HCBA Lawyer Magazine Vol. 28, No. 5 | Page 8

Y L D
P R E S I D E N T ’ S
M E S S A G E
Melissa Mora - Adventist Health System
putting You and wellness first
M
Let’s all be part of the change and encourage each other to
maintain a healthy lifestyle to improve the mental health issues
faced by our profession.
ay is designated by The Florida Bar
YLD as a “Health & Wellness
Month.”
This initiative was
designed by The Florida Bar YLD
to bring aware ness to mental and
physical issues that affect the
quality of life of lawyers in Florida.
I have had numerous discussions
with young lawyers and graduating
law students who wonder how they
can continue to maintain wellness
and balance when entering the
legal profession. The Florida Bar
YLD representatives heard the
same sentiments and decided to do
something about it.
Many law firms and other
employers also are focusing on
mental and physical health
initiatives to recruit and maintain
young lawyers. These initiatives
include educational efforts, weight
loss challenges, step-tracking challenges, gym membership
reimbursements, disease management programs, and a
host of other initiatives that encourage wellness in the
© Can Stock Photo / rnl
6
workplace. Some of these initiatives even include
incentives for program completion.
The Florida Bar YLD’s focus on wellness has also led
to many of its local affiliates, such as the HCBA YLD,
to host activities designed to promote health and
wellness among its members. In
fact, The Florida Bar YLD offers
grant money for these activities,
and the HCBA YLD has been a
proud recipient of these grants
since 2015.
Our first event was a fitness
class that focused on good eating
habits. The last two years, we
hosted a paddleboarding event
and
CLE
focused
on
professionalism and balance.
This year, the HCBA YLD is
partnering with Camp Tampa
and Fresh Kitchen to host its
annual wellness event on May 16.
Camp Tampa will host a cycling
class for YLD members, and Fresh Kitchen will be
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