In partnership with Bilal Oromo Dawa Center (BODC), Oromo Resource Center of Minnesota (ORC), and Allina Health, ACCFC’s Community Resilience Committee (CRC) hosted a Change to Chill workshop which reached 27 Oromo youth and 3 young adults. Cultural leaders provided input to Allina on how to adapt the workshop to ensure it would be culturally responsive. Youth learned about Change to Chill, practiced breathing and other calming exercises, and received Calm Down Kits they could bring home to use themselves or share with others. The kits contained a tip sheet for parents explaining how to use the kit’s tools to help their children reduce anxiety, manage stress, and calm themselves.
ACCFC contracted with Oromo community members to shop for and prepare sambusas for participating youth, and an Oromo videographer filmed portions of the workshop as well as interviews with participants and community leaders. Partners hope to use the film to dispel stigma related to discussing mental health in the Oromo community, share tips for managing stress and reducing anxiety, and promote potential future workshops. ACCFC also contracted with a mental health professional to attend the workshop and provide supports in a “chill zone” to any participants triggered by the workshop topics. Watch a short video taken during the Change to Chill event at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiB95hEjsQ8