Thanks to our wonderful TCYH participants and partners!

Since January, EmPoWER Somerset has delivered 5 cycles of the Take Control of Your Health (TCYH) program to 45 veterans at Community Hope and 32 seniors at the Avalon Assisted Living Centers at Bridgewater and Hillsborough. EmPoWER received funding for this program, along with our partners - the Somerset County Office on Aging & Disabilities and Jewish Family Services, through the NJ Department of Human Services.

Program participants made choices to engage in healthier, more active lifestyles and made progress toward their personal health goals by making weekly action plans and using their healthy living "toolboxes" in a comfortable, supported environment alongside their peers.

When asked how participating in TCYH has contributed to a positive lifestyle change, participants responded: 

• "Eating healthier. Exercising."
• "Made me aware of other avenues toward better health."
• "Eating healthy food doesn't taste bad at all after all."
• "I now pay attention to what it is I'm eating. I've begun working out more than ever before and see myself eating and living a healthier life."
• "I'm trying to exercise and take care of myself. Eat better and exercise more."
• "Learned to read the contents of food, i.e. saturated fats, Trans fats, etc. Eating healthy has helped with my breathing, blood pressure and how I sleep."
• "I think about making proper decisions about eating healthy food."

And congratulations to Javon, one of our veterans from Community Hope, who was spotted applying the principles learned in TCYH to her everyday life by taking a happy, healthy bike ride around the Lyons VA campus!