When I spoke with Nina Elliot about her vision for expanding TRUE Health & Wholeness wellness studio, she was excited to tell me about the new TRUE Gives Back Program to offer fitness and wellness services to moms who otherwise couldn’t afford them.
The long-term vision for the business she co-owns with her husband, Christian, is to change people’s ideas about health. “You don’t transform your world until you transform your city, your block,” Nina said. She and Christian, parents of three with a fourth due in November, wanted to effect change among local Arlington-area residents. They came up with the Give Back Program to invite people in the facility who might not otherwise enter because of the cost of personal or group training and wellness services.
Even though we live in a time where there is tons of information available about how to be healthy, that information does not do us any good on its own, in the absence of meaningful connections that facilitate and demonstrate applied knowledge over time. In order to experience transformation, people need connection and support. That’s what TRUE wants to provide to moms in need.
In fashioning their “give back” program, the Elliots knew they needed to be specific, and then decided to home in on moms. Nina noted that moms are often the ones doing the shopping for the family and the meal preparation, so they are the prime example for the family. To reach more people, go where the moms are!
The program works like a sponsorship program. Applicants send a short video outlining their current situation, the setbacks they’ve had, the obstacles they face in their health goals and why they would like TRUE ’s help. Nina encourages anyone who could benefit from the program to apply. Submissions can be emailed to GiveBack (at) true-hw (dot) com.
Maybe a mom has joined another program and it didn’t work. If chosen for the program, she could come into TRUE to meet the staff and find out what might work for her based on her needs.
Participants in the program will then:
1. Have access to participate in the 30-day TRUE Transformation Challenge, which includes
- up to five group workouts per week
- pre- and post-challenge fitness and body composition test
- meal plans
- a grocery store tour
- access to trainers and Challenge Community on Facebook
2. Have access to TRUE team members for up to four hours per month of one-on-one attention
The mom might get one hour of a nutrition consult, one hour of acupuncture, and two hours of personal training, or whatever makes the most sense based on her needs.
This program is for people who are
- Eager for change
- Limited in financial resources
- Stuck in the transition process
How is this program being funded? TRUE is calling on its member s to purchase gift certificates to be used for the Give Back Program or to donate the perks from their Health Portfolio to the program. At this writing, 164 hours have been donated.
For complete details on the Give Back Program, visit http://true-hw.com/give-back-program. To participate in the November TRUE Transformation Challenge, applications must be received by October 26.
These are busy times for the Elliots, a homeschooling family currently living in Del Ray, Alexandria. TRUE is launching the Give Back Program just before the arrival of the fourth Elliot child and in the midst of planning an expansion to another location. The current TRUE studio is located at the Avalon on Glebe Road at 395 in south Arlington.
TRUE offers personal training, group fitness classes, Pilates and more; cooking classes; health coaching and naturopathic medicine; and wellness services such as acupuncture, massage, sauna, ionic foot soaks and more. The studio also sells locally-made bone broth, MTO kombucha, and select other nourishing food items.
The current studio will remain open while construction at the new and expanded TRUE facility on Walter Reed and Columbia Pike is underway. The Elliots are targeting spring opening of the new space, which they are calling Studio D. Click here for more on the concept for the new space, which was formerly a World Gym and is located in the Halstead building.
Follow TRUE on Facebook for updates and look for a future post here on Mindful Healthy Life about the Elliots’ plans for the new place, which will include childcare and children’s fitness classes!
Jessica Claire Haney is the founder, publisher and editor of Mindful Healthy Life. She is a co-leader for the Arlington/Alexandria chapter of Holistic Moms Network. Her personal blog is Crunchy-Chewy Mama. See the Contributors page for more on Jessica.
