Realizing that more people were coming to The Salvation Army for counselling after the pandemic, North Street Citadel in Hamilton, Bermuda, created the Come to the Well program for seniors.

“What we had noticed here in Bermuda was that people were interested in securing some form of counselling to deal with the stress of the pandemic. We thought it would be good to create a program that offers some stress management, crisis management, managing family issues, and so we developed this program called Come to the Well,” explains Captain Dwayne Barnes, then corps officer at North Street Citadel.

The pilot for Come to the Well ran for six weeks between April and May of this year. During this first cycle, the program focused on helping seniors. “We decided to focus on seniors for the pilot program because we know that the senior population is often left dealing with life stress on their own,” Captain Barnes adds.

Come to the Well promotes a holistic approach to healing the mind, body and soul. With the assistance of a physical therapist and a professional counsellor, participants learn about stress management, anxiety, meditation and physical health. The program takes place twice a week, with one day focusing on mental health and the other focusing on physical health.

Participant Veronica Zuill was hesitant about the program at first. She had heard about it at the food bank but felt anxious to take part. After joining, she realized she had nothing to fear.

“I was very pleased to see how I was welcomed,” says Zuill. “I really enjoyed the time together because it felt like a newfound family. I’m hoping to build closer relationships with other people and learn from their experiences. As a senior, I believe there is always room for learning.”

Another participant, Sherma Simmons, took a different approach to the program. She joined because she is outgoing and wanted to find a space where she could spend time with people her age and keep busy.

“I am a people person and I wanted to be around people my age. I like the people in the program, and I like the program itself. It was a good idea and there is definitely a need for it,” says Simmons.

Due to the success of its pilot, Come to the Well received recognition from the Ministry of Social Development and Seniors of Bermuda. However, this is just the beginning of the program. North Street Citadel plans to host another six-week cycle this fall, and later on, make the program ongoing and open to all ages.