EASTON, Md. — University of Maryland Extension will host a Family Fun Day at the Caroline County 4-H Park in Denton on April 2, 2022 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The event will include a bounce house, games, a planting activity with a seeded pot that each child can take home, give-aways, and other family-friendly activities. Door prizes at the event will include new girl’s and boy’s bikes and a scholarship for a week at Camp Mardela. In addition, there will be a free light breakfast, snacks, and bagged lunch provided by Chesapeake Culinary Center. The event will take place rain or shine.
Family Fun Day will provide children and adults with an opportunity to enjoy time together, while also discovering local resources to support mental health and wellness. Children will receive a Creative Coping Skills toolkit, and adults will have the opportunity to learn about resources to support mental health and substance use disorders.
“If families just want to come out and enjoy the activities and free food, that’s great,” said Shannon Dill, principal agent for the University of Maryland Extension. “But we know many of our rural families are quietly dealing with stress that takes a toll on their health. This gives them a chance to learn about the support that’s available to help.”
Mid-Shore communities are heavily dependent on the agricultural industry, either directly or indirectly through supporting and related industries. Studies have shown that rural, farming communities experience higher rates of suicide than the general population. Opioid use has also had an outsized impact on these communities. A Morning Consult survey sponsored by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union found that 74% of farmers and farm workers have been directly impacted by opioid use, either by a family member or someone in their network who has struggled with opioids, or by taking or becoming addicted to opioids themselves.
“Spending quality time together as a family, relaxing, and having fun are great ways to reduce stress,” said Kathryn Dilley, Executive Director of Mid Shore Behavioral Health, Inc., a co-host of the event. “Family Fun Day will provide that opportunity. We also have wonderful partners attending who will offer additional information about how to help families cope with the stress we all experience in our daily lives.”
The event will include the debut screening of the Caroline County Farm Wellness video that features many local farmers, including Caroline County Commissioner Wilbur Levengood. The video delves into the impact of stress and opioid use in the Caroline County community through personal stories of local families. It was produced by New Lens on behalf of Maryland Rural Health Association.
Family Fun Day is free to attend and all are welcome. Non-perishable food items will be collected at the entrance for donation to local food banks, but contributions are optional. Advanced registration is not required, but additional information and an RSVP may be made at bit.ly/umefamilyfun.
Family Fun Day is hosted by University of Maryland Extension with grant support from AmerisourceBergen Foundation, an independent not-for-profit charitable giving organization focused on supporting health-related causes that enrich that global community. Other project partners include Mid Shore Behavioral Health, Inc., Caroline County Health Department, Maryland Rural Health Association, Eastern Shore Mobile Crisis Response Team, and Maryland Coalition of Families.
–University of Maryland Extension