Ocean Partnership for Children Promotes Body Positivity for Young Women in Ocean County
Jersey Desk/10232493

TOMS RIVER, N.J. - JerseyDesk -- Dozens of girls ages  9-17 from across Ocean County gathered on Tuesday, July 18th for the Body Empowerment Event hosted by Ocean Partnership for Children's (OPC) Girls Empowerment Group. The event featured guest speaker Jade Destiny, group discussions and a fun runway show for all the girls.

The event kicked off with guest speaker, Jade Destiny, an entrepreneur, social media influencer, content creator, speaker, podcast guest and advocate for positive body image mindset. "Jade has an amazing energy that is welcoming, accepting, and easy to connect with," stated Kate Martinez, MA, LAC, Care Manager Supervisor at OPC. "We wanted to find a speaker who was willing to share their story, inspire others, and connect with a younger audience."

Jade Destiny is a Manchester native and graduated from Manchester High School. She grew up always wondering who she could be if she had the "right body". She never seemed to fit the ideal that the world narrative would place on her. Always being underestimated, dismissed, and isolated left Jade to believe she would never be good enough. Then one day, Jade Destiny decided it was time to take her power back and began a journey to craft her own narrative around not only her body, but her entire self. That journey began five years ago and since then, Jade has inspired thousands of people through social media to love themselves a little harder, to lean a little more into self-discovery, and dance as much as we can.

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"We hope the group members leave the workshop with a new level of confidence about who they are and the worth they carry," noted Martinez. "We hope they can gain a fresh mindset that can challenge negative messages about their bodies. Lastly, we hope that girls make meaningful connections with one another and find a safe space to be accepted as their true selves within this group."

OPC's Girls Empowerment Group planned and hosted the event. Through feedback from participants in past events, the group was inspired to dive deeper into the topic of body image and body empowerment. OPC's Girls Empowerment Group was established in the spring of 2018. The focus of the group is to build connections with other girls in an emotionally safe space with a secondary focus on enhancing self-esteem, building confidence and personal growth. Girls Empowerment Group has been successful over the years in helping girls meet new friends, improving their self-esteem and building confidence. The group has grown from two 7-week sessions in the fall and spring to two separate groups; a younger age group, 9-12 and an older age group, 13-17. Girls Empowerment Group offers one-night workshops in the summer months for a fun activity with an emphasis on connection or a psycho-educational topic.

The Girls Empowerment Group is just one of many support groups and programs OPC offers to the youth and families on Ocean County. For more information about OPC and the Girls Empowerment Group, please visit: www.oceanpartnership.org.

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Ocean Partnership for Children is committed to developing an agency and community where all individuals feel safe being present as their authentic, whole selves and to challenging those systems, institution, and practices that do not support this goal. Diversity, equity and inclusion are the definitive principles that guide how OPC serves youth and families, cultivates community relationships and creates an agency where everyone, regardless of gender, race, gender identity, ethnicity, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, education, disability, citizenship, veteran status, or other dimension of diversity, feels welcome, valued and respected.

About Ocean Partnership for Children Inc.
Founded in 2005, Ocean Partnership for Children (OPC) is Ocean County's Care Management Organization (CMO). Its mission is to enhance the well-being of youth and their families through natural and community supports. OPC provides care coordination services for Ocean County youth up the age of 21 years who have mental health, substance use, intellectual and developmental challenges. OPC strives to keep children and adolescents at home, in school, and in the community by connecting them to resources that meet their unique needs and help them achieve their goals.

Ocean Partnership for Children is a non-profit organization available at no cost to all youth and families in Ocean County who meet the eligibility criteria of the New Jersey Children's System of care. To learn more, visit https://www.oceanpartnership.org or www.oceanresourcenet.org.