March 25
Greeting attendees were l-r, Dr. Andrea Gayle-Bennett, NSCC Trustee and Deputy Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans' Services and Nicole McClain, Lynn City Councilor-at-Large and Chair of the Veterans Committee for the City of Lynn, who were both instrumental in organizing this event. Both are Veterans - Gayle-Bennet is a retired Brigadier General and McClain served time deployed in Iraq from 2004 to 2008 while simultaneously earning her bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education. Photo| Sheldon Jacobsohn
North Shore Community College (NSCC) was proud to host the Mind, Body, Service Wellness
Workshop for Women Veterans at NSCC’s Lynn Campus on March 22. The event was sponsored
by the VA, the Executive Office of Veteran Services, the Massachusetts Women Veterans
Network, the North Shore Juneteenth Association, and the Lynn-Swampscott Veterans
Service Office.
Women veterans had the opportunity to experience holistic wellness activities and
access vital resources tailored to support women veterans.
The workshops included: Chair Massage & Yoga; Spanish Dance & Zumba; Health & Wellness Demonstrations; Veteran & Family Support Resources; Medical Van Services; VA ID & VA Enrollment.
There was also a Kid Zone along with giveaways, food, and a Spanish translator to assist attendees and their families.
Also in attendance, l-r, were Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson, NSCC Deputy Chief of Police Kevin Marshall, NSCC Events Manager Deb Santoro.
Facilitating the event was NSCC Trustee Dr. Andrea Gayle-Bennett, who serves as the Deputy Secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans' Services (EOVS) in MA. Gayle-Bennett had a distinguished, 35+ year career with the MA Army National Guard that culminated with her retiring with the rank of 0-7 Brigadier General, giving her in-depth knowledge of and experience with the challenges and issues facing women veterans.
“This event was about supporting our women veterans in every aspect—mind, body, and service,” said Gayle-Bennett. “At the Executive Office of Veteran Services, we want to provide them with the tools, resources, and community they have earned.”