Aster Center: March is now Eating Disorders Awareness month

In 2014, The Aster Center took home the top prize at Global Startup Battle: Delaware, hosted by Start It Up Delaware and 1313 Innovation in Wilmington. This month, founder Kiersten Jones Schwendeman and fellow advocates went to Legislative Hall and got a bill passed making March Eating Disorders Awareness Month in Delaware.

“[The Aster Center is] still working on bringing better awareness and education about eating disorders to Delaware, and we’re thrilled to have Delaware finally begin to recognize the gravity of this issue in the state,” said Jones Schwendeman. “Eating Disorders are the leading cause of death in those with mental health issues and our state has so many people suffering in silence.”

The goal of the Aster Center is to open a treatment facility for people with eating disorders in Delaware. Presently, people in need of outpatient care for eating disorders have to go to Philadelphia or Baltimore to get it, adding travel expenses on top of other challenges.

“Although we don’t have a physical treatment center in Delaware yet, we have begun the process of creating a non-profit foundation in Delaware related to eating disorder awareness and education,” said Jones Schwendeman. “Our group will be speaking at the Delaware Behavioral Health Consortium sponsored by Lieutenant Governor Bethany Hall-Long this spring.”

For more about the Delaware Behavioral Health Consortium, click here.