What inspires you to contribute or work with Hopewell and our cause of eating disorders?

What inspires me to work with Hopewell is that I used to struggle with an eating disorder a few years ago. And I remember feeling so frustrated because even though I had professional support, it felt like a dark secret I couldn’t share without being judged... Our society has a strange relationship with food and diet culture is so omnipresent, and yet many people can’t seem to grasp that dieting isn’t the same as an eating disorder. When I found Hopewell, it was like heaven; a safe place where people understand and support each other. Even now that I am recovered, being part of Hopewell keeps me on the right path and it allows me to help others do the same.

What changes do you hope to see or help make in our community?

Those who reach out to Hopewell are ones of the most caring and kind-hearted people I’ve met, but they have a tendency to put everyone else before their needs. One change that hope to see in their lives is that they will start to put themselves and their well-being as a priority. Now, for society as a whole I wish to see diet culture disappear but I don’t know if that’s realistic. Otherwise, I would love to see schools actually teach us about life ; how to build confidence, how to create a meditation and gratefulness practice, how to cope with our feelings in healthy ways, how to have boundaries in our relationships... In the meantime I will be doing my part in my everyday life by being part of Hopewell, by coaching and by having necessary conversations on mental health with others. Hopefully, I can inspire people to have a little more compassion for themselves and others.