PHILIPSBURG:--- On Saturday, February 26th, the White & Yellow Cross Care Foundation (WYCCF) organized a Walkathon for its staff in the early hours. The Walkathon, which Grant Thornton sponsored, marked two months of the WYCCF’s Health & Fitness program, which started on January 1st of this year. With this program, which offers various daily classes, workshops, lectures, and events, the WYCCF aims to assist its staff in adopting a healthier lifestyle. The WYCCF believes that investing in employees results in happier, healthier, and more satisfied staff. This, in turn, improves the quality of its care to the clients.
A healthy lifestyle results in a reduction in sick leave and adds to the quality of work. Multiple studies have indicated that healthy employees are more productive, confident, happier, less stressed, and have a larger community sense. This, in turn, results in less sick leave, less work-related illness or accidents, higher team morale, a lower turnover rate, and overall, a more positive working environment for the organization. It is clear that organizations benefit greatly in the long term by investing in their employees’ health and happiness.
The WYCCF’s core values are client-centricity, attentiveness, respect, and empathy, and it believes that this applies to its employees as much as it does to the clients. Besides the extensive package of employee benefits and educational opportunities that the WYCCF already offers, it decided to revive its Health & Fitness Committee and expand its activities. This committee, which WYCCF Kinetics Therapist Adeo Admiraal spearheads, aims to promote a healthier lifestyle for all WYCCF staff. In October last year, the results of the explorative survey that the committee sent out provided the three pillars for the program: physical health, mental health, and nutrition. Since January, the committee has organized daily fitness classes ranging from Bootcamp to yoga and from salsa to kickboxing. The committee also organized several lectures regarding nutrition, sleeping better, reducing stress, changing habits, dental care, goal setting, and budgeting training. The committee organizes a health check-up, Walkathon, and a healthy cooking class every month. To boost the motivation for these activities even higher, employees get a raffle ticket for every attended activity, which increases their chances of winning prizes at the bi-monthly raffle! All activities are free for WYCCF employees.
The Walkathon, which committee member Irene Kemper organized, marked the end of the second month of this new program and was a great success. A big group showed up at the foundation at 6 AM, received their T-shirt, which Grant Thornton generously sponsored, and commenced an hour-long walk around the neighborhood. Upon return, Irene had arranged a healthy breakfast for all and even a Fitbit for a lucky participant! The committee would also like to thank all other organizations who donated healthy prizes for the bi-monthly raffle, such as SXM Padel club, Rebel Yoga, Top Carrot, St. Maarten Yacht club, Tri-sports, Boolchands, Learn to Paddle SXM, Nectar, and Office World.
The WYCCF is happy to see that the program is received with enthusiasm and that many employees are making fantastic steps towards a healthier lifestyle. It is a common trait for persons working in healthcare to firstly care for others, and only then care about yourself. However, it is also true that you cannot care for someone else if you’re not doing well yourself. Through this program, the WYCCF hopes to inspire and assist its employees in taking care of themselves and taking steps towards a healthier lifestyle. To improve health is to enhance the happiness of our staff and our clients.
