LUCKY BREAK

The Holy Family Center at Nazareth Hospital provides education, drug and nutrition support, and fellowship for thousands of HIV/AIDS patients. One of their groups is the teen program that counsels, supports and encourages drug adherence among teenagers. Over the course of COVID this group has morphed into virtual communities and other smaller groups, but one thing has continued to bring them together - the pool table.

Not only have the teens developed their relationships with each other, but they have fostered relationships with the nursing students enrolled at Nazareth over pool. Together through COVID they united over the game. The pool table helps raise self-esteem and makes them excited to come to the clinic for their appointments - which makes them more committed to their treatment plan.

Whether riding high from a win or slightly riled up from losing a game, the pool table has been a fun way to get the youths and teenagers feeling pumped. If they’ve won, their confidence will soar keeping their energy going. If they’ve lost, they may feel the need to try harder and they’ll want to come back to the next game ready to take on a new opponent. The relaxed nature of the game gets everyone involved and offers a different way to see to their peers when attempting to pocket those balls.