On Saturday, May 8, 2021, Macon Head Space is hosting the first ever Mental Health Pop-Up Gym at 8:00 a.m. at Filmore Thomas Park (3793 Log Cabin Road).

The goal is to bring mental health resources directly to neighborhoods. The pop-up gyms will include a Zen Tea Garden, yoga, poetry, therapists, and giveaways. This weekend’s event kicks off several other pop-up gyms in the community throughout the year. It’s all part of the Macon Mental Health Matters Initiative, which started in February of 2021 to increase access to mental health care in neighborhoods.

“It’s important to the overall Macon Mental Health Matters Initiative because it begins to dismantle the stigma around taking care of your mental wellness,” said Andrea Cooke with the Southern Center for Choice Theory. “We want to help as many people as possible.”

“This event will encourage Maconites to celebrate the health benefits of our parks and greenspaces. We want people to sign up for the free mental health services coming to local recreation centers while enjoying the outdoors,” said Executive Director of Macon Head Space Nancy Jo Cleveland.

Pop-Up Gym Itinerary for Saturday, May 8

8:00 a.m. – Set-Up

9:00 a.m. – Start of Event/Zen Tea Garden

10:00 a.m. – Yoga w/ Molly Wilkins

11:00 a.m. – Poetry w/ Marcus Johnson & Aisha Andrea

12:00 p.m. – Therapists Interviews w/ Andrea Cooke & Gloria Cisse

1:30 p.m. – Jane Walk w/ Bike Walk Macon

2:30 p.m. – Raffle Giveaway – T-Shirts and self care boxes

3:00 p.m. – Wrap-up

For more pop-up gyms, visit maconheadspace.com/mental-health-pop-up-gym.

MACON HEAD SPACE is a non-profit organization organizing mental health pop-up gyms that provide access to mental health therapy sessions and other wellness resources in order to increase the health and well-being of Black and marginalized communities in Macon-Bibb County. For more information, visit www.maconheadspace.com.