The Resilient Families Project @ Wayside’s Hotel Louisville: Strategies for Building Resilience, Mindfulness & Happiness in At-Risk Adults

Authors

Lexi N. Frederick, University of LouisvilleFollow
Hannah Parker, University of LouisvilleFollow
Angela Ely, University of LouisvilleFollow
Lora Haynes, University of LouisvilleFollow

Program/Event

Arts and Research Showcase 2023

Abstract

The Resilient Families Project (RFP) provides educational experiences to strengthen evidence-based habits of resilience, mindfulness, and happiness in at-risk individuals. RFP holds programs for adults facing homelessness and women in drug/alcohol recovery who are housed by Wayside Christian Mission in their Emergency Shelter or Hotel Louisville.

RFP programs work to promote healthy attachment relations, a sense of belonging/purpose, and interactive reading, and children’s storybooks serve as the foundation for designing programs. The book “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox, and The Horse'' was reviewed through content analysis to emphasize diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as RFP Core Ideas. Thanks to the Gheen’s Foundation Grant awarded by UofL’s Office of Community Engagement, we were able to provide this book, as well as program T-shirts and other materials for participants.

This presentation will describe the partnership between our department, key Wayside staff, and our RFP team (composed of current UofL students, alumni, faculty, and community volunteers). Feedback received via participant surveys where we discuss the program, troubleshoot challenges/issues, and work to best meet the needs of participants will be included.

Connections of our work to Little Free Libraries (LFL) will also be addressed, as RFP is steward to five LFL’s in Louisville. RFP established the first LFL on UofL’s campus and we are proud to be celebrating the grand opening of UofL’s first diversity, equity, and inclusion focused LFL, to be housed in our department.

Finally, lessons learned, current project needs, recruitment efforts, and directions for the future will be described.

Recommended Citation

Frederick, Lexi N.; Parker, Hannah; Ely, Angela; and Haynes, Lora (2023) "The Resilient Families Project @ Wayside’s Hotel Louisville: Strategies for Building Resilience, Mindfulness & Happiness in At-Risk Adults," The Cardinal Edge: Vol. 1: Iss. 4, Article 10.
Available at: https://ir.library.louisville.edu/tce/vol1/iss4/10