Great Strides - February 2021

The wind breathes life into the breath Breath to breath cleanses the body In..in.. breathe in to enliven, heal, dispose of mental and bodily waste Calm times within brings your being to clear expressions Rest, repose, breathe life around and within Cause everlasting air to infuse your spirit with heavenly meditation Open the door of your heart to the wind and let the calm air and wind breath fill your soul with peace Still. Still...still Be peace and breathe peace The moment when breath to breath, breathe in you the air of peace Quiet, be still, and know that you are here. “Hearts of Unity� by IC Mending Art Artist, Shawn Mc. -IC member Michael P.

Selma-Impressive Historic pageant of the Civil Rights movement of Rev. Martin Luther King. Selma is based on the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march for the desire of African Americans to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

Harriet Tubman-Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter Harriet Tubman. Tubman was a political activist and American abolitionist born into slavery and escaped to form what is known as the underground railroad.

Hidden Figures-True story of three brilliant African American women at NASA that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history.the launch of astronaut Glen Powell into orbit. This was a stunning achievement that restored the nation’s confidence and turned around the space race.

Glory-This is the true story of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment that saw extensive service in the Union Army during the American Civil War. It was the second African American regiment, organized in the northern states during the Civil War. Their charge at Fort Wagner, soon became one of the most famous episodes of the war.

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When Carter G. Woodson established Black history week in 1926 he realized the importance of a theme to focus the attention of the public. The theme was to bring attention to the important developments that merit emphasis. Since 1928 until the present day, Black History month has always had a theme that reflected changes in how African Americans in the United States viewed themselves, the influences of social movements and aspirations of the black community. The theme for 2021 is Black family: Representation, Identity and Diversity. We hope that you will join us for an inspirational workshop on Friday, February 19 at 10:00am where we will discuss African American Pioneers and what this month’s theme means to you. We will also be celebrating Black History Month with a delicious homecooked meal that includes some favorite recipes. Contact staff at the IC if you are interested in getting this special meal delivered right to your door for free!

This month celebrates Valentine’s day, a day of love.

We would like to invite you to take some time this month to practice self-love. Practicing self-love can be challenging for many of us, especially in times when we face serious challenges. Self-love, self-care and self-awareness are part of getting in touch with ourselves, our well-being and our happiness. So do yourself a favor, take a deep breath, give yourself a big hug and join us for our “Love Yourself” workshop with Jess on Thursday February 11th at 10:00 am. We will be discussing 10 Ways to Practice Self-Love.

And to further encourage self-care, the IC has been distributing “Be Well” bags to our members.

Filled with little items to help you take care of yourself, we hope that you enjoy them! If you have not gotten yours yet, please reach out to staff and we will be happy to deliver you one. Call the IC at 203-756-5772 for staff numbers.

DMHAS in partnership with United Way of CT has launched an Adult Telephone Intervention and Options Network (ACTION) line for adults 18 years of age or older who are in the community and experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis for which an immediate response may be required. “We are pleased to provide this valuable resource which offers round the clock support to adults in crisis. Any individuals seeking immediate response to a mental health and/or substance use issue can contact the ACTION line team at 2-1-1 or 1-800-HOPE-135,” said DMHAS Commissioner Miriam Delphin-Rittmon. “ The ACTION line operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year with the availability of multilingual staff or interpreters as needed.

Monday February 15th to Sunday February 21st 2021 is Random Acts of Kindness week. The word “kindness” is defined as: “A type of behavior marked by acts of generosity, consideration, or concern for others, without expecting praise or reward.” (Wikipedia) This year was a tough year on everyone. We see nothing but anger, fear and hate in the news and often scratch our heads and think, “what would happen if these acts of violence were actually acts of kindness? What would that look like? How can we make the world a kinder place?” Well, we can start by performing random acts of kindness for others. For example: Holding the door open for someone who may have their hands full, letting someone at the grocery store go ahead of you, paying for someone else’s coffee or meal, helping a neighbor, or giving someone a compliment. These are all examples of a random act of kindness. Being kind and helping others also improves our own mental health.

It feels good to bring a smile to someone and it helps lift our own spirits to know that we could change someone’s day for the better. Another important thing to remember is to be kind to yourself as well! Take time out each day for self care and try saying 3 kind things to yourself every morning before you start your day.

We bet that you will begin to notice a shift in how you feel and that your good energy will spread to others you encounter who may then pass it on and cause a chain reaction of kindness!

For random acts of kindness week, during our Food deliveries, the IC staff will be distributing “Kindness” goodie bags. We hope they inspire you. We will also be holding a “Random Acts of Kindness” workshop on Thursday February 18th at 10:00 am.

As the months go by and we still face all of the challenges associated with Covid-19, we want you to remember that there are resources that are available.

Below is a list of programs that can help.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (8255) 1-888-628-9454 (Español) www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org Alcohol and Drug Recovery/ Substance Abuse Treatment Access Line for Referrals & Detoxification 860-714-3700 and 800-563-4086 Sexual Assault Crisis Services English 888-999-5545 Spanish 888-568-8332 CT 211 call 2-1-1, www.211ct.org CT Quitline (Tobacco) 1-800-QUIT-NOW www.quitnow.net/connecticut

The Social Security Administration is warning people that scams are on the rise again. Scammers are preying on people by using more sophisticated tactics such as researching actual employees’ names online and pretending to be that employee, saying that they are law enforcement officials and giving false badge numbers or sending emails or texts that lure you to click on malicious links that will allow sensitive information to be obtained off of your device. Inspector General Ennis (Inspector General for Social Security) wants you to know Social Security will never: 

Suspend your Social Security number because someone else has used it in a crime.  Threaten you with arrest or other legal action unless you immediately pay a fine or fee.  Require payment by retail gift card, wire transfer, internet currency, or mailing cash.  Promise a benefit increase or other assistance in exchange for payment.  Send official letters or reports containing your personal information via email.

Remember, never give out any of your person information. If any correspondence feels wrong in any way, run it by staff at the IC and we will help you discern next steps.

CT Council on Problem Gambling 1-888-789-7777 (Helpline) www.ccpg.org Mobile Crisis 1-866-794-0021 Regional Hotline: 1-888-447-3339

NAMI CT 860-882-0236 Helpline: 1-800-950-6264 www.namict.org Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) CT 1-866-783-7712 Anywhere USA 1-800-344-2666 www.ct-aa.org Narcotics Anonymous (NA) CT 1-800-627-3543 National Information 1-800-447-6291 www.ctna.org

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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.

This year will be a very different year for legislative advocacy. 2021 is considered a “long” session meaning the session will go on until May. Since the state buildings remain closed, testimony this year can be written and sent in, called in (for those who are hearing impaired or have limited minutes on their phone) and on Zoom. There will still be signups in order to testify.

Since we only get a few days’ notice for a hearing, now is the perfect time to start writing your 3-minute testimony identifying any loss or cuts in services, how Covid-19 has hurt your services, how your clubhouse helped you during this time, or identifying any losses at the clubhouse that impacted you or others in any way. Your personal story is of utmost importance during your testimony. Without a “face” to talk about issues, items just get passed over. Please consider writing your story and sharing testimony during this unprecedented time in our history. Please remember that all submissions becomes public information. For more information on upcoming issues go to: www.cga.ct.gov or contact Deborah Holcomb at 203-814-1840 or email at dholcomb@mhconn.org.

-Deborah H.