Empowerment Event Explores Self-Love 

May 19, 2025

Mercy Home’s Leader Council hosted their annual Empowerment Day event for our young people at our Walsh Campus, promoting self-love through engaging conversations and activities. 

To break the ice and build excitement, Morgan Nichole Martin, Owner of Live and Believe Wellness, warmed everyone up with dancing, stretching, and a meditation activity, where they focused on cultivating self-love within. 

Feeling energized, the youth went into breakout rooms, where they had meaningful discussions with their peers, staff, and board members about obstacles they’ve endured, the challenges they’ve faced to love themselves, and understanding self-love. 

Jazmyn Lopez, Mercy Home Associate Board Member, facilitated a small group and offered key advice. 

“Even when [their circumstances are] hard, the most empowering thing they can do is sit with themselves, nurture themselves, recognize patterns, and give themselves the ability to reflect and correct,” Lopez said. “Another thing [I shared with them is], learning to express boundaries from a place of grace and self-respect. It doesn’t have to be a reaction, it can be a chosen response that protects you and the way you’re feeling.” 

Even when [their circumstances are] hard, the most empowering thing they can do is sit with themselves, nurture themselves, recognize patterns, and give themselves the ability to reflect and correct,

Jazmyn Lopez, Mercy Home Associate Board Member

Our young people drew strength from this event and gained a better understanding of self-love. 

“I think self-love is being able to care for yourself and look after yourself,” said one youth, Damien. “If you can’t take care of yourself, you can’t take care of anyone else.” 

Damien especially enjoyed making a self-care plan. Everyone wrote down their goals for sleep, nutrition, exercise, and spirituality, and then shared it with their group. 

“I really liked the self-care plan,” Damien said. “It gave a structure to figure out how you want to take care of yourself and find out what works for you. I’m going to take that with me.” 

Bridget Gibbons, Chair of the Leader Council, was overwhelmed with gratitude by the conversations and connections she had with the youth. 

Gibbons said the young people were “incredibly brave, very generous with sharing their experiences.” She added, “They asked amazing questions. This is always a humbling day for me.” 

[The self-care plan] gave a structure to figure out how you want to take care of yourself and find out what works for you. I’m going to take that with me.

Damien, Mercy Home youth

Some Council members gave some valuable advice to participants.  

“Doing what’s right for ourselves, understanding who we are, learning our values, that all comes from practice,” Gibbons said. “It doesn’t happen in a two-hour session, but the seeds get planted. Practice [and] give yourself a little bit of grace.” 

Harriette Holmes, a Mercy Home therapist, saw the positive impact that Gibbons and the Leader Council members had on the young people in attendance.  

After the breakout sessions, everyone returned to the cafeteria, where they shared their key takeaways, which was to love themselves, be patient, and not to take things personally.  

“I always like these empowerment events because it’s a reminder to keep yourself steady, and I like the different conversations we had,” Damien said. 

We are deeply grateful for all our coworkers at the Walsh Campus, Leader Council Members, Morgan Nichole Martin, and Bani’s Beets Cold-Press Juicery, who all helped make this an empowering event for our young people at the Walsh Campus.