Children are our future. They absorb the life around them and we can maximize their experiences by choosing actions that make a difference. In times of e-learning and social distancing, we can help our children with enriching and meaningful life experiences and in managing the stress of the additional demands of our time.

Most recommendations for making a difference for children reference being fully present for the child in your life. Put down the phone, make eye contact, smile, listen, and provide your full attention. Share meals without electronics.

Here are a number of other suggestions:

1. Spend time with a child – your child, grandchild, niece, nephew, cousin, child of a friend.
2. Help a child immerse him or herself in what (s)he loves most at the moment.
3. Focus on a child’s strengths.
4. Model perseverance and patience.
5. Show a positive attitude.
6. Don’t avoid stressors – instead, talk about them with a view to developing coping tactics.
7. Be reassuring.
8. Watch for signs of trouble or abuse in the child’s life; bring it to the attention of appropriate resources.
9. Support an organization that serves children – Scouts, YMCA, Big Brothers and Sisters, local recreation outlets, or places of worship.
10. Tell policy makers to support initiatives that are good for children.

July is a great month to spend time with children. The rewards for the child are lifetime in length, and the rewards for you are too.

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Resources:

• 100 Ways to Make a Difference to Children
• Make a Difference for Children Month
• The Power of One
• Making a Difference to Children

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a mental health issue some people develop after being exposed to traumatic or life-threatening events. We commonly think of it in relation to combat and other military experiences, but it may be caused by other trauma such as a physical or sexual attack, a serious accident, terrorist attacks or natural disasters.   It may include reliving the event, avoiding things that remind one of the event, having more negative thoughts and feelings than before and feeling on edge.  Trouble sleeping, negative behaviors such as smoking, drinking, abuse of drugs and increase in aggressiveness may also be present.

If these symptoms persist for more than a few months after the initial trauma, it may be PTSD. Treatment for this disorder can be very effective in improving the lives of those who suffer from it. Symptoms may be reduced, less intense, or even disappear. The important think to recognize is that it is something experienced by many people and can be treated so that the quality of life can improve.

Many may not feel ready for treatment or that they have perhaps waited too long to seek treatment. However, not wanting to talk about the trauma can actually be a symptom of PTSD. Treatment can be effective even many years after the initial trauma.

Treatment may include individual counseling, support groups and/or medications. Many insurance plans will cover the treatment; check your policy to see what is covered. Find an experienced provider that you are comfortable with.  Treatment for PTSD can be a life changing experience for the better!

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Resources:

Understanding PTSD

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Causes

What is PTSD?

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Why Financial Wellness Matters

April is Financial Literacy Month and a great time to focus on financial education. A lack of financial preparedness has huge societal costs, and in the coming years as Americans age, these costs will likely increase. There are daunting challenges facing not only the poor but also the working middle class. In the face of flat real wages, structural unemployment, a high tax burden, and higher health-care costs, it is becoming more difficult for millions of Americans to find extra income to save at the end of the month. In addition, many don’t understand the enormous commitment a self-financed retirement entails.

This is a complex problem. According to a recent survey, over 50% of Americans have less than $1,000 in savings. To combat this, our country needs a combination of things that will alert citizens to the financial reality they are facing. To start, workers need skill sets that keep pace with a rapidly changing world and wages that at least track inflation and rise with productivity gains. Workers need to be educated on the importance of regular savings especially with the rapid decline of pensions.

There also needs to be a deeper understanding that everyone is responsible for their own financial freedom and how challenging that is to attain. To accomplish this, we need to educate on the importance of starting early. For example, young workers will need to save close to $1,000 per month to remain in the middle class; $925 per month for 30 years at 8% grows to $1.26 million, but that amount saved for 20 years only grows to about $508,000. Young people are often surprised to learn that the few hundred dollars they’re saving each month may not be enough to retire into a middle-class lifestyle.

As a nation, we need an environment where a business can thrive and where sponsoring a retirement savings plan for employees doesn’t lead to sizable amounts of paperwork, time, cost, and risk. We need a smart, pro-growth regulatory environment that protects workers and consumers, but also allows for strong economic growth so our workers earn sufficient wages. Historically, each generation of Americans has worked for a chance to achieve a better lifestyle and we need this dream to continue. People would be wise not to look to the government for middle-class financial freedom. We have seen the failure of governments that promise a workers paradise complete with middle-class wealth. This is, after all, an impossible task for any nation to finance—especially one already $21 trillion in debt. With this realization, we should arm ourselves with the knowledge and tools to begin our own journey towards financial freedom.

Financial literacy needs to permeate all communities, regardless of demographics or socioeconomic standing, especially families with young children. We need early financial education in the home, mainstream financial literacy programs starting at a young age, and government funding for a public awareness campaign much like those on public health and safety issues. It should be incorporated into school curricula, media campaigns, corporate wellness programs, and, most importantly, ongoing parental discussions.

The Council for Economic Education is participating with its #MySavingsTip campaign that features personal savings tips from inspiring leaders and entrepreneurs. They include:

1. Treat your finances like flossing; do it every day – Annamaria Lusardi with George Washington University’s School of Business knows first-hand the importance of spending time each week going over your expenses and savings. “If I don’t pay attention, I’m likely to spend more.” She also offers lessons learned from her own mistakes, including taking advantage of opportunities like maximizing a 401(k).

Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, the daughter of investing legend Charles R. Schwab, agrees. “Make savings a part of your routine – like brushing your teeth.” Her advice: Start early by putting aside a small portion – say 10% – of every dollar you earn.” Most people’s mistakes are about procrastination,” she said. “As a young person, retirement seems so far off.” But when it comes to saving and investing, “time is of the essence.”

2. Find the credit card that’s right for you – New York Times columnist Andrew Ross Sorkin, author of bestseller-turned-movie “Too Big to Fail”, says it’s important to do your research. “It’s not a five minute research project; you might need a few hours online. Your needs are going to be different than other people.”

Choosing the best credit card is an important decision, advises NerdWallet. “The credit card you choose should help you achieve your financial goals in the most affordable, efficient way possible.”

Research your options and ask the right questions to find the card that’s the best fit for your spending habits and credit situation. Do you want to build or rebuild your credit, save on interest, or earn travel or cash back rewards? Other questions to consider include how much it costs to open an account, is there an annual fee, what is the card’s policy on balance transfers, and how quickly will you earn rewards.

3. Use biweekly payments to save money on interest and improve your credit – Biweekly loan payments are a simple way to pay down your debt – such as a car loan, student loan or high credit card balances – without drastically changing your lifestyle. And, when you reduce your total debt, your credit score improves which can translate to a lower interest rate on your next loan.

How does it work? Standard loans require one payment every month. Biweekly loan payments divide this payment in half and pay that amount every two weeks on a schedule that coincides with when you get paid. Because there are 52 weeks in a year, you’re making 26 biweekly payments over the course of a year (the equivalent of 13 monthly payments). On a monthly basis, the payment amount is the same. However, an extra month’s payment a year can reduce interest charges and shorten the term of the loan.

Benjamin Franklin, the original penny-pincher who appears on the $100 bill, once said, “An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest.” And, Financial Literacy Month is the perfect time to learn more about the many different ways to better manage your money.

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Resources:

https://www.fdic.gov/quicklinks/consumers.html

Alcohol Awareness Month is a public health program organized by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence as a way of increasing outreach and education regarding the dangers of alcoholism and issues related to alcohol. The program was started in April 1987 with the intention of targeting college-aged students who might be drinking too much as part of their newfound freedom. It has since become a national movement to draw more attention to the causes and effects of alcoholism as well as how to help families and communities deal with drinking problems.

The Importance of Alcohol Awareness Month

A big part of the work of Alcohol Awareness Month is to point out the stigma that still surrounds alcoholism and substance abuse in general. Psych Central points out that denial is a major characteristic of alcohol abuse, both from the person currently experiencing it and from friends and family members who are uncomfortable acknowledging the gravity of the situation. The month of April provides a chance for public health bodies, community centers, and treatment facilities to increase their efforts to reach people who may not fully appreciate the dangers of unhealthy alcohol consumption.

These organizations, many of which are part of NCADD’s National Network of Affiliates, launch campaigns on social and traditional media during the month of April to draw attention to the causes of alcoholism, the signs and effects of the condition, how to talk to a loved one about a drinking problem, and how to find treatment options. These campaigns can include advertising, especially in areas that are prone to abusive alcohol consumption like college campuses, where the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism notes that 37.9 percent of students engage in binge drinking; public talks; content on television, radio, social media or print media; and other events to get the word out.

Signs of an Alcohol Problem

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a medical condition that doctors diagnose when a patient’s drinking causes distress or harm. The condition can range from mild to severe and is diagnosed when a patient answers “yes” to two or more of the following questions.

In the past year, have you:

• Had times when you ended up drinking more, or longer than you intended?
• More than once wanted to cut down or stop drinking, or tried to, but couldn’t?
• Spent a lot of time drinking? Or being sick or getting over the aftereffects?
• Experienced craving — a strong need, or urge, to drink?
• Found that drinking — or being sick from drinking — often interfered with taking care of your home or family? Or caused job troubles? Or school problems?
• Continued to drink even though it was causing trouble with your family or friends?
• Given up or cut back on activities that were important or interesting to you, or gave you pleasure, in order to drink?
• More than once gotten into situations while or after drinking that increased your chances of getting hurt (such as driving, swimming, using machinery, walking in a dangerous area, or having unsafe sex)?
• Continued to drink even though it was making you feel depressed or anxious or adding to another health problem? Or after having had a memory blackout?
• Had to drink much more than you once did to get the effect you want? Or found that your usual number of drinks had much less effect than before?
• Found that when the effects of alcohol were wearing off, you had withdrawal symptoms, such as trouble sleeping, shakiness, irritability, anxiety, depression, restlessness, nausea, or sweating? Or sensed things that were not there?

If you have any of these symptoms, your drinking may already be a cause for concern. The more symptoms you have, the more urgent the need for change. A health professional can conduct a formal assessment of your symptoms to see if an alcohol use disorder is present. For an online assessment of your drinking pattern, go to RethinkingDrinking.niaaa.nih.gov.

Creative Prevention Strategies

For Alcohol Awareness Month in 2017, Frances M. Harding, the Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, singled out the alarming rates of alcohol consumption in colleges and universities as an example of why Alcohol Awareness Month is important. Almost 60 percent of students, some as young as 18, drink alcohol in any given month. Binge drinking is often thought of as a rite of passage, and many fraternities and sororities use alcohol in hazing rituals that often turn deadly. College administrations and state governments are turning to “creative prevention strategies” to address the epidemic, and Alcohol Awareness Month gives them the platform to spread the message.

The danger of alcohol abuse goes beyond college kids getting too drunk at parties. Every year, 6,500 people aged 21 and under die from alcohol-related accidents, some of whom were not even drinking themselves. Alcohol use by people who do not know how to drink responsibly or are unaware of the risks contributes to higher rates of violence, sexual assault, and suicide.

Going after drunk drivers and other people who cause a public safety risk through their drinking costs the government as much as $114 billion every year, according to NCADD. The human cost of alcoholism is much higher. Programs like Alcohol Awareness Month exist to ensure that families and communities have the resources, information, and options available to control the crisis of alcoholism.

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Resources:

• Alcohol Awareness Month
• Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help
• How to Help an Alcoholic with Withdrawal, Support & Recovery

March marks Women’s History Month and this year the Women’s History Alliance has chosen as the theme: “Valiant Women of the Vote”. We celebrate “the brave women who fought to win suffrage rights for women and the women who continue to fight for the voting rights of others”. This year marks the centennial of the 19^th Amendment, which gave women the right to vote. In addition to the many women who fought in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries to secure voting rights for women, there are many women who continue the fight through the era of poll taxes, literacy tests, voter roll purges and other modern forms of voter suppression.

The national Women’s History Alliance lists their Honorees at this link: https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/2020-honorees/.

Living honorees include Maria Teresa Kumar, CEO of Voto Latino, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Civil Rights Leader, Congressperson, Lawyer and Organizer, Terry Ao Minnis, Senior Director of the Census and Voting Programs. Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and Edith Mayo, Suffrage Historian and Women’s History Movement Activist.

Among the deceased honorees is Carrie Chapman Catt, for whom a Mid Continent Region FEW chapter is named. She was an activist from Iowa who trained under Susan B. Anthony and succeeded Miss Anthony as president of the National American Women Suffrage Association (NAWSA). More detailed biographies of all the honorees can be found at the link supplied above.

If you happen to be in the DC area this month, there are a number of exhibitions concerning Women’s History Month available at locations including the Smithsonian, the National Archives, and the Library of Congress. Details can be found at this website: https://womenshistorymonth.gov/. We encourage you to seek exhibits and events in your area as well.

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Resources:

• https://womenshistorymonth.gov/
• https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/2020-honorees/
• https://nationalwomenshistoryalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2020-honoree-brochure.pdf

 

This year’s theme for Black History month is “African Americans and the Vote.”

2020, an important general election year, is also landmark year for voting rights.

2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Fifteenth Amendment (1870) which gave the right of black men to vote following the Civil War. It also marks the centennial of the Nineteenth Amendment and the culmination of the women’s suffrage movement.

This year’s theme, then, recognizes the struggle for voting rights among both black men and women throughout American history. It is an ongoing struggle experienced by people of color that continues into the 21st century.

 

Black History & The Right to Vote

Even before the Civil War, free black men first petitioned state legislatures for the right to vote, but it wasn’t until 1870 when the 15th Amendment was ratified providing that “the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on the basis of race, color or previous condition of servitude.”

Even so, southern state legislatures immediately began undermining the protections found in the new amendment. Years of lawsuits and protests followed, but it wasn’t until the rise of the Civil Rights Movement and Voting Rights Act of 1965 that the freedom to vote was enjoyed by a majority of southern blacks.

Today,these freedoms have again been eroded by state legislatures that have put ‘gerrymandering’ – or dividing voting districts to gain an unfair majority – into widespread practice. Harsh voting restrictions have also been enacted to discourage voting among poor blacks.

The ongoing struggle may seem disheartening, but recently the 2018 US midterm election saw a surprising record number of minority and women voted into state legislative power coast to coast. The voting tallies sparked new hope of an historic pendulum that was swinging back – again – to equal voting rights for all.

All about Black History Month

Black History Month first originated as part of an initiative by writer and educator Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who launched Negro History Week in 1926. Woodson proclaimed that Negro History Week should always occur in the second week of February — between the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln.

Since 197

6, every American president has proclaimed February as Black History Month. Today, other countries such as Canada and the United Kingdom also devote an entire month to celebrating black history.

The Web is a great place to find out more about that history — in poetry, literature, the arts, sciences, sports and entertainment — making Black History Month a time of fun, celebration, and learning.

Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave. I rise I rise I rise.
— Maya Angelou “Still I rise,” And Still I Rise (1978)

Almost always, the creative dedicated minority has made the world better.
— Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

February was chosen because of the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas. Became a national observance in 1976.

Thanks to President Gerald Ford, Black History Month was again brought into the spotlight in 1976. Ford highlighted the connection between American history and African-American history by recognizing the celebration officially during the celebration of the United States Bicentennial, also corresponding with the 50th anniversary of Negro History Week. Ford pushed for all Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.”

Source: http://www.chiff.com/home_life/holiday/black-history-month.htm

 

National Mentoring Month is a campaign held each January since 2002 to promote youth mentoring in the United States.

Youth who have a mentor are more likely to:

• Attend and engage in school
• Complete their education, including college
• Have more positive relationships and attitudes

Mentoring among adults in business can also be a highly positive, mutually beneficial experience. With the goals of personal and professional development, an experienced individual will share knowledge, experience, and advice with a less experienced person. The relationship should be based on mutual respect and trust. It can offer benefits, personally and professionally, for both the mentor and the mentee.

Benefits to the mentee are expected, and some that are reported include:

• Provides impartial advice and encouragement
• Develops a supportive relationship
• Assists with problem solving
• Improves self-confidence
• Offers professional development
• Encourages reflection on practice
• Learn from the experience of others
• Become more empowered to make decisions
• Identify goals and establish a sense of direction
• Career advancement

There are many benefits to the mentor as well:

• Opportunity to reflect on own practice
• Enhances job satisfaction
• Develops professional relationships
• Enhances peer recognition
• It uses your experience, making it available to a new person
• It widens your understanding of the organization and the way it works
• It enables you to practice interpersonal skills
• It provides personal satisfaction through supporting the development of others
• Builds leadership skills
• Improves communication skills
• Advance your own career
• Learn new perspectives

In short, mentoring can be a positive and productive experience for all involved. Whether you feel a need for guidance or feel you have experience to lend, consider a mentoring relationship to help you develop both personally and professionally.

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Resources:

Mentoring: A Mutually Beneficial Partnership

National Mentoring Month

Celebrate National Mentoring Month

 

 

This year the United States Census Bureau will conduct a census. The 2020 Census counts the population in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five U.S. territories (Puerto Rico, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). Each home will receive an invitation to respond to a short questionnaire—online, by phone, or by mail.

The census provides critical data that lawmakers, business owners, teachers, and many others use to provide daily services, products, and support for you and your community. Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to hospitals, fire departments, schools, roads, and other resources based on census data.

The results of the census also determine the number of seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives, and they are used to draw congressional and state legislative districts.

It’s also in the Constitution: Article 1, Section 2, mandates that the country conduct a count of its population once every 10 years. The 2020 Census will mark the 24th time that the country has counted its population since 1790.

Please review the below graphics on What You Need to Know about the Census and the PDF documents providing additional on who is included in the census count and how the census data is used.

How Census Data Are Used 

Counting Young Children in 2020 Census 

 

As the holidays and holiday shopping approach, it’s a good time to think about financial and identity safety. Whether you are shopping at the mall or online, there are a number of things to think about to protect your financial well-being:

Protecting your credit cards:

1. Keep your card number private.
2. Limit the number of cards you carry.
3. Some recommend that you sign the card immediately to protect you if someone else gets hold of it. Some say sign it with ‘Ask for additional ID’ so the vendor will verify that you are the owner of the card. In the world of ‘Slide your card’ yourself, this may not be effective.
4. Draw a line through any blank lines when signing the receipt so no one can add additional charges or amounts. Make sure you total the bill when needed, such as in restaurants.
5. Save your receipts and verify your purchases on your monthly statements.
6. Don’t give the card number over the phone unless you initiated the call and you are talking to an enterprise you trust.
7. Do not ever respond to an email that asks you for account information, even if it looks like a bank or company you trust.
8. Consider paperless statements to remove any sensitive information from the postal system.
9. Shred statements and other documents with personal information before you dispose of them.
10. Keep your information current – notify your bank or credit card companies if you move; periodically check that they have your correct email, phone and address.
11. Sign up for fraud alerts on your cell phone.
12. Check your credit score annually through the three credit bureaus – Transunion, Experian, and Equifax. You are entitled to one free credit report per year.
13. If using your credit card online, be sure the URL of the site you are on begins with ‘https:’ and not just ‘http’. The ‘s’ indicates that the site is secure.
14. If your card is lost or stolen, report it immediately.
15. Securely store (under lock and key at home) either a copy of your credit card or the credit card number and contact information. Then if your card is lost or stolen, you will have the information handy to report it.

Protect your Social Security number:

1. Do not carry your Social Security card with you.
2. If you are asked to provide it, ask why, and ask if another form of identification is acceptable. Employers and financial institutions do need the number for wage and tax reporting purposes.
3. Do not enter it online unless it is a secure web site.

Protect your online information with good passwords:

1. Use strong passwords – complexity and length are very important. A 12 character password is much, much harder to crack that a 5 or 6 character password.
2. Do not use dictionary words, birthdates, children’s or pets’ names. Even though longer is better, do not use well known phrases or song lyrics unless you transform them. For example, one might use ‘iwtBotiWtWot!’ in place of ‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times’. You could also string random words together (wiz@rdraBB1tbas3b@ll [wizard/rabbit/baseball]) to create a complex password. Intersperse use of special characters, upper case letters and numbers to add to the complexity.
3. Do not save passwords on your computer.
4. Do not use the same password for different sites.
5. Consider using a password manager app on your computer or phone to keep track of your login credentials.
6. Consider multifactor security, such as systems that require biometrics like a fingerprint or facial recognition.

Protect your phone and computer:

1. Set your phone and computer to lock the screen after five minutes of inactivity.
2. Install a ‘find your phone’ app – preferably one with an option to erase your phone’s data remotely if you are not able to recover the phone.
3. Only download from trusted sites.
4. When walking away from your computer at work, pressing the Windows key plus the letter L will lock the screen for you.
5. Be careful of public Wi-Fi networks – other phones may be able to access yours.
6. Keep your operating system up to date in order to have the most current security.
7. Avoid storing or letting your phone ‘remember’ personal data such as passwords.
8. Do not store personal data in an unencrypted format such as a notes app.
9. When disposing of a computer, use a wipe utility program to overwrite the hard drive or remove the hard drive and physically destroy it.
10. When disposing of your phone, remove the SIM card and other information stored on the phone such as the phone book, lists of calls made, photos, messages, and web search history. Your owner’s manual may be able to direct you in doing this.

Protect your paper:

1. Limit what you carry.
2. Shred receipts, credit offers, credit applications, insurance forms, physician statements, checks, bank statements, expired charge cards and similar documents.
3. Remove and destroy labels from prescription bottles before you throw them out or recycle them.
4. Take outgoing mail to a mailbox or the post office. Promptly remove mail from the mailbox.

It seems like a lot! These are, however, good habits we should adopt to protect our privacy.

 

Resources:

• Credit Card Protection
• Smartphone Security Tips
• Protecting Financial Information
• Protecting Against Credit Card Fraud
• Five Ways to Help Protect Your Identity
• How to Keep Your Personal Information Secure