MLK Day of Service 1/20/2020

Did you know that the 3rd Monday in January, the observed birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is the only U.S. holiday that is also designated as a national day of service? If you have the day off from work or school, consider ways to give back to our community: volunteer, donate, or simply make a point of being kind to those around you. It’s easy to make a difference, and the circle of caring will continue to go around. Here are just a few ideas of ways to honor Dr. King and celebrate his contributions:

* Volunteer at a local nonprofit. (Family House is a great choice!)  Also look at resources like Volunteer Match or Hands on Bay Area

* Make a monetary donation. Every nonprofit requires money for overhead, and your donation ensures that no family will ever be turned away from Family House 

* Organize a drive for those less fortunate in your community - food, toys, and items like socks or toothbrushes for homeless shelters

* Random acts of kindness: buy someone a cup of coffee, let someone go ahead of you in the supermarket line, or compliment a stranger. Remember that there are lots of people with hidden struggles, and simply being kind can make a huge difference in someone’s day.

Spring Has Sprung... Kind of!

Spring Has Sprung... Kind of!
by Elan Slavin, MSW

As we head into April, we’re experiencing a few more precious moments of sunshine than last month.  Our California reservoirs are filled to the brim, but the rain keeps coming. Here are a few suggestions of how to take advantage of the few moments of sunshine.

Maybe start your own veggie garden or plant a few flowers to tend to.  It doesn’t have to be much.  It might be fun to take care of them and watch them grow!

Take a walk or a stroll around your neighborhood.  Take notice of how all of the recent rain has made everything so green!!!

And when the rain just won’t stop:

It might be time to let go of some of our well-used and well-loved items and do some [more] spring cleaning. Sometimes it’s more difficult for parents than kids to go through well-loved clothes that no longer fit or toys that no longer are age appropriate and say goodbye. Spring cleaning is a wonderful time to also model for our kids how to “pay it forward.”

 

A suggestion: Meet your child in their space like a bedroom, or wherever your child keeps his or her things. Go through each piece of clothing or each toy with your child.  Together, offer that item a hug of gratitude for bringing them comfort, joy, and wonderful memories and decide to donate! Maybe suggest to your child the idea that perhaps someone they know or someone they don’t know could use something THEY loved and used.  You can explain that “paying it forward” would mean giving away something that meant something to you might benefit someone else. Again, letting go is hard, but what a great opportunity to model compassion.

April Rain Song by Langston Hughes

 

Let the rain kiss you

Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops

Let the rain sing you a lullaby

 

The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk

The rain makes running pools in the gutter

The rain plays a little sleep-song on our roof at night-

 

And I love the rain