Great Strides April 2019

My Choice, My Life I choose to bleed pink Choosing to accept death, I choose to be religious, To live a spiritual life, To be humble.

I choose to work on my mental health, I choose education,

I choose to exercise In order t o be well.

I choose to be happy.

I have a new home and heart h, And I choose to leave the door open Inviting in the good of the world.

Collaborative poetry by the IC Members of Writing with Fiona

“Art relaxes me and helps me get emotions out that I bottle in.”

Joseph C.

Monday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM Wednesday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM Friday 10:30AM-11:00AM and 1:30PM-3:30PM

"Art should be able to give you a feeling, move you. It is important to have a message and also draw people in to have a personal experience with it.", says Joseph. He has recently joined the Mending Art group but shares that he has been drawing on his own since Elementary School. "I've always been inspired by the classical artists like da Vinci, Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Botticelli. As I got older I liked Escher and Dali." says Joseph. Recently he has been encouraged to start painting again and created his first piece using acrylic paints. "Art relaxes me and helps me get emotions out that I bottle in. I'm not really an emotional person but I do put my emotions in my art and that helps me in my recovery. I have had a lot of negative emotions but it's always positive to create something. I love to use my hands and create crafts. It keeps me busy; I like to keep busy.", says Joseph. One of Joseph's art pieces will be on display at the Legislative Office Building for the Keep the Promise, 20th Anniversary Art Exhibit. "It's the first time I have ever seen one of my pieces framed. I would like people to see my work. It's interesting to see if someone gets an emotion from it. I consider it to be really good art if it evokes emotions and inspires memories. People all have different experiences." he says.

Food Bank is not available during parties and meetings.

________________

“If you see a light in me,

it is only a reflection of the light in you.”

-A

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Members enjoyed singing along and showcasing their talents during Karaoke at the IC.

Join the fun next time with Alisa, on April 26th, at 11AM.

Andre Rochester is a native of Hartford, CT. He specializes in acrylic, charcoal and pastel.

He studied illustration at the University of Connecticut School of Fine Arts and completed his BA in Studio Art at Charter Oak State College.

Andre lives a double life, working in Corporate America by day and moonlighting as a professional artist in his time away from his nine to five. Both sides of his professional life are uniquely connected as he channels the same creativity he uses for his artwork to invoke thought and implement new ideas in the office. Artists have an inherent need to close a gap between artistic skill and business knowledge. He assists emerging artists with portfolio development, curating and consulting for art shows; providing mentorship reminiscent of what young professionals seek in the traditional workplace. Andre chooses to be accessible to his community by being an active mentor. He encourages young artists to develop their craft with a focus on professionalism and business acumen. With every step forward, Andre extends his hand backward to pull another artist ahead.

Andre served on the City of Hartford Commission on Cultural Affairs from 2014 2015. He is also a 2015, 100 Men of Color Honoree and he has been featured in the Hartford Courant and Bristol Observer. Andre has painted live at the renowned Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts in Hartford, CT, and traveled to Los Angeles in October, 2016, to paint at the premier of “The Fertile River�, a play written by Vincent Terrell Durham. Andre is currently a member of the Windsor Art Center Curatorial Committee (Windsor, CT).

For people who hear voices: www.facebook.com/ctheari ngvoicesnetwork or http://www.hearingvoicesus a.org/ Alternatives to Suicide Support Group 399 Franklin Avenue Hartford Wednesdays 4-5pm http://toivocenter.org/ OCD support group http://psychiatry.yale.edu/o cd/patients/support.aspx Alcoholics Anonymous http://www.aa.org/ Narcotics Anonymous http://www.na.org/ Overeaters Anonymous https://oa.org/ Gamblers Anonymous http://www.gamblersanony mous.org/ga/ For additional information on Support Groups in Connecticut, visit http://www.mhconn.org/ed ucation/information or call: 1-800-842-1510

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Infoline CT 211 VEYO 1-855-478-7350 Guiding Path Warmline: 1-860-482-1783 or 1-800-314-2680 5pm-10pm 7 days per week National Suicide Hotline 1-800-273-8255 Sexual Assault Crisis Hotline 1-888-999-5545 En Español 1-888-999-8332 Crisis 1-866-794-0021

Dentists in Waterbury Who take Husky Health Staywell Health Center 203-597-9044 South Main Street 203-756-8021 Phoenix Avenue Community Health Center 203-574-4000

Columbia Dental 1-866-645-0111 Statewide # for Opioid (Opiate) Dependence 1-800-563-4086 You will be linked with walk-in assessment centers

Koreen is a long time member and active participant in many of the IC activities. He enjoys helping out and always looks for ways to learn new skills. Koreen was recently accepted into Post University’s online programming and is working toward his Human Resource Management certification. When asked why he chose this field, he states “I have worked under a lot of different managers in the past and I see myself as someone who likes helping out.” He is interested in getting started at businesses like a restaurant or convenience store so that he can work with other managers and learn different techniques that will help him gain experience and further his career.

Koreen says “with a good education and job you can do anything”. When he’s not attending school, studying or applying for jobs, Koreen attends the IC, shoots some hoops, works out and walks. Good Luck with your future endeavors, Koreen; you are on your way!

In one of the workshops held last month we discussed an article called “Stop Being Nice and Start Being Kind”. It brought up a great debate on how different the two are and how being a nice person could be considered as being a people pleaser. Nice people try to avoid confrontation because they don’t want to upset anyone. They have trouble saying no and rarely ask for what they want. A kind person is not afraid of confrontation and has no trouble saying no. They clearly speak their mind directly and respectfully. People are aware where a kind person stands. One of the issues that was brought up was, who is getting hurt by being nice? An excellent answer from one of the members was, “the nice person is going to get hurt”. They said, “If you continue to spread yourself out and put yourself into situations that you don’t want be in, or feel uncomfortable doing, then in the end you get hurt”. That was a great summary and a reminder on how we need to consider our own feelings and be aware of our own self-worth. So, what kind of person do you think you are, a Nice Person or a Kind Person?

Come celebrate Spring at the IC — April 19th 10AM: Decorate Easter Baskets 12PM: Free, outreach luncheon 2PM: Raffle

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Join the fun!

Talent, skill, ability—whatever you want to call it—will not get you there. Sure, it helps. But a wealth of research over the past few decades show loud and clear that it’s the psychological vehicles that really get you there. You can have the best engine in the world, but if you can’t be bothered to drive it, you won’t get anywhere.

Psychologists have proposed lots of different vehicles over the years. Grit,Conscientiousness, self-efficacy, optimism, passion, inspiration, etc.

They are all important. One vehicle, however, is particularly undervalued and underappreciated. That’s hope.

Hope often gets a bad rap. For some, it conjures up images of a blissfully naïve chump pushing up against a wall with a big smile.

That’s a shame. Cutting-edge science shows that hope matters a lot.

Hope is not a brand new concept.

Hope consists of agency and pathways. The person who has hope has the will and determination that goals will be achieved, and a set of different strategies at their disposal to reach their goals. Put simply: hope involves the will to get there, and different ways to get there.

1. Gently place eggs in single layer in large saucepan. Add enough cold water to cover eggs by 1-inch. Cover.

Bring just to a boil on high heat. Remove from heat. Let stand 12-minutes.

2. Pour off hot water and rapidly cool eggs by running them under cold water (or place in ice water) until completely cooled.

Why is hope important? Well, life is difficult. There are many obstacles. Having goals is not enough. One has to keep getting closer to those goals, amidst all the inevitable twists and turns of life. Hope allows people to approach problems with a mindset and strategy-set suitable to success, thereby increasing the chances they will actually accomplish their goals.

Hope is not just a feel-good emotion. Hope leads to learning goals, which are conducive to growth and improvement. People with learning goals are actively engaged in their learning, constantly planning strategies to meet their goals, and monitoring their progress to stay on track. A bulk of research shows that learning goals are positively related to success across a wide swatch of human life—from academic achievement to sports to arts to science to business.

Those lacking hope, on the other hand, tend to adopt mastery goals. People with mastery goals choose easy tasks that don’t offer a challenge or opportunity for growth. When they fail, they quit. People with mastery goals act helpless, and feel a lack of control over their environment. They don’t believe in their capacity to obtain the kind of future they want. They have no hope.

-Psychology Today Join us on May 22nd, for a Celebration of Hope (see pg. 8).

3. Mix 1/2 cup boiling water, 1 teaspoon vinegar and 10 to 20 drops food color in a cup to achieve desired colors. Repeat for each color. Dip hardcooked eggs in dye for about 5-minutes. Use a slotted spoon or tongs to add and remove eggs from dye.

Allow eggs to dry.

Join Alisa on April 18th, at 11AM, to color eggs at the IC. 5

April is National Humor Month!

Whether you’re currently struggling with an alcohol use disorder, newly sober, a friend or family member of an individual struggling with alcohol use, or just want to do what you can to raise awareness, what better time to start than right now.

While some of us may be aware that drinking too much increases risks of injuries, violence, diseases and some types of cancer, others may not be as informed and may not be aware of all of the vast resources out there to help aid in treatment recovery. Get involved.

Get educated. After all, whether you realize it or not, the risks associated with consuming too much alcohol directly impacts individuals as well as local communities.

If you are drinking too much, you can improve your health by cutting back or quitting. Here are some strategies to help you cut back or stop drinking:

Let’s get together on April 2nd, at 10AM, and have some laughs.

Bring your funniest jokes, riddles, brain teasers, etc. to share with the group.

 Limit your drinking to no more than 1 drink a day for women or 2 drinks a day for men.

 Keep track of how much you drink.  Choose a day each week when you will not drink.  Don’t drink when you are upset.  Limit the amount of alcohol you keep at home.  Avoid places where people drink a lot.  Make a list of reasons not to drink.

Debbie will hold an alcohol awareness workshop on April 29th, at 10AM.

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The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Workshop series started in February and seven members attended. What a great turn out! We hope to see more members at future workshops. They are held the last Tuesday of every month, at 10AM. During the April 30th substance abuse and mental health workshop we will discuss the importance of early intervention. In May, we will be discussing the importance of peer support while overcoming substance abuse and information about 12-Step Programs (AA and NA). Interested members are invited to attend a local Narcotics Anonymous meeting at St. John’s Church, at 10:30AM, directly following the workshop. On Tuesday June 25th,, at 10AM, the IC will be holding a free Narcan training for both staff and members. For more information or questions about the Substance Abuse and Mental Health workshops please see Jessica. Hope to see you all at the next workshop!

Members of the IC recently testified at the LOB.

Carmen Chris April Michael Armando Richard William Natasha Yvonne Lloyd Michael Jeffrey Bridget Angel David Audrey Susan Max Vincent Nicholas Angela Gregory

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Join us for Birthday Bash on April 24th at 3PM.

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Disclaimer: Articles which show “submitted by” are not written by an IC member.

They are articles that our members came across, were inspired by, and brought in to the Center to inspire and encourage other members.

Often the authors of these articles are unknown. The opinions expressed in the newsletter are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the Independence Center’s members, the staff, or the Editor.

Come share in...

A Celebration of Hope Wednesday, May 22nd, 2019, 1-3 PM 1st Congregational Church, 222 W. Main St., Waterbury Interested participants should contact Amy at the IC. Light Refreshments will be served.