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Starting Monday, the rec center will begin offering free programs and services to those who are out of work, hoping to replace depression, anxiety and stress with physical, mental and emotional fitness.
"In trying to fulfill our mission of meeting the needs of the community, we saw this as a positive way to offer a service to those people who are having a rough time," said David Lloyd, the rec center's executive director.
Lloyd said unemployment can, and often does, lead to deterioration in physical and mental health. It also tends to reduce a person's recreational activities and levels of leisure opportunities.
The program will run in 10-week sessions, with the first starting Monday and running through Jan. 29.
The rec center will be open to the jobless every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
First-time admission will require individuals to show their unemployment debit card or CareerLink Card or any other documentation from the unemployment office. After that, they will receive special membership cards that must be presented at future visits.
People who qualify will have access to programs such as aqua fitness, aerobics, yoga and pickup volleyball, as well as use of the gymnasium, pool, game room, saunas and steam rooms, all without cost.
Personal trainers will also be on hand to get people started on their own fitness programs.
For mental and emotional fitness, the rec center has teamed up with a number of organizations, including Tabor Community Services, Community Action Program, LMA Consulting, Ephrata Community Hospital and CareerLink to provide workshops on budgeting, creating résumés, networking, health screening and other services.
For those who need it, child care will be available from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. for a cost of $1 per hour per child.
"By getting these other partners involved, we thought not only could we address the physical aspect, but also some of the mental and emotional tensions and stresses that are out there with being laid off," Lloyd said.
On Jan. 13, from 6 to 8 p.m., state Sen. Mike Brubaker will bring in representatives of various state agencies, including the departments of Public Welfare, Revenue, and Labor and Industry.
"These will be experts who can answer questions for people," Lloyd said. "We're really excited about that."
Like the rest of the nation, the Ephrata area has been reeling from the down economy, Lloyd knows. The impending loss of about 270 D&E jobs, set for Jan. 9, will further impact the community.
Even the rec center, Lloyd said, laid off four full-time employees in September.
"We're looking at the rough times people are facing right now in our community, and no one's immune; not even us," Lloyd said.
For questions of more information, call the Ephrata Recreation Center at 738-1167.
