Negative body image, loss, domestic violence and abuse are just some of the many issues that can plague the body and the mind. In October, College of the Canyons will host the “Body-Mind-Wellness For a Better Life” community resource fair as the kick off event of a two-month long seminar series focused on body-mind-wellness and how to maintain it.

“The focus of this semester’s events is resiliency and how to overcome various challenges to our well being such as domestic violence, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse and other physical, mental and social health problems,” said Sheri Barke, sports and wellness dietitian at the COC Student Health Center and one of the event organizers.

The resource fair will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2 in the COC Honor Grove, located on the college’s Valencia campus. The event is open to the public and will include music, free food and a fashion show.

To help promote positive body image, the Student Nutrition and Wellness Advocates at COC (SNAC) will present the “EveryBODY is Beautiful” fashion show featuring volunteer student models on the day of the event.

The first 250 people to visit at least 10 of the fair’s resource tables will receive free food from the Kogi BBQ truck.

Attendees will also have the chance to decorate a T-shirt in the name of a victim or survivor of domestic violence to include in the college’s ongoing Clothesline Project display. Clothesline Project pins will be on sale for $10 ($5 for students) and will benefit the national Clothesline Project (CLP) program, which addresses violence against women.

The college’s Gamma Beta Phi club will also be accepting toiletries, gift cards to major grocery stores, cleaning products and new clothing to be donated to the Domestic Violence Center of Santa Clarita Valley and the Santa Clarita Child and Family Center.

In the weeks following the “Body-Mind-Wellness For a Better Life” community resource fair, the college will invite a series of guest speakers onto campus to present the ongoing lecture series below:

·      Life After Domestic Violence

Linda Davies, Executive Director, Domestic Violence Center of Santa Clarita Valley

11 a.m. to noon. Thursday, Oct. 3

Student Center, Staff Dining Room 

·      Life After Incarceration

Former Prison Inmate & Katie Coleman, COC Sociology adjunct faculty

11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8

Student Center, Staff Dining Room

·      Life After Loss

Darlene Mininni, PhD. MPH, author of “The Emotional Toolkit”

11 a.m. to noon. Wednesday, Oct. 16

Student Center, Staff Dining Room

·      Life After Drugs/Alcohol

Bob Sharits, CATC Action Family Counseling

2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24

Aliso Hall, Room 104

·      Life After Sex

Audrey Burgdorfer (RN, COC Student Health & Wellness Center) and Katie Coleman (COC Sociology adjunct faculty)

11 a.m. to 12:20 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29

Student Center, Staff Dining Room

·      Life After Eating Disorder

Chelsea Roff, Author, yoga instructor and eating disorder survivor

2:30 to 3:50 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7

Santa Clarita Performing Arts Center

·      Life After War

“Least Among Saints” movie screening and discussion with writer and director, Marty Papazian

5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 12

Hasley Hall, Room 101

·      Life After Diagnosis

Lisa DeLong (Co-Founder of Justin Time Children’s House) and Letty Baldaro (National Alliance for Mental Illness)

Noon to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21

Student Center, Staff Dining Room

The BMW lecture series is made possible thanks to grant funding provided by the California Mental Health Services Authority (CalMHSA) and the voter-approved Mental Health Act (Proposition 63).

For more information about the “Body-Mind-Wellness For a Better Life” community resource fair or the upcoming lecture series and guest speakers, visit http://www.canyons.edu/bmw or contact Sheri Barke at (661) 362-3244.