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Seva: Stretching Beyond the Mat and Into the Community

Yoga for Every Body Starts April 1st— It's Free and it's in the Neighborhood!

Kyle Meyers, MS.MFT has partnered with a Columbus area yoga center and its teachers to bring you yoga, along with education about conflict resolution, free of charge. As you may know, yoga helps manage stress, such as anger and frustration; it improves flexibility and may contribute to weight loss and better health for your heart.

← More informaton about this program at left.

Franklinton Community Yoga Initiative

Bringing Yoga to Those in Need

The Franklinton Community Yoga Initiative was founded in December 2007 by Kyle Myers, Director of Project AIM, Robyn Adler, Marie Burson, and Laurel Hodory, MS, RYT500, to bring yoga to the residents of Franklinton, Ohio free of charge. Franklinton is also notoriously known as "the Bottoms" because of the floodplain status declared by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in 1983, after several devastating floods had repeatedly occurred. This status resulted in several decades of economic decline because of the increased cost of floodplain insurance, driving businesses and residents out of their properties and onto the streets.

Helping the People of Franklinton Grow

In conjunction with a floodwall that was completed in 2003 that has improved zoning and floodplain insurance costs, the Franklinton Community Yoga Program will partner with well-established social service organizations Lower Lights Ministries and Gladden Community House to bring Yoga and the opportunity for change to the residents of Franklinton. Yoga has been reported to decrease depression, violence, conflict, and abuse—all problems which plague many of the residents of Franklinton as documented by domestic violence arrests by Columbus Police and calls to CHOICES, a local domestic violence organization.

How You Can Help

The Franklinton Community Yoga Program needs your help! We are in need of yoga mats, blankets, straps, blocks, and a few other supplies. 100% of your donations will be used to fund the cost of the supplies for yoga classes. The yoga instructors will be donating their time freely to teaching the classes.

Lower Lights Ministries mission is to promote the development and well-being of individuals, families, and the community of Franklinton by partnering together as loving neighbors. At the heart of this mission statement rests a firm conviction that transformation in the lives of individuals, families, and the community comes through a holistic approach that considers the body, mind, and spirit. Lower Lights does have a foundation in the Christian faith and perspective, but they are willing to network with many different faith backgrounds for the benefit of the under-served populations.

Gladden Community House is a neighborhood-based settlement house serving the Franklinton community and the near west side of Columbus. Services include: Community services (emergency assistance; information and referral; community organizing and publication of The Franklinton News); Gladden Food Pantry; Senior Citizens Outreach; FCCS Family to Family Program; Youth Services (K-8th grade group services, after-school educational and recreational activities, and K-12th team sports programs); and Preschool (ages birth-5).

Columbus Coalition Against Family Violence Statistics

Startling Statistics Tell the Story
It starts with abuse and too often ends in murder. Domestic violence is a pervasive and pernicious crime. It's particularly heinous because history shows it is passed from one generation to the next.

Here are the facts in Central Ohio:
*In 2004, the Columbus Division of Police went on approximately 23,000 domestic violence calls.
*In 2004, the Columbus Division of Police made approximately 5,000 domestic violence arrests.
*In 2000, there were more than 6,000 domestic violence cases prosecuted in Franklin County.
*In 1999, more than 3,300 substantiated cases of child abuse were reported in Franklin County.
*Based on 1990 census figures, almost 100,000 women in Franklin County will experience some form of domestic violence during their lifetimes.
*CHOICES, a local domestic violence organization, receives nearly 30 calls a day on its 24-hour hotline.
*Nearly one-third of the Franklin County Municipal Court arraignment docket is spent on the crime of domestic violence.
*Child abuse is 15 times more likely to occur in families where domestic violence exists.
*80% of violent juvenile offenders and adult prisoners come from homes in which domestic violence occurred.

Sources: Columbus Division of Police, Columbus City Attorney, CHOICES eliminating domestic violence, Ohio Department of Human Services Report, Browne, Lieberman Research Inc., AMA, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Survey on Abuse of the Elderly, National Safe Workplace Initiative, Family Violence Prevention Fund, Roper Starch Worldwide, Personnel Journal (now Workforce Magazine), ABC-of-Yoga.com

Website © Laurel Hodory, 2007
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Header photos and headshot by Carmon Rinehart