Message from our Executive Director - May 8
Hello everyone,
This week you’ll be hearing from Kathy Baldwin, our Director of Program Development. Kathy is highly involved with developing community partnerships and securing grant funding to support the agency’s overall efforts, which is critical during a time like this. Through this work, The Arc of Plymouth and Upper Cape Cod is also able to give back to local community organizations which provide vital services for our communities. Kathy remains very involved in our expansion onto the Cape, and in our continued development of additional ABI Residential Services.
Thanks everyone and please take care.
Mary
Hello everyone!
More than ever, I’m proud to be part of our incredible team here at The Arc. The creativity, partnership, and strength that continues during this time between our staff and people we support is nothing short of inspiring.
In my role, I have the privilege and opportunity to continuously spread awareness about The Arc’s mission and vision while sharing success stories of people we support and the tremendous work of our dedicated staff. As The Arc has shifted to remote services and we continue to explore creative ways to connect with people we support and their families, the importance of securing grant funding is ever present. Working in partnership with our organization’s leadership team, we are able to identify the agency’s strengths and work toward supplementing funds to support our growing efforts.
Additionally, The Arc of Plymouth and Upper Cape Cod recognizes the importance of giving back to our community and supporting families beyond those receiving service with us, so I am spearheading a campaign to raise funds for our local food pantries who are working diligently to put food on the table for our families in need.
The strength of these partnerships are a true reminder that “it takes a village.”
Personally, now more than ever, I’m cognizant of the people that make up my village of support (my socially-distant village, but village nonetheless). As we have integrated our professional and personal responsibilities into our homes, we are all balancing various roles at any given time.
The risk of caregiver fatigue is prevalent for many of us taking care of others. Feelings of exhaustion or hopelessness can settle in and leave you completely overwhelmed. As a mother of three boys, I tend to believe I can do anything, but I also recognize that I cannot do everything. Consistent and proactive self-care is crucial to your own mental health and definitely requires some creativity during this time.
I’ve learned that it is a strength, not a weakness, to ask for help when it’s needed. Shifting my perspective from “I’m feeling completely stressed,” to “This is really challenging, but what can I do to fix it?” helps tremendously.
Make a list of different things you could do for yourself and share your ideas with friends – now is the best time to try something new! Stop and remind yourself throughout your day to do something off your list so you don’t get to the point of exhaustion or frustration. Being proactive with your self-care can give you the control to give people the bestof you, not what’s left of you. Today, my self-care included music - don’t worry, I’m not going to sing for you, but I will play the piano for you!
What will your self-care be today?
Kathy Baldwin
Director of Program Development
*Name of the song that Kathy is performing in the video is "A River Flows in You” by Yiruma