Florida Blue Partners With My Hope Chest for Pilot Workshops

ST. PETERSBURG, FL--(Marketwired - Aug 1, 2014) - In a collaborative effort, Florida Blue Westshore Retail Store will partner with My Hope Chest, the locally based national charity, to launch, "Sex, Sleep & Sanity! Three Essentials for Women's Wellness," a free Creating Butterflies Wellness Workshop presented by renowned physician Dr. Carmella Sebastian. The first workshop will take place August 8 at 11:00 a.m. at the Florida Blue Retail Center in Tampa.

Workshop Details:
When: Friday, August 8th, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Where: Florida Blue Retail Center, Tampa West Shore, 201 N West Shore Blvd, Tampa, FL 33609

Cost: Free, plus lunch is included! (Registration required as seating is limited)
More information and to register: 813-282-9926

A brainchild of My Hope Chest, the workshop is designed to present health education in an informative and uplifting manner, focusing on being inspired to achieve optimum good health rather than focusing on being fearful of ill health. Renowned health educators from the Florida Blue family will support the two-hour workshops and topics will vary to include fun and informative themes such as healthy eating habits, women's health and the benefits of laughter on wellness.

"With Florida Blue now being a health solutions company and not just an insurance company, we have launched efforts to educate and support the community through partnerships with organizations like My Hope Chest. We are working to bring education and wellness opportunities to the community through the 'Creating Butterflies Wellness Workshops' which support Florida Blue's mission of helping people and communities achieve better health," said Michelle Hamilton of Florida Blue.

This first in a series of pilots are free to the public, with a goal to roll out the Creating Butterflies Wellness Workshops concept to other Florida Blue stores in the future. Seminars will be informative, uplifting and presented by engaging speakers with a positive message of hope for help, prevention or control of health issues.

"My Hope Chest couldn't be happier about this new alliance and seeing our seminar pilot come to life with Florida Blue," said Alisa Savoretti, founder of My Hope Chest. "We anticipate a wonderful response to the Creating Butterflies Wellness Workshops and the numerous positive benefits for the healthy lifestyle they will bring to all who attend."

Just as a caterpillar may see its world coming to an end before it becomes a butterfly, women facing breast cancer are terrified by the unknown. Still, of those that survive treatment, many are unable to heal physically and emotionally because they lack the means for breast reconstruction. This is where My Hope Chest (www.MyHopeChest.org) steps in as the only national non-profit providing reconstruction for under- and un-insured survivors.

Dr. Carmella Sebastian, "Dr. Carm," is a nationally known wellness educator with a special interest in women at mid-life and women's wellness. She recently published her first book, Sex and Spaghetti Sauce: My Italian Mother's Recipe for Getting Healthy and Getting Busy in Your 50's and Beyond! Admired for her straightforward talk and sense of humor, Dr. Carm offers her audience practical, achievable wellness strategies and solutions, speaking frequently on a range of wellness topics and uplifting and engaging all who attend.