Ellen Krag, LPC, has been working professionally with families and children in crisis for over 20 years, and has extensive grassroots experience connecting community members with appropriate mental health support.
What is Community Health Supper Club?
Supper Club is a chance for our community to come together to discuss and share individual and community health and safety concerns. Our goals are to normalize open conversations about health concerns, and share practical strategies and community resources. We are a kind pro-Queer, pro-Black, pro-immigrant, pro-trans, pro-human, anti-racist space. We are all learning together.
What’s the format?
From 6 until 6:15:
Gather,
Say hello,
Order food and/or drink (participants are responsible for their own tabs, but purchase is not required)
6:15-6:30
Speaker presentation
6:30 until
Chatting and connecting
Why?
We keep us safe. Health professionals are critically important to our communities, and each of us can be better informed about how to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.
Why us?
If not us, then who? Seriously though, as a community we have a wealth of experiences to share. Our team– including Laura Galgano, Dolly Joseph, Ellen Krag, Toni Barskile, and many more– have years of experience providing service to this community through CLAW, Building Experiences, the response to white supremacist rallies, Community Matters, and many, many other offerings. We want to make sure that our community is more resilient, loving, and just. This starts with us.
We reserve the right to ask anyone to leave if they are causing harm.
Before heading into a community or an experience — for an internship, volunteering, seeking employment, whatever, it’s a good idea to situate yourself in relationship to the new project.
Feelings
Check in with yourself about how you are feeling– nervous, excited, timid, enthusiastic, apathetic… It’s okay to feel one or all of those feelings, and it’s also important to think about how the display of those feelings might be received by the community member(s) that you’ll be interacting with.
What am I bringing to the community/experience?
How may I be received by this community? How do I feel about that?
What will be challenging? What will be easy?
Skills
It’s also a good moment to take a skills inventory of yourself. What do you feel like you know how to do well? What could stand some improvement? What skills are you hoping to practice or develop with this opportunity.
What am I bringing to the community/experience?
What relevant skills do I have? Is that enough? Where should I grow?
What am I expecting to get out of this interaction?
What am I expecting the community to get out of this interaction?
Information
It’s important to understand the context of the community that you will be engaging with. Do you have the needed information to engage in a positive manner? Have you gathered information from trusted, accurate sources?
What am I bringing to the community/experience?
How have I educated myself about the community?
What assumptions have I made? Are those fair?
What expertise already exists in this community?
Resources
Resources can cut across these 3 categories– Resources can be related to access to information, time, money, emotional labor, etc. Often when we do community engagement in the form of volunteering we forget about the resources that are required to accommodate us as volunteers. It’s incredibly important to consider how resources are used when we engage with the community.
What am I bringing to the community/experience?
What is the balance between what I will bring to this community (skills, open-mindedness, readiness to work, etc.) and what I will take (time, energy, etc.)
What is the community [giving/sacrificing/risking] by hosting/partnering with me?
During Engagement
While you are within your community engagement, it’s important to consider how things seem to be going– both good and not-so-good. Remember, none of us are perfect. Often we get into the trap of thinking that there is no room for error. You will make mistakes, and then grow and learn from that practice. Reflecting and adjusting during your community engagement is a great way to improve your current and future experience.
Am I effectively paying attention to direct and indirect communication?
Am I engaging in effective, positive and/or productive interpersonal interactions?
Am I using my skills in an appropriate, effective, and respectful way?
Am I balancing my needs and other people’s needs?
After Engagement
Even if your most recent community engagement was a “one off” commitment, you will have another experience in your future. It’s important to reflect on how things went so that you can be more effective next time.
How do I know if my interaction was a positive experience for the community?
How did my expectations differ from what happened?
What should I do to have a positive and productive experience next time?
What skills or resources should I access to improve my effectiveness?
We’re fundraising $3000 for Donor Diapers before their next diaper giveaway on May 17. My former student Marissa Turner-Harris is the founder and driving force behind Donor Diapers. The mission of Donor Diapers is to supply families with free diapering supplies. Each month they distribute free diaper kits to families in the Charlottesville area. Each kit has 45 age/size appropriate diapers and wipes. Each kit can last about 2-3 weeks, greatly relieving the financial strain for the family. Each family can get a kit for each child in their household; other services will only supply one child per family. Donor Diapers serves 75 families each month– about 100 children. The support that they provide make a huge difference in the financial and health prospects of each family.
Venmo: Tzars_Mommy Cashapp: $TzarsMommy Zelle: mtharris434@GMAIL.COM paypal:mzrizz434 Mail Check to Marissa Turner-Harris 402F Garrett St Cville VA 22902 — Make check to Virginia Organizing with “Donor Diapers” in the memo line. Donor Diapers also accepts diapering supplies. Call 434-214-0345 or email donordiapers@gmail.com to arrange pick up/delivery. On Facebook: facebook.com/donordiaperscville
Marissa and I met almost 12 years ago when she was in high school. Marissa is a funny, smart, driven young woman. Marissa joined CLAW and wrestled as “Handy Mandy” and the “Diaper Lady” with a natural stage presence and ribald, naught humor. Marissa is always juggling, always hustling. As I was thinking about the past few months and what’s she’s being doing– she’s been doing Donor Diapers, taking the CIC class, had fundraised for her trip to Winneba with our sister-city program, parenting Tzar, and partnering with Tevin. Then I remembered!! Marissa had heart surgery this spring!! She’s crazy busy, crazy inspiring, crazy excellent. Please support this amazing specimen of humanity.
Thank you SO much for your support of this project. In less than 4 weeks, we (61 donors!) were able to raise close to $7000 for 22 weeks of produce for 20 families. (If you anticipate a tax receipt, look for the bold below.) This project created hope and structure for me during these weeks of incredible change. I’m moved by the generosity and trust of our community. This project encapsulated so many of principles by which I organize.
Supporting and Building Community– This came from a conversation from Michele at Bellair, just checking in how she was doing and what needs she and the farm had during this challenging year. I’ve known Michelle for a while at a distance– now she joins the growing list of people with whom I work with. Each of you have built community with me by trusting that I will be a responsible steward of your financial gift. I am excited by the further building of community that will happen as I and others coordinate and distribute the weekly share. Working outside of a nonprofit structure (mostly– see more below)– we can work without titles or tax status. We can see a need, and work toward a solution. Nonprofit structures require boards for governance and accountability. I rely on you and our community to hold me honest and accountable. Anti-Racist Principles of Reparations and Redistribution of Wealth– While not all of our donors are white, the majority of resources (land, formalized power, housing, money, food access, transportation access) in Central Virginia remain held and controlled by white people. The families that receive the weekly shares will be Black and Brown people for the purpose of sharing the wealth that many of us enjoy in local, organic food from CSAs. This work was not insignificant, but we have much, much further to go in assessing and redistributing the wealth we have access to in equitable ways. I hope that this will be but one step for each of us in investigating the resources that we have access to, and how we might do more to share them recognizing our privileges. Minimizing fees and overhead– By using Venmo and PayPal, we collectively avoided the fees that GoFundMe and other platforms use. Individuals can give up to $10,000 as a gift to another individual annually without the recipient having to pay taxes on the gift. So thank you for contributing to the community gift of produce to families. Mindful use of resources– I believe in seeing and appreciating all resources that our community has. Mindful, generous, and equitable application and management of financial resources is a critical (albeit, but one) part of resource redistribution.If you are able to file taxes in such a way to itemize charitable deductions, and would therefore like a tax receipt letter of your financial donation, please let me know by responding to this email. I am fortunate to have an Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which allows me to accept charitable donations. This terms of this MOU include a 5% administrative fee. Additional funds were raised to cover this anticipated fee, so PLEASE do ask to give through this model if you will likely itemize deductions, but if you won’t itemize deductibles, you don’t need this letter. If you are not sure, wait– we have until the end of the calendar year.
6-7:30 Zoom Call Beginning Thursday, April 9 A time to connect with community in a supportive and positive way. Hosts: Ellen Krag and Dolly Joseph, with support from UVA Student Affairs Click here to register to receive your zoom information: https://forms.gle/4JarZPstivYCm8oW7 Local and National Mental Health Resources
Ellen Krag, LPC, has been working professionally with families and children in crisis for over 20 years, and has extensive grassroots experience connecting community members with appropriate mental health support.
During this community check in Ellen will provide practical tips for calming and grounding to help individuals manage anxiety, stress, and the complex feelings that can result from the effects of COVID-19, social isolation, and our rapidly changing circumstances.
Ellen will present practical tips to our group, and then call participants will break into “zoom rooms” to participate in small group mutual check-ins, using prompts that emphasize positive coping skills.
Forward this announcement to interested parties who would benefit from this free community opportunity.
Zoom Meeting Information
You can meet on your computer with or without video. You can meet on your smart phone with the zoom app. You can dial in on your landline or flip phone without video. Long distance charges may apply.
Shelter for Help in Emergency 24-hour hotline at (434) 293-8509 Shelter for Help in Emergency remains dedicated to providing emergency services for victims of domestic violence and their children with the priority of maintaining the safety, health and well-being of our community. The Shelter WILL remain open and ready to serve victims during this time of uncertainty. Our mission to end domestic violence in our community is strong and unwavering. If you or someone you know is in need of services, please call our 24-hour hotline.
Psychological First Aid (PFA) is an evidence-informed approach that is built on the concept of human resilience. PFA aims to reduce stress symptoms and assist in a healthy recovery following a traumatic event, natural disaster, public health emergency, or even a personal crisis. This links to more information and the training resources for anyone who is interested in supporting their friends and neighbors.
A collection of resources and information related to COVID-19
If you feel like you or someone you know is in immediate danger, you should call 911 or go to an emergency room to get immediate help. Explain that it is a psychiatric emergency and ask for someone who is trained for these kinds of situations.
Crisis Text Line — Text Hello to 741741 Crisis Text Line fields messages about suicidal thoughts, abuse, sexual assault, depression, anxiety, bullying and more. What makes it unique is that it’s entirely text-based, which makes it easy for anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable or safe talking on the phone to use it. You can text 741741, or message Crisis Text Line on Facebook for help. You’ll be matched with a volunteer counselor, who is supervised by a licensed, trained mental health professional.
National Suicide Prevention Hotline — 1-800-273-8255 The National Suicide Prevention Hotline fields calls 24/7 for anyone with suicidal thoughts or who are in crisis. They offer help for Spanish-speakers and anyone who is deaf or hard of hearing. Their website also offers many resources to get help for yourself or someone you know.YouthLine — Text teen2teen to 839863, or call 1-877-968-8491 YouthLine provides a safe space for children and adults ages 11 to 21, to talk through any
There is a real need to make sure that our local farmers are able to adjust to these new market conditions so that we can ensure that we continue to have local produce and meat available in our region.
I am fundraising $7000 to have 20 shares available to local families. Bellair Farm is generously providing these shares at a 50% rate– so we are able to feed one family with local produce for 20 weeks at $344.
This solves an administrative problem for Bellair. I (and some yet to be identified teammates) will distribute the food to the 20 families for the summer, reducing Michelle’s and team’s load as they transition to the new distribution model the coronavirus outbreak requires.
Within 2 hours of launching of this, enough money has been raised to support one family for the summer. This is a reminder that we do not need committees, or nonprofit status, or bureaucracies to keep our community safe. We simply need trust, a will to action, and a willingness to share our resources. Instead of, or in addition to, please contact me with:
Other farms/farmers that have identified needs to be satisfied
Suggestions for families that could use and benefit from this produce
Questions about how I am selecting families
Thank you very much. Thank you for all that you are doing to keep community safe.
Charlottesville can feel stiflingly small. Or it can feel like there’s an overwhelming influx of newcomers who don’t share history or values. So, I’m always surprised and delighted when I newly meet a fellow native who is my people. Remy St. Clair has collaborated with two of my favorite co-conspirators, Lisa Green with Cville Pride and Raven with 9 Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Festival.
Remy is warm, sweet, personable, and funny. I was struck throughout his talk about the difference of access that Black and White people face in the Charlottesville community. This town was made for people who look like me. We gots lots of middling white people art– some good, some terrible, and most just meh. Meanwhile, Black artists are trying to find some space to create that isn’t gentrified or policed by white people. Remy has been working for years to get space for Black Excellence in the arts to shine.
Some highlights:
Remy talked about hip hop is healing. Hip hop is not just the music, it’s also fashion, knowledge, graffiti, and more.
He said about the racial strife within Charlottesville– “It’s been dark for a while, but the dragon doesn’t have to hide his head anymore.”
It’s hard to get events scheduled in Charlottesville because venues say “we’re not insured to have that kind of event here.”
It is critically important that artists get paid for their work.
I’m like a dog with a bone when I get irritated; I cannot stop mentally wrestling with all the words I want to throw at someone. I often want to have long ranty diatribes at people who say dumb stuff around me. But I don’t think it’s helpful or effective to do it, cuz they’ve already shown me they aren’t ready to listen. I’ve found flipping the script is cathartic for me. I think about how I’d like their behavior to change. It reminds me of my values, and how I hope to act myself. It completes the loop, and makes it so I can turn off the irritation faucet. So, unnamed annoyance, this is my request to you:
Show appreciation, gratitude, and admiration for someone doing work that you are not doing.
Avoid suggesting additional work that you are not going to do.
Ask opinions about proposed work, rather than make suggestions of future work.
Value expertise that is unfamiliar to you.
Understand and respect that community exists prior to your arrival.
Recognize that your privileged identity or associations have context and history; if you feel that is unfair or unrepresentative, dismantle by demonstrating growth and change in your actions.
Assume less.
Communicate with respect.
Check for mutual understanding.
Listen to feedback.
Respect boundaries and requests.
Understand it’s not others’ job or responsibility to create or disrupt your experiences, particularly if you don’t share a mutual community.
Reject hierarchical thinking that includes notions of charity or help.
Realize that you exist in communities of mutual aid and support.
Have clarity about the lack of correlation between formal education and intelligence and wisdom.
