Serving Food for Thought since 1999 years ago
Prairie View, a non-profit, outcomes based, behavioral and mental health system, began the Food for Thought program in 1969. A group of people, discussing problems as they sipped their coffee, decided to ask Prairie View to give community talks about various subjects. The idea took off and "Industrial Lunches," as they were referred to back then, were born. Over the years, Food for Thought has grown city by city. It reached Marion County in 1999.
David Gear, education director for Prairie Vie, was responsible for bringing FFT to Marion County.
"Prairie View has a long history of training and education, both public and professional," said Gear. "We wanted to help the overall community.
"Marion County has been very special. The commitment of Marion County people and businesses has sustained the program there. It has been a testimony to why I started Food for Thought there."
One hundred and five businesses help sponsor Food for Thought area-wide. Marion County is home to eight of those, including Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Emprise Bank, Greenhaw Pharmacy, Hillsboro Free Press, Hoch Publishing Co., Inc., Parkside Homes and Park Village, Tabor College, and Tampa State Bank.
Gear speaks with high respect for these companies, "Businesses there are proactive in their communities. Without them, we couldn't do this program."
The Food for Thought program seeks to provide education and positive wellness concepts to people from Salina to Wichita. The cost is $15 per person which covers the meal and the presentation by a keynote speaker.
According to Gear the program is unique throughout the country. It is offered four times each year: two times in the fall and two times each spring with different speakers presenting material covering various subjects.
The speakers usually arrive on a Monday evening. Their schedules are busy. Beginning on Tuesday, they speak at a luncheon in Wichita and at a supper in Hillsboro. Wednesday morning finds them speaking at a breakfast in Hutchinson and a lunch in Newton. Thursday morning is filled with speeches during breakfast in Salina and lunch at McPherson. Then it is off to the airport in Wichita to go home and (hopefully) relax.
Gear is in charge of finding and recruiting the speakers. He is challenged to continually "keep the same quality of speakers and yet make topics diverse in order to keep people's interest up." He draws from various areas to find people, such as staff at Prairie View, Food for Thought attendees' ideas, conferences, and from the advice of former speakers.
"This has been a Ph.D. education for me," said Gear. "I'm so blessed to work for Prairie View and host these incredible speakers."
They come from all over the U.S. and Canada, bringing a wealth of information, insight, and wisdom.
Overall, 800 to 1,300 people generally attend each one of the Food for Thought programs with Marion County contributing 30 to 100 people to that number. Gear said the program most enjoyed by attendees was titled "Fun with Stress."
Then he laughed and said, "I know. That sounds like an oxymoron!"
But it challenged those who discovered how the two concepts could not only co-exist in life but enrich it.
Tuesday evening, the crowd at Tabor College's Wohlgemuth Center gathered to hear national speaker, author and lifestyle expert, Diane Sieg, share insights about how to "Stop Living Life Like an Emergency."
She stressed the importance of slowing down, taking good care of yourself, and honoring yourself and others by being intentionally selective in the commitments you make. Drawing from 20 years of experiences as an emergency room nurse, Sieg acted out scenes to reinforce her message, giving attendees much food for thought.
Prairie View's next FFT program is May 3 through 5. Marilyn Hamilton, Ph.D., will share about "Our Global Village."
Anyone interested in learning more about Food for Thought may visit Prairie View's website at www.prairieview.org or call 800-362-0180, extension 6412.
