LEARNING FROM OUR SKILLS COMMUNITY An important perspective on what has been challenging and helpful during the pandemic This piece was compiled and written by Rebecca Rubuliak, Senior Leader of Research and Social Innovation
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a great deal of uncertainty to our lives - but we have each experienced these challenges in different ways. We wanted to hear directly from our Skills community about their lived experience during the pandemic and what they needed most from Skills along the way. Three surveys were sent out to the people we serve, their families and Guardians, and our staff to understand their perspectives and hear their ideas on how we could better support their feeling of connectedness. The people we serve were also invited to participate in virtual learning conversations to share their ideas and highlight moments of connectedness during the pandemic. This section highlights some of what we heard and learned from our community.
Empathy has no script. There is no right way or wrong way to do it. It’s simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘You’re not alone.’ Brene Brown Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead (2013)
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