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FamilyMeans Back-to-School Newsletter
FamilyMeans staff and volunteers have had a busy, fun-filled summer! We are excited to share an update on these activities with you. Please read on to explore our agency news, helpful tips and a schedule of our fall events!
In this issue:
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Back-to-School Anxiety Support
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, your child may begin to feel anxious and overwhelmed. Parents can play a vital role in easing this anxiety and helping to make the back-to-school transition an easy one. Here are 5 tips from FamilyMeans Counseling & Therapy on how to support your child this fall.
1. Let Them Talk
Make yourself available for your child. Let them know that they can talk to you about how they are feeling, without judgement.
2. Don’t Get Frustrated
You might feel like the anxiety your child has is irrational, but to them, it is not. It is important not to brush off or ignore those feelings. Stay open, listen, and do not show the frustration.
3. Spend Quality Time
Spend time together doing something fun. This will cheer them up and make them feel like they are not alone in their struggles.
4. Teach Ways to Cope
Encourage your child to recognize when they are feeling anxious. Then teach them ways to calm that anxiety. Some ways to do this are; take deep breaths, focus on something they can control, or find someone they trust to discuss feelings.
5. Praise Accomplishments
Recognize when your child overcomes an anxiety-inducing situation. Be proud of them, and show it.
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Need Support?
FamilyMeans School-Based therapists are available to help your child through whatever challenge they are facing. Parent and family therapy sessions also available.
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Get Out & Try - Having Fun While Sticking to a Budget
FamilyMeans Consumer Credit Counselors help individuals and families to build a budget plan to gain control of their finances. When helping clients through this process, our counselors encourage individuals to set aside a portion of money each month for something fun. Depending on the client’s budget size, this monthly “something fun fund” can seem pretty small. Financial Solutions aims to provide ways for you to stretch your dollar and maximize the FUN that you and your family can have, while still sticking to your budget.
We have teamed up with St. Croix Valley-based podcast and online platform, Get Out and Try to spread the word about budget-friendly activities and savings tips. Our upcoming video series called the “Thrifty G.O.A.T” features 5 short videos that highlight Stillwater area activities to try on a budget and tips to continue to save in new ways!
Click here to view the Get Out and Try Facebook page. Follow this page to view the “Thrifty G.O.A.T” videos each Tuesday through August!
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Cimarron Library Gets a New Look!
The library space at the Cimarron Youth Center received a beautiful new look this spring! Volunteer and donor support from Trinity Lutheran Church, Thrivent, Elks Lodge and FamilyMeans helped to refresh the space with big, comfortable couches, new books and lots of great light for reading. We are so appreciative of all of the support we received to help make this vision possible!
The Cimarron Youth Center was built by FamilyMeans in 2015. The building is used daily for Youth Development programs for all Cimarron youth ages 5 to 18.
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Caregiving & Aging: Summer Fun!
Caregiving & Aging’s Community Connection group participants have been enjoying local outdoor activities this summer!
During the "Art & Animals" session, the group participants explored collage art with artist Lucy Rose, interacted with a therapy dog and visited a goat farm to experience a working animal farm. The group was able to interact with the animals and enjoyed the opportunity to feed the kids!
In July, the group hosted a 4-week session called "Nature Memories at Belwin Conservancy". For this session, we teamed up with our community partners, Belwin Conservancy and COMPAS. Each week participants participated in nature themed activities such as viewing birds and bison. The group also participated in creating community poetry insipred by their surroundings. The final day of the session was a beautiful open house. Participants brought their caregivers to explore the nature trails, investigate the pond, listen to poetry readings and music, and more!
Community Connection is an opportunity for people with early memory loss to explore new places and engage with others.
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Shaping your Tomorrow: Dementia and MCI
Thursdays, September 15 – November 17, 10 am to noon
Caregiving & Aging invites you to attend “Shaping Your Tomorrow: Dementia and MCI”, a 10-week series designed to meet the needs of both the person with memory loss and a family member or friend. Each week introduces a specific topic for education, planning for the future, and learning from others on a similar journey. Rich discussions with the full group are followed by separate peer conversations: one for people with memory loss and one for their partners. For more information, please contact Sarah Gavin, Caregiving & Aging Social Worker, sgavin@familymeans.org or (651) 789-4004. Interview and pre-registration required.
This series is funded in part with the Metropolitan Area Agency on Aging Inc. as part of the Older Americans Act Program funding.
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Register Today!
The FamilyMeans Center for Grief & Loss invites you to our annual Memorial Walk for Hope & Healing.
Join us Saturday, September 24th at 9 am at Central Park – Lexington, Roseville as we remember loved ones lost, celebrate their life, and heal together as a community.
Suggested donation of $20 per individual to support the work of the Center for Grief & Loss.
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Save the Date! Townie Tuesday
Tuesday, October 4, 4 to 8 pm
Lift Bridge Brewery, 1900 Tower Drive W, Stillwater
Join the FamilyMeans Next Generation Council for Townie Tuesday! $1 of every pint supports FamilyMeans programming! Local food truck, family fun with coloring games, and prizes for kids, raffle baskets and more!
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Volunteer Opportunities Available!
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We are excited to see so many smiling faces at our activities! We are now in need of volunteers to help support the following Caregiving & Aging programs:
Night Out, Community Connection, In-Home Respite
If any of these opportunities are interesting to you, or if you would like to know more about them, contact FamilyMeans’ Volunteer Coordinator, Dan, at dbohnker@familymeans.org.
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Become a member of the FamilyMeans team!
FamilyMeans is currently accepting applications for multiple mental health clinicians, interns, and a licensed psychologist. FamilyMeans offers competitive pay and benefits such as health and dental insurance, 403(b) retirement plan, and paid time off to eligible employees. Click the button below to learn more about our current openings, friendly work environment, benefits, and how to apply.
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FamilyMeans Board of Directors
2022-2023
Brian Gunderson, Chair | Melissa Harris, Vice Chair | Peter Matzek, Treasurer | Josh Zignego, Secretary
Lindsay Belland | Bob Clark | Anu Green | Heidi Hubbard, MD | Marissa Kropp
Mike Lyner | Jessica Meletiou | Rajean Moone, PhD | Clark Schroeder
James Kroening, President & CEO
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FamilyMeans
1875 Northwestern Ave S | Stillwater, Minnesota 55082
651 439 4840 | mnelson@familymeans.org
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