CORAL SPRINGS, FLA. (WSVN) - The Eagles’ Haven Wellness Center has opened its doors to members of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas community in Coral Springs.
The safe space, at 5655 Coral Ridge Drive, opened a month sooner than planned after the recent tragedies that hit the community.
A hundred people have visited the center following the two suicides from students of the Parkland school.
Nineteen-year-old Sydney Aiello and 16-year-old Calvin Desir’s deaths have sparked an effort from the community to address mental health.
Former and current students from the school and their parents are welcomed to walk through the doors of the center to be brought together with others so they do not feel alone.
“Eagles’ Haven’s tagline is rediscovering wellness and restoring hope,” said Sarah Franco, the Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options’ executive director. “What we want to do here is just have fun and have a place where people can stop in. We’re going to do yoga and kickboxing and drumming.”
Community members can rediscover wellness and hope when they’re at the center as they develop tools for long term success.
Leaders at the center can refer people to therapy while activities such as yoga and tai chi are offered free of charge.
“I personally think that sometimes, when there’s activities, it can distract a student a little bit, and it kind of helps bring out their emotions without forcefully staring into their eyes and like telling them, ‘tell me how you feel,’ said Former MSD Student Anabel Claprood. “I think when you’re doing activities, you’re painting, you’re crafting, making shirts, drawing, all that it kind of brings it out on it’s own. It’s not forced.”
The center hopes to give people who may be suffering or lonely a place to be connected and come together.
“I think Eagles’ Haven is like zen; it’s relaxing,” said Claprood. “I think that it can really help a lot of students who come in here, and it’s not like, ‘Let’s go to therapy.’ No, it’s, ‘Let’s relax, let’s play some games, let’s make new friends here.'”
“It’s giving kids the guidance they need and the help they need without all these insurance companies and all the money and having to pay for it. It’s like you can come here and do it on your own,” added Claprood.
The center is open seven days a week for those in the community who want to take advantage of the resources provided.
Eagles’ Haven Wellness Center will remain open for as long as the community needs it.
“Long-term, there can be more deaths by suicide following a shooting than from the shooting,” said Franco. “We are going to do everything we can here in Parkland, Coral Springs and at Eagles’ Haven to change those statistics,” said Franco.
In an attempt to lower the statistics, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he will be meeting with local officials to figure out how the state can get involved, Wednesday.
“The first suicide is tragic, then you see another one, then you actually saw one in another state from another incident, so I think it’s something that we need to be engaged in,” said DeSantis. “I want to hear what the local folks are doing and what they need, but if we can be helpful in the state, I think we have a responsibility to do it.”
The City of Coral Springs is hosting a Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Town Hall meeting, Wednesday. The meeting, which began at 6 p.m., is aimed at giving parents and students local resources they can use.
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