DELAWARE — HelpLine will host its 2nd annual TGIF (Thank Goodness I’m Female) Girls Supporting Girls Conference on Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m. at Recreation Unlimited, 7700 Piper Road, Ashley. Registration is free and open to girls ages 12 to 18.

Co-sponsored by the Delaware Morrow Mental Health Recovery Services Board and The Women’s Fund of Central Ohio, the conference targets middle and high schools girls throughout Delaware and Morrow counties and is designed to socialize and engage them through skill-building and self-care activities. This year’s theme, Journey to You, will be a day of discovery with empowering stops at self-love, self-care and inner beauty.

“Strong girls turn into strong women,” said Amy Hawthorne, prevention manager at HelpLine and conference coordinator. “We know that a girl’s confidence peaks at age eight, so this is an opportunity to continue to build a healthy self-image while helping our girl’s identify and cultivate healthy friendships, recognize relational aggression, and stand up and support each other.”

According to Hawthorne, last year’s post-event survey demonstrated the positive impact of the day as the girls indicated:

• 94.1 percent learned new ways to support “myself” and practice self-care.

• 88.2 percent of participants learned how to support other girls.

• 76.4 percent greater understanding about the messages the media sends about girls and women.

“The girls conference is a great example of our commitment to prevention programming at all levels in the community,” Hawthorne said. “We know that fostering healthier, safer communities requires a broad range of efforts that educate, mobilize and influence change – and we’re focusing on building bold and brilliant girls.”

Additional features of the conference include skill-building sessions and activities, an inspiring keynote speaker, along with leadership opportunities for teen girls who are interested in leading activities throughout the day.

To learn more or register, visit http://helplinedelmor.org/gsgconference/ or contact Hawthorne at [email protected] or 740-363-1835, ext. 101.

Submitted