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Hope Is Here
At HealthSouth, never before has knowledge, technology and teamwork merged so completely to inspire those facing personal journeys of rehabilitation after an illness, injury or surgery. HealthSouth is committed to making a difference for patients and families by developing personalized programs that target patient goals, overcome challenges and embrace progress with refreshing optimism.
With HealthSouth by your side, there is hope to reach your goals and get back home, expanding a horizon full of possibilities. For some, it’s the first glimmer of light. For others, it’s a powerful reminder that with HealthSouth, hope for renewed independence is never far away.
Karen Marsdale, Senior Editor
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more domestic violence. No more sexual assault.
Help raise funds for Safe Berks! To participate or become a Corporate Sponsor, visit www.SafeBerks.org & click on Events, or email MindyM@SafeBerks.org, or call 610-373-1206. Safe Berks, formerly Berks Women in Crisis, serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault 24/7, and provides education to prevent these crimes. Together we can build a Safe Berks!
Help raise funds for Safe Berks! To participate or become a Corporate Sponsor, visit www.SafeBerks.org & click on Events, or email MindyM@SafeBerks.org, or call 610-373-1206. Safe Berks, formerly Berks Women in Crisis, serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault 24/7, and provides education to prevent these crimes. Together we can build a Safe Berks!
Be sure to look for Safe Berks on the 400 block of Penn Avenue at Art on the Avenue! Visit www.SafeBerks.org for more details.
Be sure to look for Safe Berks on the 400 block of Penn Avenue at Art on the Avenue! Visit www.SafeBerks.org for more details.
Berks, 255 Chestnut St., Reading, PA 19602 24/7 Hotline: 844-789-SAFE (7233) Or Text SAFE BERKS to 20121 www.SafeBerks.org Peace@SafeBerks.org
Safe Berks, 255 Chestnut St., Reading, PA 19602 24/7 Hotline: 844-789-SAFE (7233) Or Text SAFE BERKS to 20121 www.SafeBerks.org Peace@SafeBerks.org 610-373-1206
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Spring is here and that means W2W Expo is right around the corner. We are excited to launch a new theme this year, Work Smarter, Live Better: Tipping the Balance Between Work & Life. More and more, I hear women’s frustration with the reality that we’re called upon to be connected to our jobs 24/7, and while we may love our work and find passion in what we do, finding the right balance is critical to success in both career and life.
We also listened to you, our members, who said that you want more content that you can take back to your workplace and put into practice… just look at all that we’re offering this year! I can guarantee you that we listened and have a day packed full of great take-aways for you. From two keynote speakers, three top-notch workshops, and much more, this is the year not to miss!
It’s with great pride that we feature Dr. Anna Weitz as our cover story. Dr. Weitz, President of Reading Area Community College, will be retiring in June after leading the college since 2007. Her legacy in this position will long be remembered by this community. Women2Women holds a deep regard for her visionary work at RACC, her dedication to higher education for all, and her perseverance to excellence. Dr. Weitz, we salute you!
This edition of our magazine is filled with so many topics relevant to today’s woman. Check out our re-cap of a recent program we hosted about the critical need for more women in public office. It could be your time to run. We explore the topic of behavior and personality traits in a piece focusing on StrengthsFinder… it may pique your interest in diving deeper to find out more about what makes you tick!
Last, but certainly not least, check out our new column Lend a Hand. Beginning with this issue, we will highlight the opportunities available to give back to organizations in Berks that are working hard to make a difference in the lives of women and girls. We know how busy you are, but let’s remember this quote from Margaret Mead:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
All the best,
Karen Marsdale
Women 2Know
Community & Business Profiles, Insights & Highlights
For Anna Weitz,
It’s Been a Labor of Love
By E.J. Brown
In 1969, Anna Weitz was about to graduate from Boston University with a degree in American Studies. Unlike many of her peers, the young educator found her true calling early, but it was not in the classroom. Having served as a resident assistant in her dormitory at BU, she learned that she was a good counselor to her fellow students. Right after graduation, she decided to pursue a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Student Personnel Services at the State University of New York at Albany. She then served as Associate Dean of Student Affairs at Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA. In 1976, Weitz accepted a job at Williamsport Area Community College as a career counselor for adult students. From that point on, she never looked back.
“I never wanted to work anywhere else,” Weitz confided, speaking of the community college setting. “I love the scope of what community colleges do — the broad range of students, the open door policy, the community connection. These students are amazing.”
This June, after 49 years in education, Dr. Anna D. Weitz will retire from Reading Area Community College, having spent 11 years as the school’s first woman president. She prepared for that job with five years as President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in Johnstown, PA, and as a high-level administrator in several other community college settings. She says it’s been a labor of love all along the way.
Though RACC serves students going into professions that require four-year degrees and more, the school also has a very active workforce development program that has become the portal to economic security for many Berks County families. By choosing college, children from these families are taking a big step ahead while they push back against other realities in their lives that may keep them from succeeding.
Not all RACC students are young people. Many are in the middle stages of their careers, trying to construct new frames of reference that will be built on today’s technologies. Sixty years ago, Reading was a manufacturing center for everything from cigars to hosiery. It was once known as the pretzel capital of the world, and anyone who has played Monopoly has heard of the Reading Railroad. But those industries are gone, and in their place are new businesses that require learning new skills. And while work is a
“I never wanted to work anywhere else. I love the scope of what community colleges do — the broad range of students, the open door policy, the community connection. These students are amazing.”
necessity for self-reliance, Weitz knows it is more than just putting bread on the table. Jobs build self-esteem and add purpose to people’s lives.
“I’ve always been fascinated with the role of work in people’s lives,” Weitz testified. As a research assistant at Penn State University when she was getting her doctorate, her specialty was career development theory within the broader field of vocational psychology. Last year Weitz won the Reading Eagle’s Education Newsmaker of the Year Award for her work in widening the range of RACC’s community partnerships within the extensive number of regional industries. Through its Schmidt Training and Technology Center, the college works with local businesses to create training programs for advanced manufacturing and highly technical jobs that are available right now in the Berks County area. Weitz has been instrumental in getting students in non-credit advanced workforce training programs the chance to earn associate degrees that will enhance their educational and financial outcomes.
Despite the fact that these companies will continue to need workers and students will need living-wage jobs, Weitz said her greatest challenge, like that of most other community colleges today, has been to keep student enrollment and retention high. “Students will do better in every aspect of their lives if they graduate,” she stated. But most students on commuter campuses work at least part-time and many have families. Sudden loss of income or a family emergency can disrupt someone’s education at any time. “Our enrollment has increased in the past two years,” Weitz said, but keeping it up takes a “boots-on-the-ground” effort to make the college visible. “You need to get as many people on campus as you can,” she noted. This means everyone — from high school guidance counselors, parents, business and government representatives, and the students themselves. Weitz meets with them all, many times at events off campus. “I am out in the community as often as I can be,” she said.
Meanwhile, she has also succeeded in greatly increasing the options for students headed to four-year schools to earn their bachelor’s degrees in many professions. RACC now has dual-admission agreements with well-respected colleges and universities in Reading, Kutztown and Philadelphia. Many other institutions fully-accept RACC core curriculum credits for transfer.
Weitz continues to lift women’s prospects both as students and future professionals. “RACC’s student population is 60 percent female,” the president said, “and 79 percent of its employees are women. By the very nature of how we operate, we are impacting women’s lives.” Asked if she, as a pioneer in education, had a particular memory of advocating for women on campus, she recalls a time in a particular job years ago where female colleagues pointed out to her that they were making less than men for particular tasks. “We got together and went to see the president. We were polite about it, but we were scared to death!” she said. “They actually agreed.” The difference was incremental, she noted. “I think women just need to be sensitive to helping
“RACC’s student population is 60 percent female, and 79 percent of its employees are women.”
each other and doing the best job they can. It’s important for young men to see women in high positions.” And in fact, community colleges are one of the first places where women broke the glass ceiling, beginning in the 1970s. Today about 36 percent of community colleges have women presidents, according to InsideHigherEd.com.
Her greatest joy in the past 11 years? “What I will remember most are the faces of our students!” Weitz said.
Where does Weitz believe community colleges will be in ten years? “I predict they will increasingly be the college of choice for a larger segment of students coming directly from high school,” due to their economy and excellent support services for students. In fact, “almost half the states
now allow community colleges to award bachelor’s degrees in specialized programs.” Pennsylvania is not yet one of them, but she believes that will change. Online education will also increase, allowing more students to take more classes.
On July 1, Weitz will hand over the reins at RACC to President-elect Dr. Susan Looney, currently senior vice president of academic affairs and provost. It will be a woman-to-woman succession; “I know she’s going to do a wonderful job.” And Anna Weitz, who originally hails from Portland, ME, will stay in Berks County, which she now calls home, do some work with the Wyomissing Foundation, which makes strategic investments to meet community needs, remain active in the community, and — “catch up on my reading!”
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HIGH IMPACT & NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED Expo’s Keynote Speakers
The theme Work Smarter, Live Better: Tipping the Balance Between Work & Life spoke to us this year. Women of our community have been calling for more high-impact content and professional development at expo and we have found it! We can’t wait for you to join us as we introduce our Keynote Speakers. (For an in-depth look at the detailed schedule, expo speakers and content flip to page 14!)
Advancing Your Career Through Gender Equality — Romy Newman
About the presentation: The presentation will give the audience an overview of Fairygodboss and the research around women in the workplace. Whether you work in a small non-profit or a big corporate firm, Fairygodboss is obsessed with making sure you know what you’re getting into. It’ll give participants ten action items that help you advocate for gender diversity in corporate settings while moving your career forward.
About Romy: Romy Newman is President and Co-founder of Fairygodboss, the leading career community for women to share their workplace experiences and the inside scoop on the benefits, policies and culture at their employers. Fairygodboss is a marketplace where professional women looking for jobs, advice, and the details on companies meet employers who believe in gender equality. Women in the Fairygodboss community crowdsource hard-to-find and hard-to-ask information from each other ranging from maternity leave policies, to corporate culture around pay and promotion for women and whether the company’s management team and CEO truly support gender diversity. Prior to co-founding Fairygodboss, Romy ran digital advertising sales and operations at The Wall Street Journal and worked in marketing at Google and Estee Lauder. She is
a graduate of Yale and Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management. Georgene Huang is also co-founder of Fairygodboss and works alongside Romy.
Showing up as Your Best Self & The Five Words — Jen Croneberger
About the presentation: This “best self” comes from within and is best discovered by uncovering one’s non-negotiables as a human being. Understanding the way in which belief windows influence how we communicate with each other leads to sustainable change and effective productivity in the workplace. Being an effective relationship-builder hinges on our ability to be inspired by passion and driven by the mission of our life’s work. Being able to show up as your best self in a very change-centric time always and most effectively begins within. These Five Words will not only open your eyes to a new way of seeing the world around you, but the humanity within you and a compassionate leadership style.
About Jen: Jen Croneberger is a widely sought-after speaker for corporations, schools and universities, organizations and teams all over the country and is the President and Chief Inspiration Officer of JLynne Consulting Group, LLC. Her Master’s Degree is in Sports and Performance Psychology and some of Jen’s clients have included professional athletes and big Division 1 programs across the country. Jen was consulted by MTV’s show “MADE” as a mental skills/fear coach for one of its subjects in the Fall of 2007. She has also been interviewed on four different occasions by Philadelphia’s ABC affiliate, Channel 6 Action News and was selected by the Chester County Chamber of Business and Industry as the 2009 Female Business Leader of the Year. Jen has been on the TEDx stage as a
speaker three different times in 2013 and 2014. She runs a group coaching program called the Soul Tribe Evolution Project, has a radio show called The Possibility Project, and writes monthly columns for a variety of publications. She published her first book in 2012, called “These Five Words Are Mine” and was named “Best of 2015, 2016 and 2017: The #1 Motivational Speaker in the Philadelphia, PA & Washington, DC Regions”.
Rachael Romig Special Programs Coordinator, GRCA
Jen Croneberger
Romy Newman
Living In (and Loving!) the Greater Reading Area
By Dani Motze, Entech Engineering
Lisa Weaver
From working to develop new community health initiatives to helping preserve some of Reading’s historic legacy, Lisa Weaver is bridging Reading’s rich past with its promising future. Growing up, she had plans to live and work internationally but, somewhere along the way, she got hooked on the people and places of Greater Reading.
After college, Lisa found out about an opportunity to serve with AmeriCorps as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) at the Pennsylvania State University Berks Campus’ initiative Be Bold Take Charge. She worked to increase health and nutrition, as well as social entrepreneurship across the City by supporting other community efforts (like the Penn Street Market), by facilitating community partnerships, and by managing student research projects.
AmeriCorps VISTA is a national service program in which members commit to serving poverty-reducing community initiatives full-time for one year, receiving a meager stipend. To supplement this stipend, Lisa also worked at both the Country Lane Organic Produce & Poultry and Half Dozen Café at the Fairgrounds Farmers Market.
After completing her service term, Lisa accepted a newly-created position that had evolved from her VISTA role, created jointly between Penn State Berks and Penn State Health St. Joseph. Lisa assists with community health initiatives and continues to promote social entrepreneurship.
“We’re currently developing a fruit and vegetable prescription pilot program at the hospital’s Downtown Campus that will allow clinical staff to prescribe vouchers to patients with diabetes and obesity to redeem for fruits and vegetables,” she said.
Lisa also volunteers with Reading City Church’s ‘Heritage Project,’ which seeks to preserve and promote the historical integrity, and legacy, of historic church buildings within the Reading City Church network.
In her spare time, she likes to read (she recommends The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg!), cook, play soccer, work on her Spanish and, with any time left over, relax with friends and family. Her favorite spots in Reading include The Schuylkill River Trail throughout the Gring’s Mill area and the restaurants Olocuilta and Mi Casa Su Casa.
Reflecting on her past few years of working, living in and enjoying Reading inspires Lisa to dream about the city’s future. “[I hope for] Reading to have a changed narrative one that shifts from negativity to celebrating the rich cultural history and diversity here from stigma to showcasing the incredible beauty and talent here.”
Tasha Santiago
Tasha Santiago was raised right outside of LA. Now, she lives in Reading’s south side and loves volunteering, working and relaxing here. “People… think I am crazy for moving. But… Reading is a beautiful place with beautiful, unique and creative people. I see how much positive change can come and will come. I want to be part of that.”
Tasha was deeply influenced by her time at Reading Area Community College, where she worked with staff member Danelle Bower to write a grant that secured funding for a student-produced musical theatre production exploring Latin American history. “I love Reading Area Community College. They have so many resources and resourceful people. I love to always learn and grow, so it makes sense that I like to be on campus so much,” she said.
Tasha later served as an AmeriCorps VISTA, during which time she learned about and worked on various community projects and collaborations, including the Regional Reading Food Policy and Action Council.
Tasha also volunteers with the Reading Pride Celebration non-profit organization, the group that hosts Reading Pride Celebration each summer, as well as other fundraising and networking events. And, she continues to offer a helping hand to the LGBT Center of Greater Reading, which she helped to develop and distributed a survey to better assess the needs of the community.
“There is a misconception that there is nothing to do here, but so many organizations have so much to offer,” she said.
Tasha finds joy in the little moments, like lunch with a friend or a moment of quiet, all around Reading. The park near Willow Street is among her favorite; “The park behind [that location] holds my fondest memories. It’s a beautiful walk by the river and a quiet and quaint neighborhood next to Cristina’s Restaurant where my friend Scarly and I used to go almost every pay day for lunch on a Friday.”
Tasha isn’t sure what the future holds for her, but does know that she will continue to help out her community in whatever way she can and will keep dreaming big for Reading’s future. “I hope for a less fearful outside community, a spike in local business, more peace and togetherness and for the community members to feel safe and accepted as the unique and diverse people that they are.”
OThe Lack of Women in Elected Office: What Can Be Done?
By Karen Marsdale — Executive VP of Programs, GRCA
n January 31st, an inaugural event hosted by W2W and Julia Klein, CEO & Chairwoman, CH Briggs, took place, titled “Women Who Ran and Won.” It was well-attended and those who came were honestly interested in the topic of women who have stepped into the public arena and had the fortitude to run for an office of some kind.
We had an excellent panel that represented a diverse group of women: Sandy Graffius, Controller, County of Berks; Carissa Johnson, Magisterial District Judge, County of Berks; Michelle Kichline, County Commissioner, Chester County; Olga Negron, Councilwoman, Bethlehem City Council; Judy Schwank, Senator, State of Pennsylvania; and Linda Zerbe, Former member of the Wilson School Board.
Julia Klein, who is passionate about this topic and has expertise in chairing campaigns on a local, state and national level, moderated this panel of very successful women. Julia shared with the audience that her interest began when she ran her dad’s campaign during his run for Mayor of Wyomissing. Julia and I have talked for some time about our desire to expose women to the concept that we, as 50 percent of the overall population in our nation, are sorely underrepresented in the political arena.
The data regarding women in political offices of any type is quite sobering nationally, and Pennsylvania stats are downright depressing . We rank 49th in women elected to office, with only Mississippi ranking lower! Additionally, according to the Center for American Women & Politics located out of Rutgers University, Pennsylvania ranks 39th nationally in the number of women in our state legislature based on the proportion of our population.
Political Parity, a nonpartisan platform educating and engaging actors and allies to
The data regarding women in political offices of any type is quite sobering nationally, and Pennsylvania stats are downright depressing. We rank 49th in women elected
Panel members, l-r: Sandy Graffius, Julia Klein, Linda Zerbe, Michelle Kichline, Olga Negron, Carissa Johnson, and Judy Schwank
Julia Klein moderated the panel for a packed house at the Inn at Reading in January.
The Future Is So Bright …
At The Highlands, we’re ready for the next generation of seniors … and the future has never looked brighter. From exciting new residential living villas and the addition of a world-class memory care program, to an enhanced fitness and wellness center and new on-site specialty physician services, we’re setting new standards in retirement living to ensure our residents can – and do – thrive!
increase women’s political representation, reported that women make up only 19 percent of Congress and hold six Governorships, and overall the U.S. is behind Afghanistan, Ethiopia and Nepal in women in government positions. The form of government may play a role as it relates to women’s representation, however, we have a lot of work to do! I would encourage you to look at their website, as there are many reasons why we should be taking a seat at the political table… we need 100 percent of America’s talent, ladies, and it can start with you.
It’s striking to me that women have made strides professionally. In 2017, more females entered medical schools than males, there is an increasing global discussion of women on boards, and there is good news for women in the C-Suite, primarily due in part to the gain in the tech industry. Don’t misunderstand the bias, backed by data, still reports that men are promoted for potential and women for performance.
So, while we women spend a lot of our energy striving to grow professionally, obtain more degrees, and demand equal pay for equal work, we still don’t understand the power we have collaboratively to effect change in the public square, which is where real change can happen. Essentially, we need to get in the game. If we commit to doing something, things will change, and it will be for the good of all people men, women and children.
I’ll leave you with two quotes from women in history who made a difference… be the change you want to see.
“If you want something said, ask a man; if you want something done, ask a woman.”
– Margaret Thatcher
“A woman is like a tea bag — you can’t tell how strong she is until you put her in hot water.”
– Eleanor Roosevelt
Women2Women offered two scholarships to “Ready to Run,” a boot camp for women interested in learning more about the election process. This session was held in Philadelphia last month. Annarose Ungarra-Milch attended and had this to say about her experience:
“The highlight of the event was Secretary Leslie Richards keynote address. She shared her ‘humble’ beginnings and lack of knowledge of government and methodically took us to where she is today, the first woman and planner to lead PennDOT, an agency of $9B budget with over 11,000 employees. Although each speaker disclosed her modest beginnings, Secretary Richards offered full disclosure, sharing that when someone suggested that she run for Commissioner, she didn’t even really know what a commissioner’s job was all about. Her honesty and openness was appreciated and inspiring.
“The most impactful thing that I learned while at the event is that women, regardless of where we are now, have a story to tell that has influenced their decision to be in the
same room at the same time and are looking to serve their government. One woman, who is a lawyer, is running for Judge. She is the mother to her brother’s child who was killed in an act of violence; another woman is a former CIA counter-intelligence officer. Each elected official on the panel had her own back story that brought her to run for office. And just about each one of the women was integrating her family life with her professional life. So having strong family support is vital.”
WORKING SMARTER & LIVING BETTER
2018 Spring Renewal Expo
By Rachael Romig Special Programs Coordinator, GRCA
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Crowne Plaza Reading
Itis that time of year again the weather is changing, flowers are beginning to bloom and the Women2Women annual Spring Renewal Expo is around the corner. This year, on April 24th, we will be showcasing the theme Work Smarter, Live Better: Tipping the Balance Between Work & Life. You spoke, and we listened; our surveys from past expos have told us that our women attendees would like more content on professional development.
While we all like a little pampering at the Expo (don’t worry, you’ll get that too!), we have carefully selected our high-impact speakers and changed the format of the event to ensure you get the development you’re craving! And when I say high-impact speakers, I mean women who are both locally and nationally renowned. Wait until you hear their back stories and accomplishments!
8:00 a.m.–9:00 a.m.
This year we will be hosting the ATHENA Award presentation over breakfast. Nominations are in and the award recipient will be announced soon! The Athena Award is presented to a woman, or man, who is honored for attaining professional excellence, community service and for actively assisting women in their achievement of professional excellence. The ATHENA Leadership Model, developed by Athena International through a grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, identifies eight distinct attributes that are reflective of women’s contributions to leadership.
9:15 a.m.–11:30 a.m.
One of the biggest changes you’ll see at the Expo this year is the opportunity to attend two breakout sessions of your choosing. We will be hosting the same three breakout sessions twice with a break in between to ensure that you get to choose what you concentrate on at the Expo.
Event Details
WHAT: Spring Renewal Expo
Work Harder, Live Better: Tipping the Balance Between Work & Life
WHERE: Crowne Plaza Reading 1741 Papermill Rd., Reading, PA 19610
WHEN: Tuesday, April 24, 2018 from 8:00 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
WHY: A day for women to grow their networks, develop professionally, enjoy a little pampering and, above all, recognize their potential while surrounded by other strong women!
Breakout Session Option #1
Wake-Up Productive: How to Get More Done and Create a Meaningful Life with Daily Routine
Jamila
Payne, CEO of Daily Success Routine
Breakout Session Option #2
Conflict, Compromise & Civility in the Workplace
Joanne M. Judge, Esq., CPA, Co-Chair of the Health Law Department at Stevens & Lee
Daily Success Routine, an online professional development company focused on lifestyle design for ambitious women, creates day planners, goal-setting notebooks and seminars that teach people to achieve big personal, career and business goals. The company aims to revolutionize the way we work to include more freedom and personal fulfillment in and out of the office. Jamila is the author of Daily Success for Teams and From Payne to Power and she has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur Magazine. Jamila’s Success Circle, a 1,500+ community for goal-getting women business owners, has Chapters in New York, Philadelphia, DC and Atlanta. Jamila has trained over 15,000 entrepreneurs and leaders across the U.S. and Africa and is an award-winning business owner, selected as a “40 Under 40 Entrepreneur to Watch” by the Philadelphia Business Journal.
Joanne was previously honored as one of Pennsylvania’s inaugural Best 50 Women in Business and received the ATHENA Award from the Berks Chamber of Commerce in 2009.
She is the Co-Chair of the Health Law Department at Stevens & Lee, previously served as President of Community Hospital of Lancaster and was formerly its chief financial officer, has served as Chairman of the Lancaster and Reading YMCAs and the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce, and is the Immediate Past Chair of the board of Alvernia University.
If you haven’t seen our Facebook and Instagram posts or W2W e-newsletters, you might not know that we have TWO amazing Keynote Speakers this year! (And if you aren’t receiving the e-newsletters or seeing our posts on social media…sign up!) These nationally recognized women cannot be missed and will leave you with great tools and information to use in your own lives.
Breakout Session Option #3
Building Your Brand
Through Your Why Story
Christine Miles, Co-Founder and Chief Architect of CI²
12:15 p.m.–1:15 p.m.
KEYNOTE ONE
Showing up as Your Best Self & The Five Words
Jen Croneberger
1:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.
Christine is a Leadership & Organization Development Specialist who coaches consulting businesses to Fortune 500 companies. Christine received her M.S. Ed. in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania and became a system’s therapist/advocate for families and children. Here she realized helping families better connect and become emotionally intelligent should be applied to businesses and thus her business CI Squared was born. CI Squared has become a global catalyst in Leadership Development and Sales Training designed to turbocharge existing sales methodologies and leadership programs by re-humanizing communications. Christine also hosts a weekly business radio show, Executive Leaders Radio, which is the #1 business radio show in the Mid-Atlantic states and broadcasts nationally on 91 stations.
11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.
Enjoy lunch and networking before we launch into our first Keynote Speaker!
As a leader in an ever-changing society, “showing up as your best self” is the cornerstone of our daily success. The Five Words will not only open your eyes to a new way of seeing the world around you, but the humanity within you. Compassionate Leadership is an idea whose time is long overdue and very much the way of the future not only in the workplace, but in our daily lives. It’s time to push boundaries. We don’t know how far we can go until we go there.
Jen Croneberger, President and Chief Inspiration Officer of JLynne Consulting Group, LLC is a widely sought-after speaker for corporations, schools and universities, organizations and teams all over the country and was named “Best of 2015, 2016 and 2017: The #1 Motivational Speaker in the Philadelphia, PA & Washington, DC Regions.” She published her first book in 2012, called These Five Words Are Mine. (See more about Jen & The Five Words on page 9.)
We will offer a break between Jen’s presentation and the next session so you can absorb the amazing tips she offers to be “your best self.” But after the break we again are giving you the chance to choose what you’d like to do and accomplish during the day. Interested in learning how to properly use social media? We offer that. How about perusing our sponsor and women-owned business vendor tables? Sure, you can do that too. Or maybe you’d like to sign up for a 15-minute session in the career corner with a personal consultant? Could you guess that we are offering that, too?!
Social Media Round Tables With the everchanging technology of today, you need to be in the know on what “the rules” of social media are, especially in a professional setting. Join us as we discuss how to present your best self on social media, what employers look for when scouting new hires and the growing topic of “being present” in the workplace. Leave your round table with information on how to create a social media presence that will wow your networks.
Career Corner If the social media session isn’t where you’d like to be at 1:30 p.m., you will have the opportunity to sign up for a 15-minute meeting with one of our career corner consultants.
You will have the choice of:
Sponsoring/Mentoring with Lizette Epps Lizette will aid you in understanding the difference between a mentor and a sponsor and how to identify one that is best for you.
Business Etiquette with Adriane Hoke Adriane, also known as The Etiquette Lady, will be available to answer your etiquette-related questions and provide you with insight to help you achieve success in this area.
Interviewing Skills/Mock Interviews with Alison Snyder Alison will help you in identifying the dos and don’ts of an interview, answer your questions and provide a quick mock interview scenario.
Resume Writing with Ramona Wolf Ramona will offer you tips and techniques on updating your resume and using key words that will make you stand out from the rest. Bring your own resume for review if you’d like a quick look-over!
Vendors, Pampering & Shopping As in past years, we will again be showcasing our amazing W2W sponsors and women-owned businesses all day. Peruse the information and education they will have available, enjoy a mini-spa service, and do a little shopping to promote local businesses!
2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.
KEYNOTE TWO
Advancing Your Career Through Gender Equality
Romy Newman
What a day we have planned for you!
Fairygodboss not only offers community members’ employer reviews but addresses topics like work-life balance, salaries, maternity leave, and research around women in the workplace. You can move your career forward while you advocate for gender diversity in corporate settings, and you will receive 10 action items to help you get started and stay educated.
Romy Newman is President and Co-founder of Fairygodboss, the leading online career community for women to share their workplace experiences and the inside scoop on the benefits, policies and culture at their employers. (See more about Romy and Fairygodboss on page 9.)
3:30 p.m.– Until Next Year!
The amazing, capable, beautiful and smart women of Berks County! Every year, we strive to bring you something new, someone impactful and overall, we want you to enjoy yourselves and take these experiences with you to keep always. The 2018 Spring Renewal Expo is an event that can’t be missed and we look forward to seeing you there!
10 REASONS WHY YOU HAVE the Women2Women
1
Dig in to a healthy-start breakfast coupled with the ATHENA Award presentation recognizing the 2018 recipient who is making changes in our community & empowering women.
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2
Attend high impact breakout session speakers helping you to Build Your Own Brand, Create Your Meaningful Life and better understand Conflict, Compromise & Civility in the Workplace.
Enjoy a delicious lunch and the chance to network with other empowered women (AKA make new friends)!
8
9
Show up as your best self with Jen Croneberger. She will tell us why it’s time to push boundaries; we don’t know how far we can go until we get there.
3
Relish in a day of professional development and a bit of pampering. Statistically, nearly half (47%) of the women in the U.S. believe men have better access to professional development.
6
Speak with a Career Consultant in a 15-minute meeting about one of four topics: mentoring, business etiquette, interviewing skills or resume building.
Discuss proper social media practices in the workplace with your peers — technology is changing and understanding the dos and don’ts is more important than ever.
10
Peruse women-owned tables organizations and local
Take this mental health learn more about yourself, grow professionally — a colleague and/or friend could use it, too!
HAVE TO ATTENDAnnual Expo!
4
Learn about the website Fairygodboss, the importance of its online community of women and meet one of the founders, Romy Newman!
7
Peruse the W2W sponsor and women-owned business vendor tables to meet the faces of the organizations that support us and purchase goodies from local entrepreneurial women.
health day, yourself, and — bring friend who too!
StrengthsFinder — The New Myers-Briggs?
By Alexis Williams Intern, GRCA
The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment was published for practical applications in 1975. Its creators, Isabel Myers and Katharine Cook Briggs, constructed it using the studies of psychoanalyst C.G. Jung in order to make his findings more useful in the lives of ordinary people. The test covers the topics of extraversion/introversion, sensing/intuition, thinking/feeling, and judging/perceiving. Although millions take this test every year, there is a new contender for personality indicator assessments: Clifton StrengthsFinder.
Developed for use online in 2007, the Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment is used to identify the most common “themes” presented in a person’s personality. The test measures 34 general areas that are referred to as “themes” and they include communication, adaptability, discipline, intellect, and more. There are four overarching categories of the themes and they are strategic thinking, executing, influencing, and relationship building.
Many feel that the StrengthsFinder 2.0 assessment is the “new and improved” version of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. It allows people to find more in-depth information and higher levels of concentration with the larger number of themes. Myers-Briggs only concentrates in four areas with two sub-topics in each, whereas StrengthsFinder concentrates in four areas with eight or nine subtopics each.
Both assessments list a variety of benefits from using their services, including managers being able to interact more efficiently with their employees and teachers being able to alter their styles to fit the needs of their students, and overall creating a more positive workplace culture. On the surface, these assessments seem to have very similar outcomes, but StrengthsFinder provides more feedback. Myers-Briggs has fourteen possibilities of personality types. StrengthsFinder’s large number of themes means the odds of someone having the same order of the “top five” themes as someone else is 1 in 33 million.
StrengthsFinder Leadership Domains
Myers-Briggs has fourteen possibilities of personality types. StrengthsFinder’s large number of themes means the odds of someone having the same order of the “top five” themes as someone else is 1 in 33 million.
Of the two indicators, StrengthsFinder is more technologically friendly. StrengthsFinder has an app that can be downloaded to a phone or tablet for easy access to the assessment and results. Myers-Briggs does not offer an app. Additionally, since Myers-Briggs is an older assessment, there are many “fake” assessments that can be found online that aren’t as accurate as the original.
Though they both have their advantages, StrengthsFinder has set itself up to replace its predecessor, Myers-Briggs. It is adaptive to a highly-technological environment through the app while still allowing users to access it online if they desire. StrengthsFinder has the option to access the lower-detailed results (top five traits) or the full results (34 strengths in order) depending on your needs. Ultimately, only time will tell which test will reign supreme in the coming years.
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Macular degeneration, or AMD, is a leading cause of vision loss in Americans 50 and older. And early detection and treatment is the best option. Fortunately, some of the best macular degeneration specialists in the region are right here at Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania.
Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania is the leading ophthalmology practice in the region, with experienced specialists in glaucoma, cataracts, retinal disease, LASIK, pediatrics and more. And our macular degeneration specialists Dr. Michael Cusick, Dr. Barry Malloy and Dr. Anastasia Traband are Board-Certified and Fellowship-Trained. That’s experience you can trust. When it’s macular degeneration, don’t take chances. Insist on Eye Consultants of Pennsylvania. Learn more at EyeConsultantsOfPA.com.
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Wyomissing
Anastasia Traband, MD
Barry C. Malloy, MD
Michael Cusick, MD
Making New Friends
By Sara Frassinelli, Marketing Associate, GRCA
When in school or college, there is no shortage of interactions with others in our direct age group and often fast friendships are formed. Between classes, clubs, sports and other activities, it is easy to connect with people and develop lasting relationships.
However, as we depart educational institutions and embark into adulthood, it can be trickier to form new friendships. On top of that, we may drift apart from the friends that we made earlier in life. There are several reasons why this happens less time, more experience, lower tolerance for disingenuous people, different priorities all of which are completely normal.
Between older friendships ending and having less time to develop new ones, this can leave some adults feeling that their life is lacking and wondering how they can connect. Friends are a vital part of life and good ones can significantly boost our mental well-being.
“There’s no doubt that a friend adds to the fullness of life. Authenticity, honesty, and trust are qualities we expect to find in a friend. There’s an understanding that the binding together of people in friendship helps each of us define and realize a meaningful life,” states a Psychology Today article on the topic of friendship.
As adults, without the built-in convenience of classmates, what can we do to develop friendships? Below are some tips to get you started.
#1 stay Alert
Adore working out? Scope out someone at the gym or in your yoga class and start a friendly chat with them. Love taking your dog for walks? Check out the local dog park for other canine lovers and see if you may have more in common while playing with your precious pups. Like checking books out from the library? Observe those book lovers around you and strike up a conversation about your favorite authors.
…as an Adult
#2 Get Involved
If you’re not attending community events, joining clubs or volunteering, consider it! (Check out our brand new Lend a Hand section for current volunteer opportunities.) These activities provide another great venue to meet like-minded people. Once you’re out and about, chances increase of interaction with someone who could become your next great friend.
#3 Start Something
Ask a few colleagues or acquaintances to join you for happy hour, with one stipulation they must bring a plus one that you have never met before. The more you expand your circle, the easier it will be to meet someone like-minded with whom to form a friendship. Not into drinking? Start a movie or book club one watch/read per month with a discussion at a restaurant or café afterwards.
#4 Ask Questions
Once you find someone to converse with, ask them questions. People love to talk
about themselves, so if you can get them started on a topic they love, it should keep the conversation rolling. Furthermore, when people respond, listen! No one wants to talk to someone who is clearly just waiting for their opportunity to speak again. Show sincere interest in what people have to say and ask follow-up questions.
#5 Be Yourself
Once you have found some new people to interact with, the key to building and maintaining friendship is being genuine. Relationships are built on trust and loyalty, so don’t pretend to be something you’re not. Additionally, while you know your own likes and dislikes, keep an open mind when encountering people with different passions and beliefs. You never know with whom you could really bond!
Ultimately, if you want to make more friends as an adult, seek out (or create) opportunities to be around people. Striking up a conversation isn’t nearly as hard as it may seem, and you could just find a new best friend!
More ways to build new friendships
Get involved in activities you enjoy. You will meet like-minded people and are likely to connect with one or more of them and develop a friendship.
Get involved in activities you enjoy. You will meet like-minded people and are likely to connect with one or more of them and develop a friendship.
— ANN DYBALSKI
Become a Thirty-one Consultant with me!! Seriously, direct selling businesses are an excellent way to make many sincere and lasting friendships.
Become a Thirty-one Consultant with me!! Seriously, direct selling businesses are an excellent way to make many sincere and lasting friendships.
— MARIE TREXLER
There is an app called Meetup that lists events happening in your area, and you can search according to your interests... that will lead to meeting people with the same interests. Join a gym or religious affiliation. Volunteer for an organization of interest.
There is an app called Meetup that lists events happening in your area, and you can search according to your interests... that will lead to meeting people with the same interests. Join a gym or religious affiliation. Volunteer for an organization of interest.
— VALERIE MAKOWIECKI
Make the first move. Join a new group, try a new sport or hobby, invite your new neighbor for dinner.
Make the first move. Join a new group, try a new sport or hobby, invite your new neighbor for dinner.
— BRONWEN GAMBLE
Create a club. Ask 3 friends or people you want to be friends with to invite 3 of their friends to a book/ wine/dinner/cooking club. Meet 1x a month at a different person’s house. Or just like a first date, ask for someone’s number. Text them and invite them to something cool and different (not just a movie). New bar in town. A cultural event. Or the new coffee place.
Create a club. Ask 3 friends or people you want to be friends with to invite 3 of their friends to a book/wine/dinner/cooking club. Meet 1x a month at a different person’s house. Or just like a first date, ask for someone’s number. Text them and invite them to something cool and different (not just a movie). New bar in town. A cultural event. Or the new coffee place.
— ANGELA DUEN
Share a meal. There’s something about sharing food together that gives us common ground.
Share a meal. There’s something about sharing food together that gives us common ground.
— WENDY KERSCHNER
When you are at an event, look around the room for someone standing all alone, and go over and introduce yourself to them. Introduce them to people you know.
When you are at an event, look around the room for someone standing all alone, and go over and introduce yourself to them. Introduce them to people you know.
— CONNIE D’AUGUSTINE
These tips were shared with us on W2W social media — join the conversation!
READING LIST
The following list of books was compiled and recommended by the Women2Women Magazine Editorial Committee.
THE JERSEY BROTHERS: A MISSING NAVAL OFFICER IN THE PACIFIC AND HIS FAMILY’S QUEST TO BRING HIM HOME by
Sally Mott Freedman
The extraordinary, real-life adventure of three brothers at the center of the most dramatic turning points of World War II and their mad race to change history — and save one of their own.
CAMILLE STOCK
Alvernia University
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: HARNESSING THE POWER OF WORD OF MOUTH AND SOCIAL MEDIA TO BUILD YOUR BRAND AND YOUR BUSINESS by Paul Rand
What do you trust more — an advertisement or a friend? Seize the power of today’s most powerful marketing tool — WORD OF MOUTH.
WENDY KERSCHNER
Comfort Keepers
A WRINKLE IN TIME by
Madeleine L’Engle
Bridging science and fantasy, darkness and light, fear and friendship, the story became a classic of children’s literature and is beloved around the world.
RACHAEL ROMIG
GRCA
FOLLOW YOU HOME by Mark Edwards
It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, a final adventure before settling down. After a perfect start, Daniel and Laura’s travels end abruptly when they are thrown off a night train in the middle of nowhere.
MELISSA HASSLER
GRCA
I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST ME (BUT IT ISN’T): MAKING THE JOURNEY FROM “WHAT WILL PEOPLE THINK?” TO “I AM ENOUGH” by Brené Brown
Researcher, thought leader, and New York Times bestselling author Brené Brown offers a liberating study on the importance of our imperfections - both to our relationships and to our own sense of self.
DEB HEFFNER
GRCA
BOSSYPANTS by Tina Fey
Tina Fey reveals all, and proves what we’ve all suspected: you’re no one until someone calls you bossy.
ELLEN ALBRIGHT
GRCA
THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN by
Kate Morton
A novel that takes the reader on an unforgettable journey through generations and across continents as two women try to uncover their family’s secret past.
KAREN MARSDALE
GRCA
A PERFECTLY GOOD FAMILY by
Lionel Shriver
A stunning examination of inheritance, literal and psychological: what we take from our parents, what we discard, and what we are stuck with, like it or not.
SARA FRASSINELLI GRCA
THE CEO AND THE MONK: ONE COMPANY’S JOURNEY TO PROFIT AND PURPOSE by Robert B. Catell and Kenny Moore
This isn’t yet another prescriptive business guide written by breathless consultants. It is a story about a real business and how two unusual and dedicated humanists can keep their eyes on profits and ethics at the same time.
KELLY BEAVER
UGI
LILAC GIRLS by Matha Hall Kelly
Inspired by the life of a real World War II heroine, this remarkable debut novel reveals the power of unsung women to change history in their quest for love, freedom, and second chances.
MARY JEAN NOON
Wells Fargo
BRAVING THE WILDERNESS: THE QUEST FOR TRUE BELONGING AND THE COURAGE TO STAND ALONE by Brené Brown
A timely and important new book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture.
REGINA RINEHIMER
Wells Fargo
Latina Initiatives
THE IMPORTANCE OF ESL & TRANSITIONING INTO THE
By Lizette Epps Senior Corporate Buyer, Carpenter Technology
Our community of Berks and the greater Reading area is one that is rich in cultural diversity. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, approximately 70 percent of our population is made up of Hispanics and many whose native language is not English. Language is a key component of how we as people, friends, neighbors, employers and employees interact with each other. It is a common thread that ties us to one another and affords us the opportunities to build relationships, form lasting bonds, and maintain involvement in the community at large.
In the United States, English is known as the lingua franca, which is the commonly adopted language in which we do business locally and globally. While the lingua franca may seem commonplace for those born and raised in the States, it is not the native tongue for all across the globe. The expectation that those who migrate to the U.S. from other countries already knowing the lingua franca is a naive one. It is important for the community to have resources in place to help those who migrate learn the native language. Luckily, our community of Berks has such resources through agencies like the Literacy Council of Reading-Berks where those interested in learning English can do so. The Literacy Council holds several English as Second Language classes throughout the county for residents who are ready to learn.
While it may be a bit nerve wracking to learn something new, learning English as a second language is a benefit that opens doors to new experiences and opportunities. As the language is learned, new forms of expression through writing, speaking, and reading become available assets to begin using in everyday life. Areas that seemed like barriers, such as furthering one’s education, finding
employment opportunities, or engaging in community events, are no longer so challenging. ESL students find that they can embrace the new-found freedom that the language has given them and get more involved in things that are important to them.
COMMUNITY
While it may be a bit nerve wracking to learn something new, learning English as a second language is a benefit that opens doors to new experiences and opportunities.
By the same token, the Greater Reading Chamber Alliance’s Latina Initiatives Committee is taking this year to focus on the importance of connecting with the ESL students in the community to help them use their new language skills to open doors. Committee members have been reaching out to class instructors throughout the area to schedule brief visits with the classes to inform them of upcoming events and networking opportunities in the community. Many students have attended the De Mujer a Mujer events held every second Thursday of the month at the Crowne Plaza. The event provides a warm and welcoming environment for attendees and hosts a Latina speaker who tells her inspirational story of success, with networking before and after the event. The Latina Initiatives Committee is dedicated to helping those in the community build their self-confidence, make lifelong connections, gain knowledge and continue to open doors as they create their path to success.
LEnd a Hand
At Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania, we believe in the power of every G.I.R.L. (Go-Getter, Innovator, Risk-Taker, and Leader) to affect positive change in her community to shape the future of our society.
GSEP has been serving girls of confidence, courage, and character since 1917 and has grown to become the 9th largest council in the country. We serve about 40,000 girls with the help of 15,000 outstanding volunteers in Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton, and Philadelphia counties.
Being in an all-girl environment gives girls an opportunity to expand their world view and gain leadership skills in a space free of judgement. Summer camp is the perfect starting point for your girl. She can explore topics like horseback riding, wilderness survival, robotics, forensic science and more! Teach her that the sky is the limit by enrolling her in Girl Scouts today so that she can come to camp this summer!
We’re always looking for phenomenal volunteers to encourage the next generation of innovators and leaders to be bold, brave, and believe in themselves. Our girls need adult-figures who serve as not just their troop leader or cookie mom, but as their mentor, teacher, coach, and biggest cheerleader. The future of our society depends on the foundation that volunteers give to our girls.
To join, become a volunteer, or learn more about what it means to be a G.I.R.L., head over to http://gsep.org or connect with us on social media @GirlScoutsEPenn on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Lend a Hand is a new feature that will be included in each edition of Women2Women magazine. Greater Reading area nonprofits can submit requests for donations of goods and services or a call for volunteers. For more info or to be featured, contact Rachael Romig at Greater Reading Chamber Alliance.
Making the Most of Networking Based
on Your Personality Type
By Karen Klein Fulcrum
When you arrive at a networking event, do you plunge through the doorway Oprah-esque, announcing, “I’m heeeeeere!” or do you stand at the doorway, survey the room, then slowly move around the perimeter looking for a familiar face?
At the end of the event, are you energized and ready to “keep the party going” at a different venue? Or are you mentally exhausted and ready to go home and decompress?
Being extroverted, introverted, or somewhere in between, ambiverted, not only influences your behavior, but also how others perceive you. Extroverts might be seen as energetic, confident, and charismatic. But that unbridled enthusiasm could also be interpreted as overbearing or brash. Introverts might be viewed as cerebral and reserved, but it could also be interpreted as being aloof or snobby.
Extroverts tend to get a lot of press because they don’t shy away from the spotlight. But introverts are getting more attention thanks to a spate of books and blogs focusing on those more averse to being front and center, including the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain.
“At the heart of it, introverts and extroverts respond really differently to stimulation,” Ms. Cain said in a Huffington Post article. “Introverts feel most alive and energized when they’re in environments that are less stimulating not less intellectually stimulating, but less stuff going on.”
Networking events tend to be highly stimulating environments held in large rooms with dozens if not hundreds of people. So it makes sense that extroverted types relish these events while introverts tend to dread them.
Regardless of personality type, people do best when they operate in sync with their natural tendencies, rather than fighting them. Introverts can develop tactics to make themselves comfortable in networking settings and extroverts can become more in tune with how their larger than life personalities might be overwhelming.
The following tips give extroverts and introverts suggestions on being their best authentic self and making a positive lasting impression.
Networking Tips for Introverts
PHONE A FRIEND
If you can’t bear the idea of entering a networking event alone, invite a friend to join you.
ARRIVE EARLY
• If you break out in a sweat thinking about entering a room full of people or joining a table, arrive early and stake your ground. That way, you are welcoming those who enter the room or ask to sit at your table.
TAKE BREAKS
• Introverts need alone-time to recharge during networking events. There are several different ways to regroup.
Go outside between sessions for a five-minute walk
If you’re at an multi-day event, go back to your hotel room between sessions or at the breaks and soak in the silence
Attend only the sessions that are most relevant to you
Give yourself permission to arrive late or leave early
BE PREPARED WITH CONVERSATION STARTERS
• Do a little research before the event so that you can ask relevant questions like, “Have you heard this speaker before?” “What brings you to this event?” or “I’m looking forward to the first session. How about you?”
LISTEN CLOSELY
• Your extroverted colleagues love to talk! Take advantage of the opportunity and ask them questions. You will be remembered as a good conversationalist.
SMILE
• Don’t let your naturally reserved nature be confused with being unfriendly. Make an effort to smile so that you are approachable.
Networking Tips for Extroverts
ADJUST YOUR TONE
• Be in tune with the energy in the room. If it’s a high-octane event, you will fit in perfectly. But if it’s more subdued, adjust your voice and mannerisms accordingly.
ASK OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
• Since your less-extroverted colleagues might be uncomfortable with conversation starters, take the lead and ask others about their line of work or company. By helping them to engage, you will create a more meaningful connection.
MAKE THE OTHER PERSON COMFORTABLE
• Diffuse any tension in the room with comments like, “Is it just me, or does this seem weird?” This can put your more introverted colleagues at ease and opens the door to more relaxed conversation.
SEEK OUT A VARIETY OF PEOPLE TO SPEAK WITH
• You might never discover what is going on in the mind of an introvert if you don’t ask them. Since they will be reluctant to initiate the conversation, engage them and you might discover that your complementary strengths are a great fit.
DEMONSTRATE YOUR OTHER STRENGTHS
• Extroverts’ vibrant personalities are on full display. Try to weave other aspects of your personality into the conversation so you aren’t viewed as one-dimensional.
FOCUS
• People notice when you are half-listening and looking over their shoulder scanning the room. Give the person you are speaking with your full attention and gracefully excuse yourself during a natural break in the conversation.
Making the Most Out of Networking Events
Regardless of personality type, it helps to have a game plan before any networking event so that your time is well-spent and you leave with a sense of accomplishment.
1. DO YOUR HOMEWORK
What is the topic? Do you know the participants? Will you be reuniting with former colleagues? Depending on how you answer these questions (and others) will help you mentally prepare for the event. Look over the agenda and list of attendees well ahead of the event. Identify the sessions you want to attend or people that you want to meet.
2. SET GOALS
This is highly personal and situational, but setting a few goals will provide you with focus during the event. For example:
• Develop a new skill
• Find a mentor or mentee
• Hand out 10 resumes
• Identify potential business partners
• Increase your own or your company’s visibility
• Learn about your competitors
• Meet five new colleagues in or outside of your field
3. PREPARE A CUSTOMIZED INTRODUCTION
Rather than memorizing a canned elevator pitch, think about who you expect to meet and how you want to be remembered. Practice your introduction a few times so that it’s natural and authentic.
4. BE AN ACTIVE LISTENER
Listening attentively to someone makes you look good and them feel good! Pay attention to what the other person is saying and ask follow-up questions that show you are listening.
5. TAKE BUSINESS CARDS
It’s amazing how many times you hear someone say, “I can’t believe I forgot business cards.” Despite the increasingly digital world, people still exchange them. Make sure you take an ample supply that is readily available so you aren’t fumbling to find them.
6. TAKE NOTES
Put those business cards to good use. Jot down a few points about your conversation on the back of the card or into your smart phone so you can recall the person and conversation later.
7. FOLLOW UP
After the event, go through the business cards you collected and follow up immediately by email or through a social media invitation. Refer to the event and the specific item that made your conversation with them memorable. If you promised them something an article, an introduction, or a subsequent meeting follow through on that commitment to cement your positive impression.
Mentoring in the Workplace
By Kelly Hancock
Iwill always remember my first year as an elementary school teacher, and the accompanying feeling of uncertainty about many of the tasks that needed to be accomplished on a daily basis. Even though I felt well-prepared due to my schooling and practicum experiences, there were always new challenges and plenty of opportunities for growth. One workplace tool that helped me immensely through that time was the guidance I received by meeting periodically with a seasoned school teacher, my mentor.
Mentoring, in its many formats, is often utilized by workplaces to nurture and grow their people. As a result, overall workplace efficiency and productivity will then improve as well, according to Mary Abbajay, in The Working Life: The Importance of Workplace Mentors.
Heather Uczynski, executive coach, business psychologist, and owner of Leading Edge Business Consulting in Leesport, said, “Mentoring specifically has to do with helping a person to learn a specific job and to get accustomed to the organizational culture.” According to Uczynski, 60% of college and graduate students indicated in a survey that mentoring is a key factor in job selection and 71% of Fortune 500 companies offered professional mentoring programs.
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, named by Fortune as the third Most Powerful Woman in Business in 2014, and named on Forbes’ The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list from 2008 to 2017, credits mentors for her successes in the world of business. “If I hadn’t had mentors, I wouldn’t be here today. I’m a product of great mentoring, great coaching,” she said.
Maya Angelou, the late author and poet, mentored Oprah Winfrey. “She was there for me always, guiding me throughout some of the most important years of my life,” said Winfrey. “Mentors are important and I don’t think anybody makes it in the world without some form of mentorship,” she continued.
Mentoring can take place either formally or informally, depending on the individual or
organization. Examples of informal mentoring might be an inexperienced entrepreneur periodically speaking with a trusted person at designated times to help them launch their new business. Or a new employee may choose to work with a mentor to navigate the uncharted waters within a company in a safe and non-threatening environment. Formal mentoring usually takes place when the workplace initiates the mentoring process, such as in Pennsylvania schools, where new teachers are assigned a mentor who guides them on things like expectations, the culture and school systems. This type of learning tool both supports and encourages the beginning teacher, and as a result, their students, families, and communities will also benefit.
Following are additional benefits for an individual who is mentored, also known as the “mentee”:
• Builds confidence
• Provides a safe place to discuss concerns
• Allows them to focus on their job, knowing that their concerns will be addressed in a safe environment
• Bridges the gap between what an employee knows and doesn’t know, without waiting for formal intervention
• Increases employee skills and knowledge, including soft skills such as communications and leadership skills
• Allows employees to ask questions and seek career advice from an individual who has experienced similar issues in the past
“Mentors are important and I don’t think anybody makes it in the world without some form of mentorship”
When seeking a mentor, consider:
1. Do I look up to this person?
2. Am I able to work well with this person?
3. Can this person guide me toward my professional goals?
4. Is this person happy in his or her career?
• Helps new hires feel more supported and connected
• Provides “insider knowledge,” such as where to go for the best sources of information or to unpack the unwritten rules that can’t be found in the employee handbook
Mentoring may also benefit the workplace in the following ways:
• Increases employees’ learning and education
• Saves the workplace from higher turnover and the costs associated with turnover
• Develops the employees’ management and leadership skills
• Allows employees to focus on big priorities, which saves time and money
• Minimizes the need for costly classroom training
• Increases job satisfaction for new employees or those in new roles
• Increases employee retention
Mentoring most certainly can make workplace transitions easier, regardless of the format. If there is no formal mentoring program in place, as is often the case for smaller businesses, but an employee would like to access all the benefits that mentoring can provide, Nicole Fallon, Business News Daily Editor, suggests asking the following questions when seeking out a mentor:
1. Do I look up to this person?
2. Am I able to work well with this person?
3. Can this person guide me toward my professional goals?
4. Is this person happy in his or her career?
Uczynski added that, according to the Mentoring Model, the following specific qualities are important to look for in a mentor in order to have a successful relationship: someone who has a genuine interest in others’ successes, sensitivity to others’ needs and development, excellent listening skills, commitment, confidentiality and excellent coaching and feedback skills.
She also said that in order to have a successful mentoring experience, the mentee should have a general interest in personal growth and professional development, be committed to learning and acquiring new skills, receptive to honest and constructive feedback, be willing to take risks apart from the learning process, and have a strong sense of self and a personal vision for future growth.
Mentoring provides a positive climate for workplace learning in a non-judgmental environment, which allows the mentee to feel supported and guided both emotionally and intellectually. It also gives the mentor a great deal of satisfaction in giving back. After all, it probably wasn’t that long ago that they were starting out.
AND TRICKS
By Karen Klein – Fulcrum Information Resources
money and walk out of the store with a bunch of free stuff?” asks Michele Christman, a licensed marriage and family therapist with a private practice in Wyomissing.
Michele has a busy family consisting of her husband Bruce, a partner with Beers + Hoffman Architects in Lititz, two daughters in high school, and a son in middle school. Over the last few years, Michele has become a self-proclaimed “extreme couponer.”
When you work full-time, have numerous community activities, and manage a household, it can be challenging keeping the pantry stocked and not spending a bundle doing it.
“I was constantly running out of everything,” Michele said. “I would get into the shower and discover the kids took my shampoo and conditioner. I was always running to the store for supplies.”
Michele started couponing by watching experts on YouTube. There are videos for beginners and for those with more advanced couponing skills. Some videos specialize in deals at retailers including CVS, Target, Rite-Aid, Walmart and Walgreen’s. The YouTubers review the stores’ upcoming weekly specials, the manufacturers’ coupons that apply to those specials, and in-store coupons that can be added to make the deals even sweeter.
Extreme couponing makes sense for Michele since she takes advantage of the “downtime” while two of her children attend ice hockey practice at rinks in Chester County several nights a week. She has almost two hours of time to fill and uses it to shop at CVS, her store of choice, and go to the gym.
Michele noted that extreme couponing may not be for everyone. Although it can save you hundreds of dollars, it’s not necessarily a timesaver.
“Organization is the key,” she said. “You have to look for the man ufacturers’ coupons, cut the coupons, compare the coupons to the store deals, and understand the rules for the retailer.”
She recently spent 50 cents on Mitchum deodorant (typically about $4.50 full price) by combining a CVS product discount with a manufacturer’s coupon, and layering an in-store coupon on top of the purchase. CVS ExtraCare Rewards members can scan their rewards card at an in-store kiosk to receive additional coupons.
“ BERKS COUNTY WOMEN SHARE THEIR TIPS
Michele Christman, extreme couponer
“I will pay to get my house cleaned because I don’t like doing it. But I don’t mind spending the time on couponing,” Michele said. “It’s fun and I find it a challenge.”
Michele gets her coupons from local and regional newspapers, particularly the Sunday editions. She also employs the help of family and friends who give her their coupon inserts.
After a few years of extreme couponing, Michele has a stockpile of supplies at the ready for her family’s use. She is already thinking ahead to what she can do with that abundant inventory when her children go to college. She plans on giving back to the community by donating to organizations that can use household products and personal hygiene supplies. And yes, there is a YouTube video on extreme donating to show her how.
As with household supplies, there are many different approaches to saving time and money on groceries depending on your time, motivation, and personal situation.
Stephanie Davis, tour operator at EPN Travel Services in Douglassville, tackles it two ways. First, she buys locally whenever
she can, rather than shopping at grocery chains. She patronizes local farm stands and butcher shops near her home for convenience and freshness.
“I haven’t purchased eggs from the grocery store in years,” Stephanie said. “I buy eggs year-round at a nearby farm. They cost between $2.50 and $3.25 a dozen depending on the time of year.”
She gets her meats from Christman’s Meat Market in Oley, shops at the farmer’s market in West Reading, and buys milk from a dairy near her home.
Second, Stephanie has a large vegetable garden that provides a bounty from April to October, saving her hundreds of dollars at the store. She has two 8’ x 2’ and two 8’ x 4’ raised bed gardens and grows lettuce, kale, carrots, beets, eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, asparagus, tomatoes, and herbs. She has two 12’ fig trees which rewarded her with about 40 figs a day last season. And she has a lemon tree that she keeps indoors during the winter. Considering it takes about a year to grow one lemon, she was pleased to get three.
Stephanie plants Boston lettuce twice a season, in the spring and in late August. A head of Boston lettuce costs about $3.00 at the grocery store. Stephanie buys a flat of 36 young lettuce plants for about $35.00. After they mature, she picks just the outer leaves so the lettuce keeps growing for months and cuts the stalks once they go to seed so they grow back. Since she eats salad every day, the investment pays for itself in about two weeks.
For those just starting out gardening, Stephanie says, “Have fun! Some things will do really well and others won’t. Don’t fret, every season is different.”
If gardening isn’t your thing, farm stands are out of your way, and you prefer the time savings of one-stop shopping, you can save money by researching store ads and shopping at the
Berks County women shared these tips and resources on saving
Cash Back Websites
These sites offer additional discounts and cash back offers on grocery purchases. You scan your receipt, submit, and receive cash back into your account. Ibbota
https://ibotta.com/ Ebates
https://www.ebates.com/ SavingStar
https://savingstar.com/ Convenience
The trend of shopping online for store pickup is moving to grocery stores. Weis2Go Online (Weis Markets) lets shoppers order groceries online for pickup at the store four hours later. Shoppers log in to their account, click on the Shop icon and create their order. Shoppers have the option of paying online or at the time of pickup. Weis charges a $4.95 pickup fee, but it is waived for orders totaling $30 or more. Check with your favorite store to see if they offer this service.
Couponing Tutorials
These sites offer couponing tutorials and tips on finding the best store deals each week. Clean Cut Couponing (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube) https://www.cleancutcouponing.com/ Couponing with Toni (Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube) http://couponingwithtoni.blogspot.com/ Gina Schweppe (Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube) http://ginaschweppe.com/
store that best meets your needs. Bonnie Leidy, administrative assistant at Steve Moyer Subaru in Leesport, discovered that the Walmart Supercenter’s grocery prices can be significantly lower for certain items.
For example, a bag of iceberg lettuce salad cost $2.98 at a local grocer. The same bagged salad cost $1.78 at Walmart. But Walmart isn’t always the low-cost provider. Bonnie bought one red pepper at Walmart for $1.48. At Aldi, she purchased a bag of three peppers for $1.68.
Another way to save time and money is to “repurpose” meals for another use. If your family is averse to leftovers, find a way to use the leftover food to create a new dish. Ellen Fedyna, retired from the Wilson School District, still cooks for four even though her children are grown and it’s just her and her husband at home.
The Spring Township resident says she often “remakes” meals. Ellen uses leftover spaghetti sauce for chili or spaghetti pie, or she might cut up leftover chicken to use in fajitas.
“Nothing ever gets thrown out,” she said. “My husband has dubbed me the ‘makeover queen’.”
Ellen invested in storage containers and uses them to portion and freeze extras so that she can quickly make a meal by shopping in her own freezer. She labels the containers and her refrigerator shelves so she can easily see what is available.
There is no right or wrong way to incorporate time and money-saving tactics.
“I think people need to find out what it is they don’t mind spending their time doing and then decide how to live their life accordingly,” Michele said.
time and/or money shopping for groceries and household items.
Coupon Websites
In addition to clipping paper coupons from free-standing inserts, you can go online to select and print manufacturers’ and retailers’ coupons. Tip: Some retailers accept expired coupons. Coupons.com
https://www.coupons.com/ RetailMeNot
https://www.retailmenot.com/ Savings.com
https://www.savings.com/
Create a separate email address for use with couponing so it stays separate from your business and personal emails.
Store Apps
Many retailers have apps that you can use to create shopping lists, load coupons, get rewards, and access instant savings. The Target store app lets you scan an item from your smart phone to check for additional discounts that can be applied at check-out.
Examples of retailers with smart phone apps: Aldi Giant Redner’s Target Walmart Weis
Store Loyalty Programs
Many retailers have loyalty programs that translate into free or discounted purchases. Typically it is free to enroll and often just requires a phone number or email address. Many retailers offer additional in-store savings to loyalty program members.
Health 2Wellness
Mental, Spiritual, Physical Health & Wellness
THE COMMUNITY HEALTH NEEDS ASSESSMENT: Mental Health Services
CONTRIBUTORS: Jessica Bezler, Tower Health • Sara Frassinelli, GRCA • Emily Manwiller, Tower Health • Monica Rush, Penn State Health St. Joseph • Ann Valuch, Tower Health • Laura Welliver, Penn State Health St. Joseph
Community health needs assessments (CHNA) and implementation strategies are newly required of tax-exempt hospitals due to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. These assessments and strategies create an important opportunity to improve the health of communities. They ensure that hospitals have the information they need to provide community benefits that meet the needs of their communities. They also provide an opportunity to improve coordination of hospital community benefits with other efforts to improve community health. The Berks County community identified
these four local health care needs: access to care; mental health services; obesity; and chronic illness.
Nationally, the evidence base for the efficacy of integrated behavioral and physical health services for individuals with mental illness continues to grow. Many individuals with high mental health needs also have other needs including physical health comorbidities and social or environmental needs. To meet the biopsychosocial needs of individuals with mental health issues, collaboration within and across systems continues to be an important
approach as we focus on this topic as part of our community health needs assessment.
In Berks County, 20 percent of residents experience anxiety or depression, and suicidal ideation is a top health concern. Some people don’t seek treatment because they worry there is a stigma attached to mental illness. Others don’t fully understand how individuals benefit from therapy and treatment for behavioral health conditions. As you can see from the information to follow, Berks County has many resources available to those in need of mental health assistance.
Mental Health Facts in America
Prevalence of Mental Illness by Diagnosis Consequences
Reading Hospital is Focused on Enhancing Behavioral Health
To enhance care within its network, Reading Hospital is piloting a program designed to integrate behavioral health services into primary care physician offices. Under the care model, which is being piloted at a family practice, internal medicine practice and pediatric practice, “integrated care clinicians” such as licensed social workers or counselors have a designated office in the practice.
During time with the nurse before the patient sees the physician, the nurse uses a national questionnaire to screen for depression. Patients whose scores indicate moderate or severe depression visit the clinician, free of charge, after the appointment with their physician. The service, which began in 2017, has been successful in all three practices.
Reading Hospital strives to provide the public with access to behavioral health tools. In December 2017, the hospital installed a MindKare® Mental Health Kiosk in Reading HealthPlex lobby. The kiosk is much like a blood pressure screening kiosk in a supermarket — except this kiosk measures mental health.
The kiosk has a touch screen display that enables users to take a mental health screening assessment. Based on the user’s answers, the kiosk’s software program provides an anonymous assessment of the user’s mental health. It can help identify conditions such as depression, anxiety or substance abuse disorders.
Committed to working with community partners, Reading Hospital has representatives on the Berks County Suicide Prevention Task Force, which is comprised of community leaders who collaborate to reduce suicide in Berks County through advocacy, education and the reduction of stigma surrounding mental illness and suicide. The task force website, ruOK Berks?, provides resources and information on behavioral health topics.
Looking ahead, Reading Hospital is partnering with Acadia Healthcare to provide additional behavioral health services, including a new 144-bed inpatient facility that will open in 2019. The facility will include inpatient adolescent, adult and geriatric psychiatric inpatient care as well as a full continuum of outpatient services.
Mental Health First Aid
Mental Health First Aid is a best practice national model that teaches people of all ages and walks of life how to identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders in our community.
Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) is an evidence-based 8-hour course that gives participants the skills to appropriately assist someone who is developing a problem or experiencing a crisis. There are several variations on the training, including for first responders, educators, and faith-based organizations. The course teaches the risk factors and warning signs of a variety of mental health/substance use challenges commonly seen in community settings. Participants do not learn to diagnose or treat the problem; rather they learn a core five-step action plan to handle the situation.
In the Reading/Berks area, there has been significant interest and emphasis on the Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) version. Since 2014, Penn State Health St. Joseph (PSHSJ) has provided leadership for this effort through their Downtown Campus Langan Allied Health Academy and Community Health Worker (CHW) Training Institute. In partnership with the East Central PA Area Health Education Center and the Literacy Council of Reading-Berks, PSHSJ has integrated YMHFA into the CHW training curriculum and helped secure funding to offer free and low-cost sessions to area professionals and the general public.
In 2017, 150,000 people across the country were trained in Mental Health First Aid by the National Council for Behavioral Health and Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation, and an ambitious overall goal to train one million people was reached. For more information, please visit www.MentalHealthFirstAid.org.
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, it is an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.
NAMI promotes the interests of all those affected by mental illness; the individual, family, and friends, by providing educational and support services.
A very important piece of the puzzle is “to educate patients with mental illness ABOUT
mental illness,” according to Richard Gardner, President of NAMI Berks County.
Gardner stressed that mental illness is a condition, not a disease. Those afflicted with it need to understand it, as well as become knowledgeable about resources and assistance available to them.
NAMI offers recovery support groups for adults with mental illness which offer respect, understanding, encouragement and hope.
They also offer support groups for families to help those who live with someone facing mental health challenges.
Additionally, NAMI also has a service for Veterans called Homefront which provides free programs for families, caregivers and friends of military service members with mental health conditions.
Visit their website to learn more: http://www.namiberkspa.org/.
Berks Counseling Center Our Community Mental Health Center
For over 40 years, Berks Counseling Center (BCC) has been making a difference in the lives of persons affected by mental illness and addictions in the Reading/Berks community. BCC is committed to continuous quality improvement including recovery-oriented, integrated behavioral and physical health services. Last year, BCC became one of only seven behavioral health providers in Pennsylvania to earn the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC) status. This new provider type in the Medicaid managed care system is being tested across the nation and has already demonstrated positive health outcomes, increased access to care, and an expanded scope of services.
By offering limited on-site physical health care, including laboratory and pharmacy services and wellness programs, Berks Counseling Center has been able to provide holistic care to those clients who often have complex chronic health conditions in addition to their behavioral health diagnoses. BCC has also worked closely with the Penn State Health St. Joseph Downtown Campus Primary Care Clinics and Family Medicine Residency Program to enhance collaboration. Expanding access to well-coordinated community-based care is a key component to the CCBHC model. BCC has access to 24/7 crisis care for their clients and is able to provide psychosocial rehabilitation through collaborative agreements with local agencies such as SAM and Threshold. Their Medication Assisted Treatment
(MAT) program provides the necessary care for clients addicted to opioids. Addiction treatment is also a core component to the CCBHC’s required array of services as often persons with substance use disorders have co-occurring mental illness.
The CCBHC model, though still in its infancy, is showing positive health outcomes for those persons who have historically been underserved, have lower incomes or may be underinsured. BCC is proud to be a part of the solution to addressing the complex behavioral health needs of the Reading Berks community. For more information, please contact Berks Counseling Center directly at 610-373-4281 or www.berkscounselingcenter.org.
Balancing Act an Interview with Linda Barilani, President/Owner at
BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Center, Wyomissing
By Sara Frassinelli, Marketing Associate, GRCA
Q. How did you become associated with BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Centers?
A. I was franchise shopping and I’m on the more “natural” side of things. I think if you have a balanced body, you’re healthier. I went to Lancaster and met with Dawn, who is the founder [of BeBalanced]. I wasn’t going to buy the franchise if it didn’t work. At that point in my life, I slept maybe three hours a night and not for lack of trying. I tried everything: hops, lavender, you name it, I tried it. I just couldn’t sleep. I also had night sweats and thought I could lose ten pounds or so, happily. Well, I went on the program. I lost sixteen pounds, so shame on me for thinking I only had ten! I sleep like a baby, I don’t have any night sweats anymore. It literally changed my life, so I bought the franchise. It’s a very fulfilling job to see these women come in here miserably unhappy and come back… well, we just had a client who couldn’t wait to take her coat off and show us the new her!
Q. Tell us more about hormone balancing. What is it and how can it help with weight loss?
A. It’s important to have your hormones balanced for your health, not just weight loss. Progesterone and estrogen should be level. When they’re not, estrogen can become dominant in women. Estrogen dominance is responsible for a lot of fun things, like low libido, vaginal dryness, weight gain, insomnia, mood swings. We help to get the progesterone back up and in balance with the estrogen. For someone who doesn’t want to lose any weight, we put them on a cream program where you use an adrenal support in the morning and a progesterone at night. Everything we do here is all natural and homeopathic. There are no chemicals or drugs involved. That progesterone will help bring the levels up to the estrogen level. And there would be counseling also
on how to get the stress hormone, cortisol, down. Cortisol robs our progesterone. As for the weight loss, we do an eight-week program. We give them a list of what they eat and tell them how to eat it. We suggest organic, because it is all about good eating. After the 28-day diet, they do “maintenance” for 21 days. That maintenance is when they lock in their weight. In maintenance, we also have the ladies go on the cream to keep that progesterone going up and to support the adrenals. After maintenance, we go through lifestyle to find out the rapid weight-gainers and what their food sensitivities are, and then teach them how to live and incorporate things back into their life. It’s not just, “here’s a diet,” it’s a whole program and we help them understand what’s going on. What we see is a lot of food sensitivities where people will come in here with awful pain and they’ll leave with no pain and they’re off their medicine. It changes their life.
Q. As such a new business, what are your goals for 2018?
A. I want to spread it to as many women as possible. Men, too, but I’m kind of partial to women. They have a bigger challenge than men do, let’s face it. When men go on the program, they lose weight much more quickly. But, to spread it to as many women as possible, just to help them.
Q. What should women know before beginning their entrepreneurial journey?
A. Look at everything, do your homework. I looked at other franchises, seeing what they were doing, how successful they were. We spoke with corporate numerous times, wanting to know: do they have your back, are they going to be there for you, that kind of thing. And, be prepared, because there’s a lot of money going in, but also the time and effort you have to put in, so you really have to love what you’re doing.
Dawn Cutillo, founder of BeBalanced, Linda Barilani, owner of Wyomissing location of BeBalanced and Kelly Rickenbach manager of Wyomissing location
Spring at the Miller Center
Arts for the 21st Century
Spring 2018
The Quebe Sisters
FRIDAY, APRIL 27, 7:30 PM
When the Quebe Sisters from Texas take a stage, and the triple-threat fiddle champions start playing and singing in multi-part close harmony, audiences are usually transfixed, then blown away. It’s because the trio’s vocal and instrumental performances are authentic all-Americana, all the time, respectful of the artists that inspired them the most.
GHOST TOWN TO HAVANA
Eugene Corr, filmmaker THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 6:30 PM
“Ghost Town to Havana follows filmmaker Eugene Corr as he spends five years documenting the lives of two extraordinary youth baseball coaches.”
For tickets and information contact the Miller Center Box Office at 610.607.6270 or visit millercenter.racc.edu.
Preparing for YOUR Role as the Child of an Aging Parent
By Wendy Kerschner, Territory Manager, Comfort Keepers
Stressed and stretched.” Those were the words one adult daughter used to describe her situation caring for her aging parents. She continued by saying, “Caregiving is a position I just fell into and now it’s a job!” Countless other adult children are finding themselves in the same situation.
According to the Pew Research Center, 10,000 people a day will be turning age 65 for the next 20 years! That’s a startling figure for women and men who have not yet given much thought to how they may be called upon to help their aging parents.
Most families would like to think that their current status quo situations will continue indefinitely, but reality can throw a hard blow to that blind sightedness. Often there are falls, heart attacks, strokes and potentially the diagnosis of cancer, dementia, Parkinson’s disease and other unexpected health issues that present themselves at a moment’s notice.
The best thing an adult child can do to prepare … IS prepare.
Prepare by having a conversation with aging loved ones about their wishes. Present the scenario that if they were to have a health crisis and were not able to care for themselves or live alone safely,
Most families would like to think that their current status quo situations will continue indefinitely, but reality can throw a hard blow to that blind sightedness.
what would be their preferred course of action? Would they want to live in their existing home as long as possible and welcome help from family, friends or even hired services? Would they want to move to a community that could support their health and wellness needs?
“I don’t want to be a burden to you.” Most adult children have heard this familiar comment from a loved one at one point or another, yet, what steps have been taken to ensure that does not become the fate?
These types of conversations are not easy, but they are easier to have while all involved are healthy and doing well. Emotions will be at a normal level, there is no immediacy to the situation, and there is time to consider all options and have choices. On the other hand, so many families wait until there is a crisis. Then emotions are high, choices are limited, and actions need to happen before anyone can adequately educate themselves on the available options and resources.
If you have an aging parent or another loved one whose care may one day be your responsibility, begin now to educate yourself, and them, on the options available. Discuss all the sensitive topics. Learn if they have a will, power of attorney and living will (all necessary legal documents that will guide future care and decisions). Ask their preference for care should they need it, in the home or in a facility. Determine what they would like to have happen with their possessions. Find out if they have ever served in the military (or if they are a Veteran’s widow) and are eligible for Veteran benefits. Bring up the hardest subject of all, finances. While many individuals think that Medicare covers everything, it does not. Many programs are need-based and will require full disclosure of all financial records, so it is best to know and prepare now. Ask questions and get answers.
To help guide adult children through the information-gathering process for aging loved ones, a diverse team of professionals serving the aging population of Berks County have teamed up to provide the “Aging Parent Fair.” The Aging Parent Fair is a health-fair-styled event intended specifically for adult children seeking help, support and resources for their aging loved ones. Women2Women sponsors, Penn State St. Joseph and Comfort Keepers, will be co-hosting an Aging Parent Fair in the second floor Franciscan Room at Penn State Health St. Joseph located at 2500 Bernville Road, Reading on Wednesday, May 16 from 5 - 7pm. All Women2Women members as well as their spouses, family members, and the public are invited to attend this free event and begin preparing for their loved one’s future needs.
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