Following many months of preparation and effort, Lisa Tubbs, owner of IV Wellness Solutions, presented the Women’s Wellness Conference: Mind, Body and Soul last Friday at Lake Oconee Church in Greensboro.
In her opening remarks, Tubbs emphasized the importance of mind, body, and soul in women’s health. She highlighted that spiritual, mental, and nutritional health go hand-in-hand to create a strong lifestyle for women. Tubbs explained she wanted to focus on women’s health specifically because of the personal connection she had through her own journey with wellness.
“IVs (intravenous) are not a luxury anymore with the way our food is processed, it is a necessity,” she said.
Tubbs’ business partner, Dr. John Vu, a family medicine practitioner for 27 years, also spoke about adopting a more holistic approach to women’s health. Accomplished oil painter Millie Gosch also was among the guest attendees.
With the Women’s Wellness Conference, Tubbs said she wanted to bring the local community together so they could learn about, network, and support the four nonprofits involved, including Circle of Love, the Christopher Wolf Crusade, Georgia Writers Museum, and Katlyn’s Promise.
The conference opened with prayer by Brent Miller shortly before Circle of Love Center Executive Director Kimberly Bennett spoke about domestic abuse issues. She shared three success stories from Circle of Love, which serves Greene, Putnam, Morgan, Hancock, and Baldwin counties, of women the organization has provided housing and stability for within its facility.
Keynote speaker Cammie Wolf Rice founder of the Christopher Wolf Crusade spoke next about the ongoing opioid epidemic, which affects individuals across the country. Rice discussed the loss of her son to opioids, and how she is working to prevent this fate for other families.
Her book, The Flight, tells the story of her struggle after losing Christopher, and a copy of the book was given to all guests attending the conference.
Through the Christopher Wolf Crusade, Rice is placing life care specialists in six rural Georgia hospitals. These specialists can help patients manage their pain in safe, nonaddictive ways. She also plans to place life care specialists in out-of-state hospitals as her organization grows.
Rice also spoke about bringing mothers together to raise awareness of the growing fentanyl crisis. She said her brother, Roger Wolf, passed away from fentanyl poisoning, which inspired her to inform others about this danger.
“There’s nothing more powerful than women getting together and supporting women. Nothing on Earth,” Rice stated.
Next, Georgia Writers Museum Executive Director Melissa Swindell led a panel of three Georgia authors: Tara Rocker, Betty Liedtke, and Kim Conrey, as they discussed the writing process, the connection between writing and mental health, and the power that lies in helping others with their stories.
Diana Cowan, owner of Jackson-based Georgia Hair Solutions & Salon, a full-service salon and wig shop that aims to help women feel more confident, then spoke about how hair loss affects women, and how her goal is to help women struggling with this issue.
Lisa Hensley and her program, Katlyn’s Promise, are passionate about helping women dealing with addiction-related issues.
A copy of her memoir, Running with Eyes Wide Shut, also was given to all guests at the conference. The book discusses the struggle of addiction and the righteousness of God, providing testimony about the women at Katlyn’s Promise being changed for the better by the power of Christ.
To complement the speaking presentations, the Women’s Wellness Conference also held silent auctions, provided breakfast and lunch, and offered many opportunities for fellowship to attendees.