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Holiday Greetings,
I hope that you are having a joyous holiday season, reconnecting with friends and family, making time for reflection and self-care, taking a nature walk to enjoy the winter wonderland, volunteering for your favorite cause, or whatever brings you bliss.
As we begin the new year, I am reissuing a personal holiday tradition that I share between Christmas and Epiphany (Three Kings Day) with friends and colleagues alike. It helps me to focus and prioritize the importance of serving others. While this is a faith-based poem, it has universal appeal for the work that we do in philanthropy and the helping professions. Hence, it has broader, secular applications. For me, it provides a unique way of thinking about and addressing some of the social determinants of health described in Thurman’s poem.
“Now the Work of Christmas Begins”, composed by Howard Thurman, an African American theologian, educator, and civil rights leader.
Now the Work of Christmas Begins
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among the people,
To make music in the heart.
To find the lost, I reflect upon the many ways that people can be lost to families and communities, whether through abduction, running away from home, human trafficking, or isolation due to age, disability, or illness, and what we can do to prevent or address these issues. When considering missing and trafficked persons, I think about how specific populations such as children, women of color, and trans-persons are at risk. January 11th is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day. I also ponder the growing number of homebound or “shut-in” individuals in our communities and what we can do to prevent social isolation. According to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy’s May 2023 report, loneliness and isolation are public health epidemics with deadly consequences akin to smoking.
For more information and resources on missing and trafficked persons, the homebound, and loneliness, please click on the button for the links below:
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To heal the broken, access to affordable oral, behavioral, and physical healthcare is still a challenge for many northern Lake County residents, particularly for the uninsured and underinsured. I commend our grantees and community partners who are working to provide better access. I specifically want to highlight the following health and wellness professionals who have January observance days: personal trainers (1/2), pharmacists (1/12), psychiatric technicians (1/16), IV nurses (1/25), activity professionals (1/26), and pediatricians (1/28). Below are resources for free, low-cost, and/or sliding-scale healthcare services in Lake County. | |
To feed the hungry, according to Feeding America, 46,520 people in Lake County are food insecure, at a rate of 6.5%. in 2021. This is a 0.6% improvement from 2020. The inability to access healthy foods has a deleterious effect on oral, mental, and physical health, as well as negatively impacting optimal functioning at school and work. In 2021, kids and minorities suffered the most, according to an article on Lake County food insecurity published last year in the Patch. To learn more about health and hunger or to access food resources in Lake County, please click the button below. | |
To release the prisoner, reintegrating into communities can be difficult for many returning citizens. According to AAFP, a professional association of family practice physicians, adolescents have higher rates of mortality and morbidity. Healthy People 2030 reports worse physical and mental health among people who have been incarcerated, with women having a greater disease burden than their male counterparts. Community Health Worker (CHW) programs for returning citizens implemented by those with lived experience have been shown to be successful in increasing access to care and decreasing reentry. I had the honor of co-presenting at December’s Lake County Crisis Coalition meeting with colleagues from Advocate Aurora Health (Jeanne Ang and Bryan Winters, CHW) on CHWs and Opportunities for Behavioral Health and Returning Citizens. For more information on incarceration, health, and resources to support reintegration and decrease recidivism, please click button below. | |
To rebuild the nations, “Peace on Earth” is sung in many carols and dons holiday cards a plenty, however we know that this is the ideal not our current reality with wars in Ukraine, the Middle East, and elsewhere. We also see the dire consequences of climate change, economic upheaval, political unrest, and natural and person-made disasters driving international mass migration of people around the globe, which requires rebuilding communities locally, nationally, and internationally. For more information and resources on nation-building and local migrant resources, please click the button below. | |
To bring peace among people, conflict is natural, and sometimes it can even be healthy. It is how we handle conflict that matters. Do we utilize conflict in ways that can help us learn and grow or in ways that inhibit dialogue or destroy relationships? Too often, we hear about the use of gun violence to settle grievances. We are fortunate to have violence interrupters working in Lake County to help stem gun violence and provide healthy alternatives to conflict resolution. Click button below for resources to foster individual, organizational, and community development and deter gun violence in order to bring about peace among the people: | |
To make music in the heart, music provides so much more than a good, danceable beat. It can be used to help manage stress and invigorate our workouts, but did you also know that music is therapeutic and can foster better physical, mental, and educational outcomes? For more information on music and health, please click the resources button below: | |
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Happy New Year! I look forward to collaborating in 2024!
Best,
Venoncia
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Check out the new Social Determinants of Health Map on our website! | |
Webinar: Launching New Conversations on Human Services and Aging
Date: January 18, 2024
Time: 2:00 pm
Description:
Everyone should have access to the health and human services we need to thrive and be vital members of our communities as we age. To create successful and equitable aging, we need systemic change driven by inclusive policies, holistic programs, community education, and bold advocacy. We are building a new narrative about aging while promoting the value of human services in an effort to gain public support and work toward meaningful policy solutions.
Join Illinois Partners for a conversation about our new statewide Reframing Aging Initiative. We will share an overview of our reframing journey, our vision for uniting our sector and communities around reframing, and our new approach to training and technical assistance for health and human service professionals interested in telling a more complete story about aging.
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Registration is now open for the inaugural Disability Leadership Summit!
January 23-24, 2024
Click below to register for a virtual conference of learning and doing for disabled professionals in industry and public service.
For any registration questions, please contact Anne Renna, arenna@disabilitylead.org.
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TWO TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
Do you have a neighborly heart for those suffering from loneliness or dealing with mental health crises?
There is a tremendous need for Companionship all around us.
You could be the one to fill that need!
Community Trainer Training
Community Trainer Training equips compassionate people to serve as Companions in their communities by leading “Become a Companion” workshops (see class info below). It is an enriching service providing personal fulfillment and satisfying the needs of those in mental or emotional distress.
This virtual course includes:
● "Become a Companion," a three-hour workshop that teaches participants the principles and practices of Companionship.
● Instructor Training, an 8-hour workshop that teaches people to lead Companionship workshops themselves.
An application and recommendation letter are required.
Community Trainer Training
January 24, 2024, Wed, 5-8 pm CT
PLUS January 27, 2024, Sat, 9 am-5:30 pm CT
Cost: $1200
(Discounts available)
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“Become a Companion” Workshop
Participants understand how to create a public relationship with someone in distress. You will learn how to make a difference in their life with:
●Hospitality
●Neighboring
●Side-by-side
●Listening
●Accompaniment
The 3-hour workshop will provide participants with an understanding of how to move from a transactional exchange model to a relational engagement model that enables substantial change when helping others. Workshop participants will also learn the importance of integrating Companionship into their organizations and communities.
Participants will receive a guidebook and certificate.
Become a Companion Workshop
January 24, 2024, 5-8 PM CT
Cost: $60
(Group discounts available)
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Facilitating Collaborative Meetings
Online - February 13-14, 2024
Engaging in collaborative work involves a lot of multi-stakeholder meetings. These meetings are critical for building relationships, sustaining momentum, maintaining partner accountability, and advancing the collaborative’s work. But how do you design and facilitate these meetings in a way that is intentional and meaningful and spurs action?
In the two-day online workshop Facilitating Collaborative Meetings, learn about tools and strategies to help you more intentionally plan, design, and facilitate meetings that are results-driven and move your collaborative forward.
This will be an active workshop, including facilitation resources, small group discussions, and personal work.
Who is this session best for? Anyone new to facilitating collaborative meetings and wants to build their toolbox around best practices and helpful resources.
Workshop Lead: Courtney W. Robertson, Director of Programs and Partnerships, Collective Impact Forum
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2024 Funding Opportunities & RFP Changes
Application deadlines continue to be staged by funding priority and open to nonprofits in all eligible states
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Telligen's 2024 funding priorities and opportunities are focused on their commitment to support advancing health workforce development strategies and addressing pediatric social determinants of health. Click the button below to learn more. | |
OUR MISSION
The Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County supports efforts that improve access to health services for underserved Lake County, Illinois, residents. We strive to improve the health status of uninsured, underinsured, and medically underserved residents.
We are especially interested in addressing gaps in health services, increasing the capacity of effective organizations and programs, and fostering innovative solutions to persistent healthcare access problems.
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Questions about the Healthcare Foundation of Northern Lake County? Contact: | | | | |
