Welcome January
- Artwork by IC Member, Karen W.
“I love all the colors like blue and yellow and green, they brighten everything up” -Wayne J.
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
We hope that you can join us for upcoming Mending Art Activities at the IC, Wednesdays in January at 10:00 am!
1/8/20 Guest Artist
1/15/20 Winter Make Music Day
1/22/20 Pop-Up Art Show
1/29/20 Art Pals
Mending Art is kicking off the new year with a big congratulations to Wayne J., our January Artist of the Month! Wayne has been attending Mending Art for years and has actively participated in the Mending Art Exhibition. He even has a piece of his artwork hanging at a different MHC program in Waterbury. Wayne says his love for color is the foundation of his art “I love all colors like blue and yellow and green, they brighten everything up”. That love for bright colors may come from his childhood interest in superheroes like Batman & Superman. The painting on display is called “Looking on The Green Side” which features watercolor circles and layers of colors. While observing it, you will see different colors peeking through the brush strokes in certain spots. “I got the idea for the circles from my bicycle” he said, explaining how the cyclical motion of the wheels connects with the painted circles and the sense of movement in the piece. Make sure to check out Wayne’s original artwork hanging in the Bistro for the entire month of January!
I make colorful and playful paintings that represent dark feelings of anxiety, fear and depression that I’ve struggled with for as long as I remember. Brightly colored and highly technical, my paintings entice you to keep looking, making sure you do not stray away from these difficult topics. By using mixed media in conjunction with oil paint, I inject the work with humor and reflections on tragedy and fear. In addition to oil paint, I use pins, balloons, flags, tape, zippers, medical gauze, glass, belts and bubble gum to make what appear to be paintings that respect the tradition of a rectangle on the wall. In the end, the very act of creating these artworks makes me laugh and reconsider my relationships to the fearful subjects that plagued me while welcoming you to view them and laugh along with me. – Adis Halilovic “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means
paint, and that voice will be silenced.” 2
–Vincent Van Gogh
Mental Health Connecticut (MHC) is a very well needed support for the people who live with mental illness because not only do we live with the positive network of services that MHC offers, but we have the opportunity to enjoy a social network of people who are just like ourselves. And, we get the kind support of mental health workers who counsel and advise us in making our life choices. The vital life decisions that we make are crucial to our well-being as well as decisions we can come to conclusion with. Making decisions is a difficulty that begins when we are babies. We process slower than the average individual. Our minds do not comprehend what we are mentally digesting and we misunderstand what is being said until we process it and understand. This takes patience for the individual as well as the caregiver who helps us. I can speak for myself, with the help of medication I came from a person who could not sit in one place for too long and spoke in incomplete sentences and did not have a peaceful state of mind to a person who graduated a community college with a mental health certificate. I also graduated from Advocacy Unlimited and can advocate for myself and others. I also graduated from the Institute of Children’s Literature and I have a diploma for writing for children and teenagers. I also have a book published telling of my story of recovery. It is called Resilience. MHC is a place for people of all races and backgrounds who have difficulty with mentally functioning or problems with communication can come and relax, let go, enjoy art, music and food together in other people’s company in a social community setting. Individuals can be a part of the community and have the satisfaction of living a full life. -IC member, Carol G.
For people who hear voices: www.facebook.com/cthearing voicesnetwork or http://www.hearingvoicesusa. org
Alternatives to Suicide Support Group 399 Franklin Avenue Hartford Wednesdays 4-5pm http://toivocenter.org OCD support group http://psychiatry.yale.edu/ocd /patients/support.aspx Alcoholics Anonymous http://www.aa.org Narcotics Anonymous http://www.na.org Overeaters Anonymous https://oa.org
This month MHC’s IC had an exciting opportunity to work with the United Way to produce a podcast highlighting one of our members, Joseph C. In the podcast the IC was United Way’s featured program. Joseph C. shared some of his story, his accomplishments and how the IC has helped him. The IC partners with the United Way to provide services to our members and help them achieve their goals around health and wellness. The IC receives a portion of funding from the United Way to work with our members on linkage to health care providers and to assist with increasing knowledge and skills that will help with improving overall health and well-being. We will keep you posted once the podcast is released!
Gamblers Anonymous http://www.gamblersanonymo us.org/ga For additional information on Support Groups in Connecticut, visit http://www.mhconn.org/educ ation/information or call: 1-800-842-1510
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“Stay strong when problems come and be hopeful and remember that tough times don’t last, but tough people do!” — Ed R.
Miguel Matthew Danielle Tanya Guillermo Kevin Chelsea Ana Laurine Robin Karen Bruce Charles Edward Christopher Lorraine Bill Richard Annette Gregory Daniel James Willie
B P D M C L B H Mc L W S P O B A R C B K R H M
01 02 03 04 04 07 07 09 12 15 16 16 19 23 24 25 26 27 27 27 27 29 31
Join us for Birthday Bash on Tuesday, January 28 at 2:30 p.m. to celebrate!
Ed R. has been a long-time member and is a genuinely kind polite and person. He says that he keeps busy doing household chores and talking to neighbors. Ed is established in the community and gets along with the folks that live in his building. Ed has been working on a goal and attends the YMCA at least three times per week. Ed also states that he has had a lot of challenges lately and has become quite the good problem solver. “Persistence” is the key to solving problems. Ed also has advice to anyone struggling with challenges and says to “stay strong when problems come and be hopeful and remember that tough times don’t last, but tough people do!”
In last month’s workshop we talked about the phrase having a “backup plan”. I’m sure many of us heard that before, “make sure you have a backup plan in case things don’t work out.” Saying a backup plan implies that you failed at attempting something and it was a step back. It also implies that you’re going to do something that you didn’t want to do in the first place. The workshop decided to change the wording on that and say “fall forward.” Fall forward is a much better way of saying you went after your dreams, that you reached for the stars but made it to the sky. Fall forward makes your attempts not a failure, but a step closer to what you are trying to accomplish. It’s not a step back but a step forward. As long as you try something you can never fail. Failing is when you don’t try. Trying leaves no room for wondering, guessing, or regrets. So, fall forward often and fall forward with confidence and pride. The next time someone asks if you have a backup plan, you say I don’t, but I do have a fall forward plan! -Derrick
Members, be prepared for a new crafting project! It’s called “found art.” You will be asked to bring in a “found” piece of nature (a log, branch or anything else that you found) to be crafted into a piece of art. Use your imagination and be creative. See me, Alisa, for more details and we hope you can join us on 1/28/20 when we put our masterpieces together!
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Happy New Year Advocates! 2020 will be an important year for many reasons. One reason will be that all of us will need to complete the 2020 Census for the coming year. The census is used to collect important information for local and national purposes. Here are some facts from the Census Bureau that you may want to know: Everyone counts. The census counts every person living in the United States
once, only once, and in the right place. It’s about fair representation. Every 10 years the results of the census are used to reapportion the House of Representatives, determining how many seats each state gets. It’s in the Constitution. The U.S. Constitution mandates that everyone in the country be counted every 10 years. The first Census was in 1790. It’s about $675 billion. The distribution of more than $675 billion in federal funds, grants and support to states, counties, and communities are based on census data. It’s about redistricting. After each decade’s census, state officials redraw the boundaries of the congressional and state legislative districts in their states to account for population shifts. Taking part is your civic duty. Completing the census is mandatory; it’s a way to participate in our democracy and say “I COUNT!” Census data are being used all around you. Residents use the census to support community initiatives involving legislation, quality-of-life, and consumer advocacy. Businesses use census data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores, which create jobs. Local governments use the census for public safety and emergency preparedness. Real estate developers use the census to build new homes and revitalize old neighborhoods. Your privacy is protected. It’s against the law for the Census Bureau to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or your household. By law, your responses cannot be used against you and can only be used to produce statistics. 2020 will be easier than ever. In 2020 you will be able to respond to the census online. -www.census.gov
Join us at the IC for important workshops regarding the 2020 Census. Keep an eye on our monthly calendar for upcoming workshop dates. If you receive any information or need help completing the Census, IC staff will be happy to assist you!
Being still in the wintertime While winter’s chill cool warm hearts Viewing blankets of snow Hot chocolate and marshmallow pudding Looking for season’s adoration from the sky -IC member Michael P.
We invite to try out this recipe using ingredients from the IC’s food bank! Ingredients: 1 bag lentils 2 cans mixed vegetables 1 can diced tomatoes 1 can pork (optional) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp pepper 6 cups water or stock Directions: 1. Place lentils in 6 cups water (or stock) in a pot 2. Bring lentils to a boil 3. After they boil, lower heat to low 4. Keep on low for 30 min 5. Stir occasionally 6. Add veggies and tomato (if using pork, add now) 7. Add salt and pepper 8. Add more water or stock if needed 9. Cook until lentils are tender & everything is hot
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You are enough, you are
worthy and YOU MATTER. If it is meant to be, it will
be. Positive thoughts create a
positive life. Let go of what you can’t
change. You only fail if you don’t
try. Happiness is found within. Everyone’s journey is
different. Strive for progress, not
perfection. Where your focus goes,
your energy flows. Smiles are contagious. Kindness is free.
It is OK not be OK
sometimes.
With the Holidays ending, the cold weather here and the lack of sunshine, January can be a tough month for some people. It’s a good time to go within and take care of your mental health. Below are some tips from CPH on how to stay mentally healthy during this winter season and throughout the year: Commit to being physically active each day. Studies have shown there is a link
between mental and physical health. If needed, seek out the assistance of a certified professional to sort through
mental and emotional baggage. It is one of the healthiest things we can do. Learn to relax and enjoy life. Commit to carving out some time each day to
“shutting down” and doing something for yourself that helps you rest and recharge your mental and emotional batteries. Diligently speak nicely about yourself and treat yourself with respect. All good
things begin from within, and a positive outlook on ourselves is a key to attracting more positivity into our lives. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Remind yourself daily that as a human, you will
make mistakes or miss goals, and that is okay. What is important is going forward in these situations in a positive manner. Stay mindful and in the moment. Don’t dwell too much on the past or spend too
much time fixating on the future. Remember to live in the here and now and enjoy all that life has to offer. Do not allow yourself to be defined by a label. Instead of thinking and speaking
of yourself as being overweight, anxious, depressed, etc… say instead “I have depression and today I will exercise to help manage that.” Strive to become the person you want to be. View life as a journey full of
adventures rather than a series of obstacles you have to overcome. Enjoy the ride that life is, rather than focusing on the bumps in the road.
Join us at the IC every Monday in January at 10:00 a.m. as we discuss ways to stay mentally healthy, today and throughout the year!
Happiness is a mood,
positivity is a mindset. Every day is a new chance.
“Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are. It solely relies on what you think.” -Buddha
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Did you know that the IC provides training opportunities to our members? If you are looking to learn new skills, get prepared for the workforce or just add to your current skill set, the IC is the place for you! In Culinary you can learn about safe food handling, proper dishwashing techniques, how to prepare healthy and nutritious meals and how to maintain a kitchen - all while having a good time and making the meal for the day! If you are interested in learning more about this, or participating in Culinary, see Nicole. If you have an interest in learning greeter/reception skills, the IC has a training program that covers all aspects of what a job like this entails. You can learn how to utilize a phone system, how to work the security system, what an employer will look for as the first point of contact for their business and much more. This training is provided over several weeks and staff can work around your schedule. You can use these skills for employment, or you can take the next step and take the certification to cover the IC’s front desk reception. Please see Jayne if you are interested. The IC also has a facilities specialist who can provide one to one training on maintenance techniques – from repairs to cleaning. We will work with your schedule to assist you with building your skill set and you may even end up with a sparkling home as well! Please see Jose if you are interested. In addition to these opportunities, the IC also has a Computer Lab that is open Monday-Friday from 9-4. You can access the internet and work on your computer skills. If you need assistance, staff will set up a time to meet with you and help you to set up an email, learn how to do internet searches, fill out job applications, practice keyboarding and much more. Please see Derrick for more information.
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 Statewide # for Opioid (Opiate) Dependence 1-800-563-4086 You will be linked with walk-in assessment centers
Dentists in Waterbury who take Husky Health Staywell Health Center 203-597-9044 South Main Street 203-756-8021 Phoenix Avenue
Dear members, We are starting a new year once again. I would like the spirit of giving to continue far into Spring. The next Acts of Kindness group will be leaving pennies (heads up) In random places around the city for good luck. Hopefully we can put a smile on someone’s face!
Community Health Center 203-574-4000 Columbia Dental 1-866-645-0111
-Alisa
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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.
All of us here at the IC would like to wish you and yours an amazing new year filled with health, happiness, new adventures and creativity! We hope that this year will be and opportunity for growth and prosperity. We appreciate you and we welcome your feedback and participation to make our program a success!