Fitness for life event to focus on families Published Aug. 12, 2008 By Airman 1st Class Marissa Tucker 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- To minimize the amount of stress families feel as a result of frequent deployments, the Integrated Delivery System, a group of base agencies that provide services to Team Seymour families, and the Airman and Family Readiness Center are hosting a Fitness-for-Life potluck picnic Aug.19 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Family Place in base housing. The Fitness-for-Life program was created in response to an IDS survey, which revealed the base populous would benefit from more education on financial readiness, personal coping skills and substance abuse of drugs and alcohol, said Annette McLamb, IDS chairperson. Fitness-for-Life events are held quarterly. The focus of this quarter's event is helping the families that have been disrupted by deployments, though all Team Seymour members are encouraged to attend. Members of the IDS and the A&FRC want to ensure families are aware of the many resources available to them to ease the stress of deployments. "The purpose of the event was to bring people together and say, 'Hey, we're here for you,'" Ms. McLamb said. Information will be provided about many family-based services such as arranging phone calls between the family and the deployed member, helping spouses find jobs and inviting them to potluck dinners Though the event will primarily serve as an information fair, Faye Jenkins from the A&FRC said she envisions much more than that. The event will include food, a live band, door prizes and entertainment for young children, but Mrs. Jenkins said the most important part of the event is the opportunity to meet other Airmen and families who are going through similar experiences. "It's all about making connections," Mrs. Jenkins said. "When your spouse is deployed, it seems like time goes by quicker when you have someone with you who knows exactly how you're feeling." More than 500 people attended the last Fitness-for-Life event April 18, and the response was great, Mrs. Jenkins said. "People just had a really good time out here. That day really brought a lot of people together," Mrs. Jenkins said. "We were responding to the needs of our families." There is evidence the Fitness-for-Life program along with the many other IDS and A&FRC programs are contributing to the morale of Airmen and their families here. The total number of self-defeating incidents reported to base agencies has dropped by 40 percent since the end of last year. Self-defeating behaviors include incidents related to drugs and alcohol abuse, suicide, maltreatment, property theft, domestic disturbances and shoplifting, among others. "There is a direct correlation between the Fitness-for-life program and the decrease in the number of self-defeating behaviors that have been reported on this installation in the past two quarters," said Jerome Ellis, the family outreach manager here.