LEWISTON — Fifteen women recently attended the first meeting of the YWCA’s Women’s Walking Group.

The women had a potluck dinner, walked the Franklin Pasture trails behind Lewiston High School and returned for dessert and social time.

The group will meet every Thursday in October from 5 to 6:30 p.m. It’s open to all women in the Lewiston-Auburn community. Participants are able to receive a free pair of gently used sneakers.

The group will gather for light snacks before the walk. Participants are welcome to bring food to share, but are not required to. The group will leave from the YWCA to walk a 1.4-mile loop on the Franklin Pasture trails behind Lewiston High School led by YWCA Community Outreach Specialist Taysir Jama. The trails are well-kept, safe and provide beautiful views of the city.

The Women’s Walking Group is a Positive Ethnic and Cultural Exchange program, an initiative working to build community among women at the YWCA and emphasize cross-cultural exchange. This program was inspired by input from participants in the YWCA’s Single Gender Swim, a swim class designed to meet the privacy needs of Muslim women.

FMI: 207-795-4050, [email protected].