By Jen Hirthe
Correspondent
GREEN BAY – Helping others live healthy, happy lives is the mission behind the 9th Street Wellness Center.
“My goal for the wellness center is to expose the community to as many healing arts as possible,” Director Karen Stoehr said. “We truly want to be able to help others achieve the levels of health and happiness that they want to reach.”
Though its name is inspired by the street the center has resided on since it opened 12 years ago, the center itself is on the move.
Stoehr said new location and updated name aside, 9th Street Wellness East Holistic Center, won’t change the center’s goal of “creating an environment where all practitioners work together to find what is best for the patient is my goal.”
“We live in a truly complex and amazing society, but with that comes many health challenges,” she said. “I am truly excited to unite the different paths or roads to wellness.”
Stoehr said the move to 2330 Meadow Park Drive in Allouez is planned for May, around Mother’s Day.
She said regardless of the center’s physical location, its drive to help the greater good of the individual will remain.
“Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices towards a process of change and growth,” Stoehr said.
Some of the services offered at the wellness center, she said, include yoga, Tai Chi, Shaman, Reiki, reflexology, JinShinJyutsu, acupuncture, licensed massage therapy and aesthetician.
Though Stoehr said she’s dabbled in a lot over the years, helping people has always been her passion.
“It has been a long-term goal of mine to help others in whatever way I can,” she said. “I enjoy meeting new people and helping them fill a need.”
Stoehr said her life experiences have allowed her to discover many methods for health and healing.
“I am interested in being a facilitator of health to the Green Bay community,” she said. “I enjoy learning about new approaches to health. I want others to be able to learn those approaches as well, so that they can decide what is best. The more resources provided, the better educated decisions people can make themselves.”
Feeding the Flocks
It was in that same spirit Stoehr said the center’s “Feeding the Flocks” cookbook was created.
A dash of patience, a pinch of health and a sprinkle of happiness – Stoehr said the cookbook was created by families, friends and therapists to help further the center’s efforts to cultivate wellness.
She said the cookbook has easy, healthy recipes which use ingredients found in most kitchens, with some that can even be prepared by children.
“The recipes are made to be done by anyone and packed full of healthy foods,” Stoehr said, “One of the favorite recipes is the cauliflower pizza, which can be found on page 34 of the cookbook.”
Stoehr said each chapter begins with hints to help with food prep, adding flavor and hacks to use while in the kitchen.
The “Feeding the Flocks” cookbook is sold for $10, with proceeds benefiting the center’s educational programs, including its nonprofit Where Great Kids Grow.
Cookbooks are available at the center, as well as other events in the community.
“The fundraisers help sponsor children, so they can partake in our educational programs,” Stoehr said. “With all the restrictions at this time in our lives, our families are doing more meal preparation at home with being home bound and homeschooling and are having a hard time finding good, healthy recipes for their families.”
More information about the cookbook, events, kids programs or what else the center offers can be found at 9thstwellness.com.