Found at: http://www.anguillaguide.com/article/articleprint/4209/-1/140/
|
A Beacon Of Hope: Marilyn Hodge Establishes Wellness Centre
|
Marilyn Hodge, a highly-qualified Guidance Counsellor and one of Anguilla’s enterprising educators, has just established a wellness centre, thus fulfilling a dream she had 21 years ago while residing and teaching in her native Antigua.
|
|
Section of the 100 plus attendees
|
The new facility, offering “counselling for body, mind and soul,” is located at the family’s residence in The Farrington. It is accommodated in the attractively-remodelled garage area of the home previously used for her annual summer school classes and has been described as “a beacon of hope” in the Anguillian society.
“The Wellness Centre is a confidential Counselling Service set up to fulfill the needs of individuals, couples and families in the Anguillian community,” Mrs. Hodge’s brochure states. “It adheres to the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy code of ethics. Referrals can be made directly or by doctors, social workers, solicitors or religious leaders.”
|
|
Blessing of centre by Pastor Danny Phillip
|
A trained teacher, she came to Anguilla in 1989 to join her Anguillian husband Kenneth Hodge, a former educator now Director of Information and Broadcasting. She served as a primary school teacher for eleven years. In September 1999 she attended Bristol University in the United Kingdom, with financing from the National Bank of Anguilla, and obtained a Master of Education degree in Guidance and Counselling. On her return to Anguilla she was appointed to serve at the Albena Lake-Hodge Comprehensive School, Ivor Hodge, her brother-in-law, stated in delivering the biographical notes.
“Her summer school has been the closest of fulfilling another of her dreams of one day owning her own school,” Hodge stated. “She wishes to extend a hearty thank you to the many parents, guardians and children who made those years successful. She gives God thanks for being able to touch so many lives.
|
|
Mrs. Hodge’s children cutting ribbon
|
“Mrs. Hodge’s nature of love and sharing her knowledge with others, led her to produce two radio programmes – Tips for teens and the popular Positive living which are aired daily on 95.5 FM Radio Anguilla and on www.radioaxa.comn on the World Wide Web. She says the main thrust of positive living is to assist and empower the Anguillian community. She is of the strong view that every citizen has a responsibility to play a part in nation-building... Mrs. Hodge’s passion of assisting the community in living a healthy style, a healthy sense of wellbeing, motivated her once again to fulfill yet another dream of managing and owning her own counselling practice – hence this new venture, her wellness centre.”
In her overview, Mrs. Hodge recalled three failed attempts by her to obtain a Government of Anguilla scholarship to pursue studies in Guidance and Counselling even when she gained acceptance at Bristol University on one occasion. She eventually began her studies the following year (1999) having obtained a student loan from the National Bank of Anguilla for which she expressed gratitude.
|
|
Mrs. Hodge
|
She spoke of the success of her Guidance and Counselling programme – Positive Living, now six years old and then about her new venture. “For sometime now, the thought of a counselling centre has been plaguing me,” she went on. “I have brought many people to look at my residence to see how I can start the process, but the only place I could think of was my garage space and that I did not want to use – all because of my summer school…It was a painful and emotional time for me. It was either one of the other. I had to make a choice; so my friends, the choice was made and here we are celebrating and witnessing my 21-year–old dream, the wellness centre. To God by the glory. May it be a beacon of hope for the society.”
The opening ceremony was chaired by Ijahnya Christian, a former Guidance Counsellor. The opening prayer was by Pastor William Ashby; the Scripture reading by Pastor Marlene Lewis; the exhortation by Pastor Dexter Welcome; the blessing of the building by Pastor Danny Phillip; the cutting of the ribbon by Sherianne and Keron Hodge, two of Mrs. Hodge’s three children, and the Closing Remarks and Vote of Thanks were delivered by Kenneth Hodge, head of the family.