From left: Melissa Roberts, Kailin Bouse pose with the Greater Wyoming Chamber of Commerce Regional Collaboration Award at the Chamber’s awards dinner on Friday, November 16.
Wild Women NEPA hosts first-ever Winter Wellness Expo at the JCA of Northeastern Pennsylvania on Sunday, December 10, starting at 11:00 a.m. in Kingston.
Photo Credit - Wild Women NEPA
KINGSTON — Wild Women NEPA hosts their first-ever indoor Winter Wellness Expo in Kingston on Sunday, December 10 at the Friedman JCC in Kingston.
The day focused on women’s wellness will feature 30+ self-care workshops as well as a holiday artisan fair of hand-picked NEPA vendors. Attending this event is a great way to support local woman-owned businesses while taking some time for yourself during these busy December days.
Wild Women NEPA, a new local female-owned brand as of this year, recently received the Regional Collaboration Award from the Wyoming Valley Chamber of Commerce during the Chamber’s Annual Awards Dinner in November 2023.
Local business owners Melissa Roberts of The Ski Shack and Kailin Bouse of Kailin of Earth created Wild Women NEPA in April 2023 with a mission to celebrate and empower women in the community by bringing them together to socialize, learn and play (often outside) in safe, wellness-oriented, come-as-you-are spaces.
On Sunday, December 10, this dynamic duo hosts the Winter Wellness Expo at Kingston’s Friedman JCC, a follow-up to their summertime debut with the Wild Women NEPA Festival.
This indoor day festival features sessions on everything from yoga to belly dancing, Tai Chi to laugh therapy, and craft classes to tools for trauma recovery. The scheduled workshops are hosted by experienced female wellness leaders from throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.
Since it’s the holiday season, the expo will also showcase other local woman-owned businesses, selling their unique handcrafted products and gifts.
“During the holidays, women are often working overtime — baking cookies, preparing holiday dinners, shopping wrapping, gift-listing,” Melissa Roberts said, adding, “These responsibilities typically fall on women, and it becomes so stressful amid all the economic pressure and all that we handle on a daily basis. So it’s important to take a beak and recognize that we need to care for ourselves, too.”
Proceeds from the event benefit Adopt a Single Mom’s 7th annual Christmas Campaign, a major initiative to help single mothers throughout the region. WWNEPA’s founders continue to seek expo sponsors interested in promoting their business to Wild Women NEPA’s wellness-focused audience.
Wild Women NEPA is a testament to the positive change that can be achieved when women come together to support and uplift their communities. By offering networking opportunities, educational workshops, and community fundraisers, the organization has played a vital role in enhancing the overall well-being and empowerment of women in the region.
Wild Women NEPA is the collaboration of two female business owners dedicated to connecting, empowering, and celebrating women in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Their August 2023 Wild Women NEPA Festival drew nearly 1,000 women to Tunkhannock’s LazyBrook Park for a day of wellness, self care and connection in nature. The festival provided free/discounted admission to women in financial need and raised $500 for local women’s shelter Ruth’s Place in Wilkes-Barre.
By now introducing this new winter women-focused festival, Melissa Roberts and Kailin Bouse demonstrate that they intend to continue offering programming, gatherings and charity support year-round. They said they aim to foster more collaboration, personal growth, and community engagement among women of all ages, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds.
Come on out to the Wild Women NEPA Winter Wellness Expo on Sunday, December 10. Tickets for this full-day of empowerment workshops are priced at $30 for those 18+ and $15 for those 17 and under.
