Brown bags offer buffer during uncertain times

Armed with a smile and an array of free goodies and gadgets, Sandi Magill carefully packs crisp brown paper bags for patrons dining at the Sembach Community Center April 25.

Magill is a prevention coordinator for U.S. Army Garrison Baden-Württemberg and Kaiserslautern Army Substance Abuse Programs, and she’s also responsible for manning a well-stocked information table during the garrison’s weekly Brown Bag Lunch Sessions.

The sessions, which began in April, are designed to help KMC members cope with the effects of sequestration and the announced federal employee furloughs.

“We knew that there were some people who may have been feeling stressed out and overwhelmed by everything that was going on,” Magill said. “So we thought it would be a good idea to help on the preventive end to point people toward the right resources and places they can go to get the help they need.”

Community members can ask questions and pick up information pamphlets on topics such as volunteering, suicide prevention, health and wellness, resiliency, stress management, drug and alcohol abuse, financial planning and more while eating their lunch. So far, the response to the sessions has been positive “We have anywhere from 10 to 30 people who will come by the table during lunch or on their way to somewhere else. It’s a one-stop shop,” she said.

The sessions are open to service members from all military branches, government civilians and families.
“Sometimes there’s a stigma about needing help, that you’re weak,” said U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Jason Gabbard, Kandahar Provincial Reconstruction Team. “That same stigma can sometimes cause you to not seek help. With something like this, you can grab something to eat and swing by the table. It’s nice to have something here that’s not too conspicuous that you can use at your own comfort.”

Magill said she plans to continue the sessions through the end of the fiscal year.

“The main thing that I want to stress is that people should not have to feel that they are all by themselves in this,” Magill said. “Everyone is being affected. If we all pull together, we can really make a lot of positive progress.”

The Brown Bag Lunch Sessions run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. and rotate between dining facilities across the KMC.

For more information on the program, call 486-6254 or 06371-86-6254. The next session is scheduled for Wednesday at the Kapaun Dining Facility.