CINCINNATI — During the pandemic, people have struggled to maintain their mental health because of the stressors due to COVID-19.

And while some people have sought counseling, others are finding creative programs to help ease their stress.

The Wave Pool woodshop is where women are learning not only how to make beautiful pieces out of wood. But also gaining a community of women who are healing from trauma.

This is all thanks to the Owning Your Own Voice program. 

Johnnie Mae Gutter is a participant in the program.

She was working on building an angel seat for a healing bench project. 

“We got angels around us and there’s nice people in the world who need help,” she said.

Working on this project is therapeutic to Mae Gutter, who almost died from a heart attack years ago. She’s also experienced a lot of trauma over the years. 

“My daughter died and then I had trouble with my granddaughter trying to get her back,” she said. 

Attending Owning your Own Voice has helped her heal from her past trauma.

Not only is she learning how to use tools to make pieces out of wood. But she’s among other women who share their stories of trauma to help one another.

“You got people around you that give you inspiration and knowledge and help you go ahead through it,” she said. 

In addition to making the seats for the healing benches, Mae Gutter and the other women have been tasked with journaling their experience with trauma.

The journals will be stored inside the seats for people to read.

Mae gutter said she learned a lot from this experience.

“Learn from your past and go ahead and believe in yourself and keep going,” she said. 

Through this program, organizers hope to empower women who have experienced trauma, addiction, or other life issues through storytelling.

Mae Gutter said she hopes that her story will help others heal from their trauma or life issues.

“If you help somebody else then you get your reward back in return,” she said. “So far I got my reward back in return more than I ever could imagine.”