On Thursday, February 26, Stockton’s Wellness Center warmed up with hot chocolate and candy in the Event Room, hosting the Winter Wellness Day; a fair for students to learn more about health, addiction, reproduction, and more.

Tables were set up for organizations both within and outside of Stockton University to promote their services and give advice to attendees. The day also included a Special Mental Health Speaker sponsored by Stockton Entertainment Team (SET) that spoke at the Campus Center Theatre: Nick Maccarone, a licensed therapist and mental health advocate who has appeared on CBS’S Big Brother. Maccarone shared personal and professional insight on mental health, resilience, and self-growth.

At the entrance, there were donation boxes for students to place hygiene products, which include toiletries such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner, feminine products, and other vital and useful supplies needed.

The Wellness Peer Educators are collecting these essentials to donate to the Osprey Pantry, a free pantry for students experiencing food insecurity or any other circumstance that limits access to essentials. They are accepting donations until Thursday, March 20, and the donation box will be located in West Quad, Room 108, Student Health Services.

The Stockton Maple Project also attended the event, selling bottles of syrup to students. Options included their Light Blend and Dark Blend syrups, both of which are popular. Along with one’s purchase came their famous maple leaf candies, made from the same syrup.

The Mental Health Association in Atlantic County had a table with a Post-It board. Attendees could take a positive thought from the board and leave one in return. The Perinatal Addictions Prevention Project featured brochures that addressed the risks, complications, and dangers that drugs, smoking, and vaping–particularly tobacco–cause during pregnancy, both to the mother and baby.

Another partner was Our Lady’s Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare, which offers full-time rehabilitation and nursing care for senior citizens. Available treatments include: hip replacement, knee replacement, IVs, and many other programs for many conditions. Another vendor, ARB Studio, offered hand-made soaps, creams, lotions, and other beauty products to rejuvenate and promote skin wellness.

The Peer Educators also had a table featuring information about safe driving, an important subject for students on college campuses. One brochure had the humorous title of “Don’t Drive Stupid,” followed by a list of precautions to follow in order to avoid doing so. Above it was the joke, “Driving Stupid Can Really Make You Look Bad,” featuring an image of a car crash victim, whose face was injured by the accident.

Amanda Bonefont, a senior majoring in Biology, was at the fair as a Peer Educator, having started her first year doing so. “We promote wellness, we do presentations, table like this, we give away prizes…we’re really trying to get the Stockton community involved.” She mentioned many programs and services such as Counseling and Psychological Services, the Learning Access Program, HIV testing, pregnancy testing, and other services provided free of charge to students.

Emily Fania, a Senior Peer Educator, helped in creating the event with Kristen Welsh Capaldi, the Health Educator of Stockton University. She stated, “Wellness Day is a large-scale event hosted by the Wellness Center’s Health Outreach, Promotion, and Education (HOPE) department, designed to connect students with accessible health and wellness resources across the community. While Wellness Day has been an annual tradition for years, this marked our first-ever Winter Wellness Day. We intentionally shifted the event to the winter months to spotlight Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and address the unique challenges many college students experience during this time of year.”

Fania added, “This year, we were especially proud to welcome over 60 campus and community partners who tabled at the event, offering students a wide range of resources, services, and interactive experiences. It was inspiring to see students actively engaged, exploring opportunities, asking questions, and prioritizing their well-being. Our goal was for students to leave feeling supported, informed, and empowered, with a deeper understanding that wellness extends beyond physical health to include emotional, mental, and social well-being.”

“This event would not have been possible without the dedication of our Wellness Peer Educators, campus collaborators, and community partners who helped bring it to life. We’re excited to build on this momentum and look forward to hosting future Wellness Days, along with other initiatives aimed at strengthening and supporting student well-being.”

More information about the Wellness Center can be found here.