Wellness Center waiting for the Green Light

Everyone wants to get rid of their “COVID 15,” right??

Well, the Manchester Wellness Center, located behind Riverside School at 710 E. Main Street, is ready and waiting to help you out with that little problem!

Shannon Cajic, who was just announced as the new Director at the Wellness Center in late February, shortly before the coronavirus closed everything down, is eager to get started again and says the staff has been working hard to get everything ready for the governor’s “green light” for gyms and health centers.

Cajic, who grew up in Manchester, graduated from Ferris State University, and lived in West Michigan for several years, decided a few years ago to return “home” to raise her son. She has been working for Manchester Community Schools for the past two years, wearing “lots of hats,” and saw the position opening for the director of the Wellness Center when it separated from the Chelsea and Dexter facilities earlier this year.

“It was like my dream job,” she says. “I love people; I love helping others–it’s my passion. With my business background and my interest in fitness and changing lives for the better, it was an opportunity to marry all of those things together.”

Her goal for the center is to provide a “whole health approach” to fitness, not just the act of physical exercise. Her interest in the mind/body wellness connection is an approach on which she wants to focus as she starts her new position.

“A lot of people were concerned when the school took over management from the 5 Healthy Towns Foundation,” she added. “They thought that maybe the school was not going to keep the community involved. But nothing could be further from the truth. I absolutely want to reach out even more to the community than we have in the past.” She hopes to involve SRSLY, the Community Resource Center, local business, and other groups with the Center and provide events, speakers, and other ways to encourage the community to get involved.

While the official transition was scheduled for April 1, that has obviously been delayed. When members return to the Wellness Center, they will be asked to sign a revised membership agreement, which will reflect the only real changes to the way things have been going all along.

Meanwhile, Cajic and the staff at MWC have been busy cleaning, sanitizing, and setting procedures in place for re-opening as soon as the Governor’s orders allow. “The custodial crew has done an amazing job–we’ve cleaned carpets, we’ve deep cleaned, and sanitized everything. Obviously there will be some new procedures such as a standard health questionnaire, and a temperature scan. We’ll be requesting social distancing, of course, so members will want to keep in mind the six feet rule, and masks are recommended for all members.”

The center has a COVID preparedness and response plan in place, and intends to follow all CDC guidelines. They will have a fitness assistant on the floor at all times, observing and helping members, sanitizing stations between use, and monitoring what equipment has been in use. All staff will be trained in every aspect of keeping the center healthy according to published guidelines.

So watch for an announcement of the grand re-opening of the Manchester Wellness Center–coming soon!

Shannon Cajic, new director of Manchester Wellness Center.

For as little as $1 a month, you can keep Manchester-focused news coverage alive.

by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.