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May 2020 Newsletter
in this issue...
COVID-19 Emergency Grant Recipients
Members' Quarantine Stories
Mental Health Awareness Month
Mother's Day Celebration
Cabinet Members Wanted!
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THANK YOU MEMBERS
for believing in the greater good, for putting community needs above self, and for understanding the power of collective giving and action. Your votes and contributions directly assisted in making a difference during this pandemic.
It is our honor to announce that $50,000 in The Women’s Fund COVID-19 Emergency Grants has been awarded to the following community organizations:
Pathways to Hope for Children (PHC)
- $25,000 to fund a Family Resource Parent Partner to help with a rapidly increasing backlog of vulnerable women seeking employment, daycare and mental illness assistance.
Shasta Family YMCA
- $15,000 to continue to provide discounted emergency day care camp through the end of June and possibly beyond for children of health care providers and other essential workers.
Dignity Health Connected Living
- $5000 to support the Food Bank at Mercy Oaks campus in Redding, specifically targeting feminine hygiene and incontinence products, diapers and other personal care items not covered by other funding.
THANK YOU COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS
for everything you're doing on the front line every day, serving the women and children in our region who are so desperately in need of assistance!
We are all in this together!
These additional awards will not affect our 2020 grant cycle. Because of our forward-thinking founders, our endowment will help provide additional grant awards for the 2020 grant cycle.
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Denise Yergenson
The shelter in place order and all the chaos of COVID-19 have so many people on edge, but I for one have actually enjoyed the slowdown of my world, the re-connection with those closest to me and the ability to offer more of myself to organizations I care about, like The Women's Fund.
The Coronavirus has brought my two grown children home and I have had the joy of seeing more of them than ever since they grew and left the house. One has been home for six weeks, working from our house and the other lives nearby, but has been here more to see his sister. Just watching that relationship blossom has been wonderful.
Working from home has given me an extra hour or so every day to do things that are neglected when you work away from the house. I can go to work in pajamas, and no one knows any different. Just that has gained me an hour in the morning! My yard looks better than ever, even if I am the crazy neighbor lady with the kitchen knife edging the lawn. Disconnecting from the go, go, go of life before this pandemic has allowed me time to take dance classes from my daughter, who teaches remotely via Zoom from our living room, garage, back yard and entry way.
Working from home is very challenging and I miss my friends and going on the occasional “retail therapy” shopping session, but there are many upsides to this slower paced world. I do realize that I have it much easier than many around me, but I think we can all find some good in this crazy situation and count our blessings as we continue to stay home.
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Janessa Wilder
The Gift of the “Great Pause.”
The start of my day used to be a frenzied rush to get all three kids dressed, fed, teeth brushed, and out the door and across town by the 8 am school start for my oldest daughter, who last year racked up over 10 tardies (for which I had to go to the principal’s office for a talking-to.) Now, we don’t set an alarm and the kids wake me up. :-) Without ballet, gymnastics, orchestra rehearsals, we’re spending much less time in the car going to and fro and more time at home--together. We take walks as a family, which never used to happen between all of the evening activities and events that competed for time and space. Are my kids learning as much? I don’t know. But I will look back on this time as priceless—a deep breath, a great pause, a quieter pace, a blessed stillness, where the meaning of home has expanded and deepened. The only thing missing is a lingering guilt for those who don’t have the luxury of sinking into stillness—those without a home, without security, without options, without support or a safety net. This is where my gratitude for The Women’s Fund’s support for women and families in our area only grows—to give a channel from my heart, combined with others, to other women during this time...
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Article by Lynn E. Fritz
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT #45877
Don’t overlook the impact of the pandemic on our mental health. Our way of life has radically shifted. Our routines, employment, relationships, our very way of life has been disrupted and possibly forever altered.
The natural response to such circumstances is stress, anxiety, depression; a cascade of mental, emotional and physical ailments. Each of us is impacted to varying degrees based upon our personal trauma history, our support systems and access to resources. It’s imperative to have practices and resources that help us regain and maintain balance as we weather the pandemic storm.
Practices include simple things such as sitting quietly, closing our eyes, taking a long slow deep breath and visualizing ourselves someplace in nature that is therapeutic to us. Giving ourselves a 3 to 5-minute break in this therapeutic space can help us navigate stressful circumstances. Meditation, listening to music, exercise, taking a hike in nature, eating nutritional foods help us to maintain balance. Despite skepticism about its effectiveness, utilizing positive affirmations daily improves our mood and supports us in maintaining an optimistic perspective.
If one continues to struggle mentally, it’s in one’s own best interest to contact a mental health professional. If we broke a bone, we’d visit a doctor to restore our health. If we are suffering emotionally/mentally, reach out for such services.
Most psychotherapists are providing telehealth sessions during the pandemic. A listing of local licensed marriage family therapists can be found at
www.rrccamft.org
. Psychology Today at
www.psychologytoday.com
lists a whole spectrum of mental health professionals.
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The
NorCal United Way 2-1-1
Service Line helps connect people with local resources. This service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for both everyday needs and times of crisis.
Those interested in providing volunteer support during the COVID-19 response can join
HERE
and find out how you can safely help your community during this difficult time.
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The views expressed by our newsletter contributors reflect those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views The Women’s Fund, its members, or the Shasta Regional Community Foundation.
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Honor the Women Who Have Encouraged and Inspired You
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May is the Month we set aside a special day to remember our Mothers and others who have influenced our lives as only “Moms” can.
What is a mom? Does a mom have to be a blood relation? Could she be adopted? Could she be a friend? A grandmother? A teacher? A coach? A neighbor? A mom is anyone who breaths fire and life into our soul! She teaches what is important, inspires us to dream and work toward those dreams, brings happiness, and creates memories! A mom helps create a vision of what we can be!
Read the full article published at Enjoy Magazine
here
!
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Make a donation or gift a membership in honor or memory of your Mom or any loved one who has breathed life into your soul!
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The Women's Fund is looking to fill a few Cabinet positions.
Each July, our regular Cabinet positions come to term. This year, we have a few phenomenal women rolling off our Cabinet; as such, we are actively looking to fill a few positions!
If you are interested in getting more involved with The Women's Fund, or perhaps served in the past and are ready to re-engage, please fill out our Cabinet Member application
HERE
and email us at reddingwomensfund@gmail.com.
CABINET MEMBER APPLICATION DEADLINE IS WEDNESDAY, MAY 20.
Please consider joining us – share your time and talents! The Women's Fund Cabinet consists of a team of dedicated women who volunteer to make the organization run smoothly while having fun. The Women’s Fund welcomes you to bring your interest, your expertise, and your heart, and apply them directly to helping your community.
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