The JUMP team, composed of members of The Cato T. Laurencin Institute at UConn and operating under the strategic leadership of Dr. Cato T. Laurencin, continues to advance community\u2011focused health and wellness initiatives through its Tower Garden Program. JUMP, which stands for the \u201cJust Us Moving Program,\u201d is a community outreach initiative designed to educate individuals of all ages about the importance of increased physical activity and healthy lifestyles habits. The program offers free, movement focused events that combine exercise, wellness education, and inclusive activities that can be adapted for all ability levels. One of the most meaningful impacts of this work is reflected in the experience of Wilson\u2011Gray YMCA staff member Kevin Shannon.<\/p>\n
Tower Gardens Bring Fresh Produce and Health Education to Hartford<\/strong><\/p>\n Installed in August 2021 at the Wilson\u2011Gray YMCA in Hartford, the tower gardens have provided YWCA members and staff with ongoing access to fresh, nutrient\u2011rich greens. The gardens promote healthier eating habits, hands\u2011on learning, and a deeper sense of community engagement.<\/p>\n Shortly after installation, Mr. Shannon volunteered to care for the tower gardens. His enthusiasm and commitment helped the gardens thrive, introducing many YMCA members to the benefits of incorporating fresh, home\u2011grown greens into their daily meals.<\/p>\n A Personal Journey Toward Health<\/strong><\/p>\n In 2024, Mr. Shannon\u2019s doctor encouraged him to adopt several lifestyle habits to help him stay healthy and maintain long\u2011term wellness. Following this guidance, he began reducing sweets, choosing more whole grains, and incorporating a wider variety of vegetables and leafy greens into his daily meals.<\/p>\n The tower gardens quickly became an essential resource in this effort. The fresh produce he helped grow made it easier to follow his new eating habits, and caring for the gardens provided a quiet, grounding space in his routine. The simple act of tending the plants offered motivation, reflection, and emotional balance.<\/p>\n As Mr. Shannon continued these healthy practices, he credited both the nutritious foods he harvested and the meaningful routine of garden care as important contributors to his overall well\u2011being. His experience demonstrates how accessible wellness resources can empower individuals to make positive, lasting changes in their lives.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking with the tower gardens has made a great personal impact on my life,\u201d said Shannon. \u201cI learned about how to create a healthier lifestyle and healthier eating habits. So now I can share those lessons with the kids. It\u2019s something I feel is very important because the lessons we learn in youth are the ones that stay with you.\u201d<\/p>\n A Community Space with Lasting Impact<\/strong><\/p>\n Beyond Shannon\u2019s story, the tower garden has grown into a valued part of the YMCA community. It continues to serve as:<\/p>\n About The Cato T. Laurencin Institute<\/strong><\/p>\n Under the leadership of\u00a0 Laurencin of UConn and its School of Medicine, The Cato T. Laurencin Institute is committed to advancing health, wellness, and innovation through research and community engagement.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Initiative Supports Wellness and Inspires Personal Transformation at Wilson Gray YMCA. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":228,"featured_media":239688,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_crdt_document":"","wds_primary_category":0,"wds_primary_series":0,"wds_primary_attribution":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1715,2231,1868,179,2233],"tags":[],"magazine-issues":[],"coauthors":[2653],"class_list":["post-239687","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-community-impact","category-health-well-being","category-meds","category-uconn-health","category-university-news"],"pp_statuses_selecting_workflow":false,"pp_workflow_action":"current","pp_status_selection":"publish","acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-05-30 15:10:35","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239687","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/users\/228"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=239687"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239687\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":239802,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/posts\/239687\/revisions\/239802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media\/239688"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=239687"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=239687"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=239687"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-issue","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/magazine-issues?post=239687"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/today.uconn.edu\/wp-rest\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=239687"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n