Resiliency Week 2025 Recap

Written by Lesleigh Sanders

Our team at Cobb Collaborative had a wonderful Resiliency Week 2025. It was our second annual week focusing on wellness, community engagement, and growing resilience in Cobb. We are so thankful to our partners and community members who participated, sponsors who contributed, and team members who executed. As we look back on Resiliency Week 2025 and reflect, we will be eagerly awaiting the next time we can all come together for this purpose. Here is a review of what we experienced this week!

MONDAY

AM: Partner Breakfast

We kicked off the week with a moment to appreciate our closest partners whom we are so grateful for. We have been able to grow our partnerships as well as deepen some in the last year, meaning more people in the community can be reached in ways that they need. We couldn’t do the work we do without our partners in the community! Thank you to Wellstar Vinings Health Park for providing the space!

PM: Verbal Intervention Training

We were able to partner with WestCare Foundation to offer a Verbal Intervention Training during Resiliency Week, which was so impactful. It was an opportunity for partners and community members to get trained in crisis intervention skills, which is so vital to the work that many do. In a client/customer facing role, being able to respond with compassion and care, while also ensuring you are doing so safely, can be critical. Thank you to West Care for collaborating with us and providing this training as well as the Cobb Family Advocacy Center for providing the space!

TUESDAY

Basics Playground Palooza

On Tuesday afternoon, we were blessed with great weather for our Resiliency Week Basics Playground Palooza. We came together with Marietta City Schools at the Emily Lembeck Early Learning Center to host a ‘Maximize Love and Manage Stress’ workshop, focusing on activities that strengthen the relationship between a parent/caregiver and their child. We were also able to partner with Jillian Dillard, Founder of Freedom Youth Yoga, who led a fun and engaging session with the children and adults in attendance. Our team had so much fun interacting with the kids and parents/caregivers who participated as well as our wonderful partners!

Journaling Workshop

Later on Tuesday, we partnered with Julia Davis from The Book Worm Bookstore, located in Powder Springs, to host a Journaling Workshop. We learned, we laughed, and we left inspired to redefine what ‘journaling’ means. Journaling can be so much more than just writing down our feelings or inner thoughts. It can be an opportunity to dream, be creative, and inspire ourselves with a bonus of being a great self-care/wellness activity. Thank you to all who participated and to The Book Worm Bookstore for all they do in and for the community!

“It’s really important for people to practice the skills of self-care and bouncing back from trauma so that we can grow our resilience” -Resiliency Week Participant

WEDNESDAY

Resilient Cobb Summit

Our fourth annual Resilient Cobb Summit, held at the Cobb Chamber, was dynamic and compelling. In partnership with the Cobb Community Foundation and sponsored by Resilient Georgia and Wellstar, the summit was a powerful opportunity to have conversations on wellness across the lifespan. Our wonderful Keynote Speaker, Lisa Crossman with CDPH, truly left attendees inspired with her poignant message on mental health and resilience. The panel, with members representing various demographics and organizations, allowed for an honest conversation on what resources are out there, what is being done, and what needs to be done when it comes to mental health and well-being. If we took away one thing from this year’s Summit, it would be the importance of safety and connection across the lifespan. Thank you again to our Sponsor, Wellstar, our hosts, our wonderful keynote speaker and panelists for empowering all of us!

THURSDAY

Wellness Walk

Thursday morning was our Wellness Walk! We had the pleasure of walking on the Mableton Trailhead at Discovery Line Park, which we highly recommend. It was a beautiful morning of connection and conversation, all while enjoying the lovely sights and sounds of nature. We encourage everyone to take some time to focus on wellness and a great way to do that is by walking outside. It provides an opportunity to pause, reflect, and gain some energy, mentally and physically. Thanks to all who showed up to walk with us!

“I wasn’t going to come to the walk today, but I decided to make time during my work day and I’m so glad I did. It was exactly what I needed to reset and recharge.” -Resiliency Week Participant ?

FRIDAY

Resiliency Retreat

Our last day of Resiliency Week 2025 was all about our Resiliency Retreat! This is always the best way to wrap up a busy, but amazing, week. It was held at the beautiful Reed House in Smyrna. We invited some wonderful partners of ours to share their talents and expertise to the participants. We started the day with a relaxing yoga session led by Shan Clarke. Shan Clarke works in community outreach with The Simple Vue Academy and is a certified yoga instructor. Next, we enjoyed a thought-provoking conversation on workplace wellness and overall wellness led by Alison Curtis. Alison Curtis is the Chronic Disease Prevention Director at Cobb & Douglas Public Health. We also enjoyed participating in some wellness activities such as coloring and rock painting. Before lunch, we had so much fun line dancing, which was facilitated by Melanie Reece, Program Assistant for Chronic Disease Prevention at Cobb & Douglas Public Health. All of the activities that we enjoyed at our retreat are fantastic examples of how we can incorporate wellness into our lives. Thanks to all of our great partners and attendees who participated!

“This retreat gave me the space to take a break from everything going on in life, I am leaving refreshed and ready for the weekend.” -Resiliency Week Participant

THANK YOU ALL!

We could not have done this week without all of our wonderful sponsors, partners, hosts, team members, and attendees. We are so grateful to have been able to prioritize wellness and promote resiliency during this week. May we all be inspired to continue to focus on well-being and growing resilience in ourselves, and our communities. Until next year!

With love, the Cobb Collaborative Team