Hearts-N-Hands club meets
Joyce Johnson and Barbra Freeman presented the program, “Learning About Anxiety and Depression,” to the Heart-N-Hands Extension Homemakers Club. The meeting and Decorating Small Boxes craft were held at the Pursuit Church at White Hall, according to a news release.
Johnson said anxiety is a normal reaction to stress and can be beneficial in some situations.
“When anxiety is working for us, it can help us avoid dangerous situations or react quickly when we need to protect ourselves or those around us,” according to the presentation.
“Anxiety disorders differ from normal feelings of nervousness and involve excessive fear or anxiety that may interfere with normal day-to-day functioning. Anxiety disorders are the most common of mental disorders and affect nearly 30% of adults at some point in their lives,” according to the presentation.
The disorders can cause people to try to avoid situations that trigger or worsen their symptoms.
“Symptoms may include: racing thoughts or their mind going blank; decreased concentration and/ or memory; indecisiveness; confusion; vivid dreams; unrealistic or excessive fear or worry about the past or future; irritability or impatience; anger; nervousness or feeling on edge; and having a sense of impending doom,” according to the presentation.
Johnson concluded her presentation by discussing several types of anxiety disorders.
Freeman said depression is a common but serious medical illness that negatively affects how one feels, the way that they think, and how they act.
“Depression causes feelings of sadness and/or a loss of interest in activities that you once enjoyed. Depression can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems and can decrease your ability to function at work and at home. Depression is caused by a set of complex factors that can include genetic vulnerability, an imbalance of chemi- cals in the brain called neu- rotransmitters, overwhelm- ing and/or chronic stress, and faulty mood regulators in the brain,” according to the presentation.
In conclusion, Freeman stressed the importance of listening to a depressed per- son without judgment.
Heart-N-Hands EHC President Delores Kelley thanked everyone who brought items for the Transformation Project as well as wipes for the Hope of the Delta. Nancy Rosen, special community service project chairman, said that Heart-N-Hands EHC will have a baby shower in April for the Hope of the Delta. She requested that bibs be brought to the March meet- ing.
Kelley discussed com- ing events: March 6 was to be the board meeting, followed by Leader Training at 1 p.m. After the board meeting, snack boxes were to be assembled for county judges, mayors, and first responders.
Fair judging training was to be held at the state Cooperative Extension Office on March 7. Arkansas Extension Homemakers Council Spring Workshop is to be held today at the Wyndham Hotel at North Little Rock.
The Jefferson County Extension Homemakers Council will take a fellowship tour to see “Steel Magnolias.” The play begins March 10 at the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas’ Black Box Theater.
The Home and Garden Show will be April 15 at the White Hall Community Center. (During the event, the club will be filling the red truck again with food for four food pantries.)
April 4 is Leader Training for April, May, and June, followed by the board meeting. The April Heart-N-Hands EHC Meeting has been moved to April 11. The Southeast Delta and Northeast Ouachita Rally will be held at Pursuit Church from 10 a.m. till 3 p.m. April 13.
Rosen, Walk Across Arkansas Heart-N-Hands EHC chairman, announced that the spring session will begin on March 13 and asked for participants.
After the meeting, Brenda Robinson taught a workshop on decorating small boxes.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research Programs to all eligible persons without discrimination.