Woman at the Well to be presented April 27

A local community activist is hosting a workshop for women called Woman at the Well from 9 a.m. to noon, April 27, at God’s Kngdom Church, 423 Washington St. in downtown Lorain.

Pastor Valerie Overton Howard, organizer of the event, refers to the day as a “spa day” for women to join together and discuss matters of the “body, mind and spirit.”

Overton Howard, who’s also an author, has been a voice in the community helping people with emotional and spiritual health since she was a teenager.

She has invited a number of professionals such as those who work in mental health, community leaders and others to speak at the event in an effort to help women cope with difficult issues in their lives.

In Overton Howard’s personal life, she said she encountered a death that overwhelmed her with grief.

“I began to experience a lot of things I’d never experienced before,” Overton Howard said. “I actually thought I was going to die.”

Recognizing she was experiencing something she said she was having trouble coping with, she opted to seek counseling.

Overton Howard said the counseling helped her to heal.

And since then, she said she’s helped others through her experience who need assistance dealing with difficult situations and emotions.

At the event, Howard has planned activities in addition to the speakers’ presentations which will include some comedy.

“We’ll sprinkle it with comedy to help lighten the situation, not to make light of it,” she explained.

The presentations will be separated into three categories: Body; Mind; and Spirit.

Any issues the participants are experiencing will be discussed privately as some topics may be too sensitive for the women to speak publicly about, Overton Howard said.

Some of the topics will include eating disorders, anxiety, depression, grief, loneliness and others.

“These things are heavy; we just really are trying to help people,” Overton Howard said. “I’m just very passionate about mental health.”

There is a small entry fee for the event and if anyone wishes to donate to the cause, she said.

Donations can be sent to cash app $Thekngdom2.

SUBMITTED Valerie Overton Howard will host Woman at the Well on April 27.