From Pilot to Progress: Nurturing Joy Expands with AWS Support
I’m excited to share that the SPHC Foundation was awarded a grant from Amazon Web Services (AWS) through the AWS Northern Virginia Community Fund! We received the award during their recent ceremony, and I’m still so grateful for the opportunity to be in a room full of leaders doing powerful work across our region.
This grant means so much to me personally and to our mission. It gives us the opportunity to bring our Nurturing Joy: Wellness Workshop Series to Fairfax County and surrounding communities this spring, and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s ahead. It also gives me a chance to grow with the cohort, as hosting these workshops helps me stay grounded and reconnect with the tools that support my own well-being.
This all started with a simple idea. A few years ago, I noticed the holidays were starting to feel different. Plans shifted. Gatherings were canceled or delayed. For many of us, the season didn’t feel quite the same. As I talked with community members, coworkers, friends, and family, I realized this was a shared experience. Between COVID-19 lingering, illnesses surfacing, financial stress, and personal challenges, many people were carrying a quiet heaviness during a time that’s supposed to feel joyful.
That reflection led to a question: What if we created space for people to care for their mental wellness during the holidays, without pressure or perfection?
Recognizing this shared experience led to the creation of a space where people could explore a new way to approach the holidays, one rooted in mental wellness, reflection, and compassion. Last year, that vision came to life through a small two-part workshop series called Minding Your Holiday Joy, where participants could process the ups and downs of the season while centering joy, rest, and well-being.
And now, with the support of AWS, that seed of an idea is growing. We’re expanding into a six-part series, Nurturing Joy: Wellness Workshop Series, that blends creativity, healing, and real-life resources. It’s designed to offer a warm, supportive, and accessible space for anyone who needs it.
What You Can Expect
Each monthly workshop blends mental health education with hands-on, feel-good activities like:
🪴 Plant-making therapy
🎨 Mindfulness painting
✍🏾 Journaling for clarity and calm
💨 Breathwork and stress management
We’re also making sure participants have access to tangible resources, whether that’s housing support, food, or local mental health services, because wellness doesn’t happen in a vacuum. This series is about more than tips and tools. It’s about nurturing joy in a way that feels real, relevant, and community-centered.
This is a cohort-based series, which means it’s built to grow with you. Participants will be part of a consistent group that builds relationships, shares stories, and supports one another over time.
We ask that cohort members commit to at least 4 of the 6 sessions, but of course, we’d love to have you at all of them.
Registration is now OPEN! Click here to register and learn more!
Thank You, Amazon
Thank you to AWS for believing in this work and making it possible for us to bring this to Fairfax County. Your support helps us keep showing up for our communities in ways that matter.
We invite you to join us! Let’s keep nurturing joy, together.
