Health and Hope program hopes to provide just that

By Editor | June 1, 2022 |

By Carmen Ensinger

After almost two years in isolation from COVID, there are some individuals who haven’t completely bounced back yet. A Greenfield woman has set out to try and help those individuals, plus anyone else who just wants to help improve their own social, emotional and physical well-being.
Jill Pembrook is offering a program she is calling Health and Hope each Thursday from 7-8 p.m. in the back room at Dairy Bar in Carrollton beginning June 2. It is an informal type program setting where participants will be sharing positive, encouraging stories of transformation and how one can find health and hope in their everyday life.
Pembrook said the whole thing came about almost by accident.
“I was trying to find a place to bring people together who were wanting to get healthier in their bodies and mind and in general have a sense of community again after COVID was over,” Pembrook said. “People had been separated for so long and kind of isolated, that I wanted to bring them together again so I was trying to find a place to just speak some life into people and then I read about where the Dairy Bar had this space in the back and Shaana (owner Shaana Gray) was gracious enough to say I could hold the meetings back there.”
Actually, Pembrook began these meetings several months ago, but they were in a monthly form.
“For the past few months, we have been holding them once a month, but I decided I wanted to make it more consistent and hopefully draw in a bigger crowd,” she said. “We are going to do it every week and hopefully people can come in and listen to what has worked for myself and a few others. We are certified health coaches and a big piece of what has helped me be successful is the community and just getting together with other people who also want the best for their lives.”
Pembrook said she and the other certified health coaches want to let people know what is possible and how they can help them in their nutrition and their social and emotional relationships as well.
“We have learned that when you take care of yourself, everything just kind of flows in your life,” Pembrook said. “When you feel confident, you get out of your comfort zone a little bit more and try new things. That is the goal of this program. If anyone wants to just come and be filled with positivity or if they just want to come and ask more questions about the program, we can coach them and then go from there.”
Pembrook said there is nothing formal about it and if Thursday nights are a problem, there is also a similar, even less formal gathering Tuesday morning at Copper, Stills and Mash.
“At Copper, I don’t really talk about my coaching, this gathering is specifically more for just people to gather and just socialize and talk about life and things,” she said. “Sometimes it is an hour, sometimes two. But I’m just trying to create a positive space where people can come and feel appreciated and hear some encouraging words and that type of thing.”
Prior to becoming a health coach, Pembrook was in the teaching profession for 20 years, teaching 15 of those years in the Greenfield School District.
“Last year I took early retirement and decided to pursue this because I feel like I could reach more people this way,” she said. “Plus, I love the flexibility, because I get to set my own hours. I’m just trying to bring this positive and encouraging place for people to find hope and smile and have a little bit of joy because it has been a rough last couple of years.”