Know Someone in Crisis?: Help is a Phone Call Away, By Nancy Fash

FEATURED COLUMNIST Know Someone in Crisis? Help is a Phone Call Away

By Nancy Fash

Editor’s Note: The Santa Cruz County Coroner reports two 16-year-old boys ended their lives in November, one in Watsonville and one in Scotts Valley. The information that follows is being provided as a public service. •••

Living among such natural beauty on the Central Coast is nothing short of inspirational. Last March, our lives changed dramatically with a frightening pandemic and restrictions reshaping our daily life, fires, and an uncertain future.

The havoc on our daily lives continues as the rate of COVID-19 cases begins to soar once again and threatens our public health and safety.

Suicide Prevention Service, a program of the Family Service Agency of the Central Coast, operates the Suicide Crisis Line, a free, confidential and multilingual service that is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and Nancy Fashremains as a lifeline for those at a breaking point in their lives.

Who among us cannot say we have not felt the disappointment and loneliness from the separation of family, friends, and coworkers.

Going about our daily activities requires added measures of precaution that, by intent, further isolates us from touchpoints in our communities.

Let’s face it — while video conferencing has become a welcome tool in practicing social distancing, and maintaining some faceto-face interaction, it is just not the same.

“Phone Call” page 23

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Wednesday December 9

UNDERSTANDING ALZHEIMER’S AND DEMENTIA 10:00-11:30 a.m., The Alzheimer’s Association and Salinas Public Library Webinar Alzheimer’s disease is not a normal part of aging. Learn about the impact of Alzheimer’s; the difference between Alzheimer’s and dementia; stages and risk factors; current research and treatments available for some symptoms; and Alzheimer’s Association resources.

Please call 800.272.3900 or visit tinyurl.com/ UADM120920 to register.

Once you complete registration for the meeting, you will receive an email confirmation with the call-in information and instructions for joining our webinar. This event will be conducted via phone and web meeting.

Saturday December 12

SUSTAIN IN PLACE: SEEDFOLKS FUNDRAISER 3-4 p.m., Homeless Garden Project Online The Homeless Garden Project presents the third and final event of its 2020 Sustain in Place series of at-home tastings, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12, featuring readings from “Seedfolks,” by Newbery Medal winner Paul Fleischman. The story, suitable for all ages, is about a diverse cast of characters turning an empty lot in Cleveland into a community garden and the transformations each experiences.

Fleischman and six local leaders each will read a chapter, including Mayor Justin Cummings, incoming Santa Cruz mayor Donna Meyers, author Jonathan Franzen, Tony Elliot, Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation director, Blanca Tavera, faculty member, San Jose State University, and Mike Ryan, artistic director, Santa Cruz Shakespeare.

Guests will get a reusable grocery tote donated by New Leaf Community Markets filled with a copy of “Seedfolks,” HGP’s organic lavender shortbread cookie mix, organic strawberry or pumpkin jam, organic herbal tea and fresh-baked bread donated by La Posta Restaurant and local bakeries. Tickets cost $25-95, benefit HGP programs and are available at homelessgardenproject.org or bit.ly/SeedfolksHGP.

Friday December 18 thru Sunday December 20

AGAPE DANCE ACADEMY’S NUTCRACKER BALLET 5:30 p.m. & 7:30 p.m., Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Drive-In Theater Melanie Useldinger, founder of Agape Dance Academy, is staging Nutcracker Ballet, Covid-style, as a movie to be viewed at the Boardwalk drive-in theater shows the evenings of Dec. 18-20.

She hopes to create beautiful memories of triumphant times in the challenging year of 2020.

Rebecca Hallock is Clara, Ian McHatton is the Nutcracker Prince and Aly Ely is the Sugar Plum Fairy in this holiday production, which features dozens of dancers as sweets and gingersnaps and the famous Snow Waltz and Waltz of the Flowers. Showtimes will be 5:30 p.m. and again at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets, which are $45 per car at www.agapedance.com, will benefit Jacob’s Heart and Agape Dance Foundation Inc. n

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