, air station NMCRS director. “A lot of the time people don’t want to hear what we have to say. It’s hard telling people they aren’t spending their money wisely. When we help Marines and Sailors through financial hardships, sometimes we assume their stress.”

During the development day, the relief society staff and volunteers participated in guided discussions about stress and listened to guest speakers.

Alex Miller, Marine Corps Family Team Building trainer, was the first speaker.

“Volunteers give up so much of their time to help the greater good, that they can feel like they lose themselves,” said Miller. “It’s important that our volunteers learn to deal with their stress responsibly, not only to promote a healthier workplace, but to help them live better, more fulfilled lives.”

The next speaker was Verna Richardson, an aerobics supervisor with the air station Semper Fit program, who spoke to the audience about how lifestyle changes, nutrition and yoga can be used to improve their quality of life.

Eating healthy and exercise was a theme throughout the day. Each staff member and volunteer was given a gift basket with healthy food, recipes and books on exercises that can be done from an office or at home. The group also convened for a healthy lunch in the middle of the day.

“Having a healthy body affects your mind,” said Fountain. “Physical well-being is a big part in your emotional sense of well-being.”

To promote a stress-free atmosphere, the audience was given stress balls, and was taught different ways to handle stress.

“I think when people come in for financial help, they are probably in enough stress as is. They probably don’t want to talk to a stressed-out financial planner,” said Fountain.

• Date Taken: 03.06.2013
• Date Posted: 03.18.2013 10:26
• Story ID: 103643
• Location: JACKSONVILLE, NC, US