MANSFIELD — Christy Berg wants to take the Mansfield community on a journey to “living healthier lives.”
Berg, a Richland County native, started a newsletter called “The Wellness Paper” in April with her friend Brandi Johnson, who is studying life and wellness coaching online at Maharishi International University.
Berg, 34, is a mother of two and has a goal of writing a book by the time she’s 40, and the newsletter is the first step toward that goal.
“I enrolled in a writing course and basically wrote the first issue of The Wellness Paper there,” she said. “I checked it out with (Johnson), she printed a bunch of it, and J&J’s customers loved it.”
Johnson, 29, has worked at the J&J Food Mart on Marion Street for four years. The convenience store is the first to distribute the print version of the newsletter. Johnson said the “Wellness Paper” is aimed at spreading health education to people who may not have access to it.
“I think a lot of people want this information, they just don’t know where to find it,” Johnson said.
“Or, if they’ve seen something on the same topic before, they might ignore it. But I think people will be more appreciative if it’s something they discussed in person with someone they know at a convenience store.”
Previous issues of “The Wellness Paper” have covered topics such as sleep hygiene, music, healthy eating and local gun violence.
The newsletter is often written in an informal tone, backed up by official statistics and facts. In an article titled “Violence in Mansfield, Ohio,” Berg pointed to the FBI’s D- CrimeGrade and other national media outlets that have highlighted the dangers of violence on the streets.
“I don’t think I need to elaborate on this point with any more statistics or facts for us to all agree on the current situation. Mansfield is suffering from an epidemic of violence. This raises important questions. why? and What can be done to stop the spread?” Berg wrote.
Berg said he meets with Johnson regularly to discuss what topics other community members are talking about.
“There’s not necessarily a specific focus, we’re just listening to what people are struggling with,” Berg said.
“Some people in our community aren’t getting help because they’re not asking for it. They’re not in a therapy office, but they might be at J&J, online or somewhere else.”
Berg said he researches the topic he wants to write about and then compiles that information into a newsletter format.
“My last book on gun violence took me probably 12 hours of research,” she says, “but I love reading scientific journals and academic journals, so that’s right up my alley.”
Where to get Wellness Papers
Each newsletter includes a summary of the previous newsletter, author bios, and tips for additional resources.
“When I see the book on the counter at a convenience store, it’s really nice because it sparks conversation right then and there,” Johnson said.
“For the first issue, someone gave me $20 and I said, ‘No, this is free,’ but he wanted us to keep the money and use it to print more copies.”
Johnson said some therapists and OhioHealth nurses are printing their own issues that they think will be helpful to their patients.
Berg also stops by other businesses that sell printed issues to see which issues are the most popular.
“I stopped into Fresh Ground recently and all the music records were gone, and I thought, ‘Oh, our customers are interested in music,'” she says. “I’m also happy to look into any topics people suggest.
“I have a conversation with you, you talk to someone else, they talk to someone else, and that’s how real change happens. It’s another free way to help the community, just by starting a conversation.”
Wellness Paper has partnered with 3rd Cup Tea, Fresh Grounds Coffee House, Sacred Crown Tattoo Company and J&J Food Mart to have print copies of the new issue available.
Berg and Johnson also moderate a Facebook group called “The WELLNESS paper,” which has 92 followers. The duo posts motivation, community updates, and links to the newsletter on Medium, the digital version of the newsletter.
Four issues of the newsletter have been published so far, and Berg says they aim to publish a new issue every few weeks, and they are accepting topic suggestions at thewellnesspaper@proton.me.
