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Welcome to our November Newsletter! As we embrace the crisp autumn air, we're excited to share some fantastic updates with you. This month, we're thrilled to introduce our new team members who bring fresh energy and ideas to our agency. We'll also be sharing important updates on our latest projects and initiatives. With the holiday season just around the corner, we've got some great tips to help you prepare. And don't forget to mark your calendars for our upcoming fundraiser—it's an event you won't want to miss! Thank you for being a part of our community.
In This Issue:
- November is National Family Caregiver Month
- Engaging Activities and Creative Learning: Youth Highlights at Cimarron and Landfall
- Budgeting for the Holidays
- Prioritize Your Well-being: Holiday Survival Guide
- Get Involved!
November is National Family Caregiver Month
November is National Family Caregiver Month, a time to honor and support individuals who provide care to family or friends.
By celebrating National Family Caregiver Month, FamilyMeans Caregiving & Aging hopes to lift-up the many types of caregiving that are in our communities. We want to raise awareness of family caregivers and also caregiving to friends and neighbors. Caregivers often do many things that may include cooking, cleaning, transportation to appointments, medication management, bathing, companionship and so much more. Caregivers may experience fatigue, isolation, stress and sometimes their own medical hardships.
In honor of National Family Caregiver Month, we are hosted a free Writing Workshop on Friday, November 22nd from 10am-12pm. Caregivers treated themselves to coffee and treats before the busy holiday while learning the simple practice of free writing to help relieve stress and share stories.
FamilyMeans can provide educational opportunities, support and assistance to help caregivers thrive, not just survive. Our Caregiving & Aging staff provides coaching and consulting, education, support groups, respite care and Dementia Empowerment Services.
Please contact FamilyMeans Caregiving & Aging if you are a caregiver and would like to know what tools, services and supports are available for you.
If you stop in to our Stillwater Office, check out our interactive station for National Family Caregiver month in our lobby! Weave a piece of fabric into the loom in honor of a caregiver in your life or if you are a caregiver yourself.
Engaging Activities and Creative Learning: Youth Highlights at Cimarron and Landfall
The end of Summer and beginning of Fall have been BUSY for our Youth Development participants at both Cimarron and Landfall. From artwork, to fall festivals, to dance instruction, youth have been engaged in learning and hands on activities! Keep reading to learn more!
Robin Cain, illustrator of Lily Rose Leads the Flower Parade, paid a visit to Cimarron Kidspace to teach the youth about illustrating and chalkboard art. Each youth got to try out their own chalkboard art as well, and even take home a small chalkboard and chalk if they were interested, which many were!
One of our youth, Karen, remembered the chalkboard designs from Robin’s visit almost perfectly, and recreated them from memory! It was wonderful seeing Robin spark their creativity and tap into their imagination.
The Cimarron Teen Center Youth hosted another successful Fall Festival event on Friday October 18, featuring different carnival games, food, and fun! We were happy to have a wonderful night of weather to enjoy.
We have a dance instructor from Curio Dance teaching youth in Cimarron and Landfall as part of our State Arts Board grant funding. Youth are learning several styles of dance, including ballet, lyrical, and jazz. The youth have collaborated on the choreography as well!
Meet Melvin!
Melvin joined FamilyMeans on November 11, 2024 as our new Youth Assistant Coordinator in Cimarron. Melvin enjoys photography, painting, and music which he is excited to share with our Kidspace youth. He is currently pursuing an Accounting degree through Metro State University and we are happy to have him on our team!
Budgeting for The Holidays
The holidays are approaching, but is your wallet ready? FamilyMeans Financial Solutions is here to offer advice for holiday budgeting! Whether you are tight on money or just looking to save some pennies, take a look at our tips and tricks to save this holiday season and get you on the right path of money management!
- Stick to your holiday budget: Sticking to a budget can be hard, especially during the holidays. Creating a budget and sticking to it will help your wallet in the long run. Looking ahead at the items you want to purchase will help figure out how much you are looking at spending.
- Decrease impulse buying and shop around for deals: Stores are designed to tempt you to buy more than what you came in for. Online retailers aren’t much better with all the emails and sales during the holiday season. Rather than purchasing right way or purchasing more than you intended, spend some time and shop around for deals. Often, we purchase an item on impulse and find it at another store for $5 less. Those smaller amounts can add up quick!
- Consider homemade gifts: Homemade gifts can be a great option if you are sticking to a tighter budget this holiday season, plus, people appreciate the special thought and time that went into making them. Check out this list of great homemade gifts!
- Think about hidden expenses: Shipping costs, travel expenses, gift wrapping and decor, and holiday meals and parties can be some items that people forget when preparing their holiday budget. Make sure to include everything
- Plan for the new year: After the holiday celebrations, we roll right into the new year. Don’t forget about monthly bills (mortgages, rent, utilities) while preparing your budget.
This list was curated with help from FamilyMeans Financial Solutions, American Bankers Association, First State Community Bank, and the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.
Meet Niki!
Niki Gysbers joined the FamilyMeans Financial Solutions team on October 28th as our new Financial Counselor! Niki brings over 30 years of experience in a wide variety of banking with primarily home mortgage lending. Her passion is to get to know each client by truly listening and communicating effectively to achieve their goals that they are striving to reach.
“I am very much looking forward to meeting and partnering with my clients here at Familymeans and helping in anyway possible with the wonderful tools and services that we can offer you,” says Niki.
The holidays, while filled with happiness and goodwill, can be a double-edged sword for your mental health. The pressure to meet high expectations from family, friends, and even yourself can take a toll. Financial strain from holiday shopping and travel expenses can also heighten stress. Hosting parties and attending numerous gatherings adds more items to your already packed calendar. Here are some tips from FamilyMeans Counseling & Therapy on how to prioritize your needs this holiday season:
- Practice healthy habits. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and eating a balanced diet will help ensure you have enough physical and mental energy to tackle responsibilities and challenges.
- Set realistic expectations. Contrary to what you see on social media, the holiday season doesn’t need to be picture-perfect. Understand that it’s okay if everything doesn’t go according to plan. Setting realistic expectations for yourself and your celebrations can eliminate unnecessary pressure and create a more enjoyable holiday.
- Maintain your boundaries. Your calendar may quickly fill up with work, personal, and social events. Get comfortable saying 'no' and reducing extra activities or tasks so you aren't overloaded.
- Avoid known triggers. For some, the holidays are a time for painful reminders. If you find yourself triggered by certain activities or interactions, do your best to replace them with emotionally fulfilling ones.
- Make a manageable budget. Money worries can cast a shadow over the holidays. Making a budget for gift purchases, food, travel, and other expenses can greatly reduce financial strain. Take advantages of sales, create your own gifts, etc!
FamilyMeans therapists are available to help you or your loved ones through whatever challenge they are facing. Visit our Counseling & Therapy page or call 651- 439-4840 to get started.
Join the FamilyMeans Team!
FamilyMeans is currently accepting applications for:
- Youth Program Coordinator - Lake Elmo, MN
- Receptionist - Stillwater, MN
- Financial Solutions Counselor- Eau Claire, WI
FamilyMeans offers competitive pay and benefits such as health and dental insurance, 403(b) retirement plan, and paid time off to eligible employees.
Our mission is to strengthen communities by helping individuals and families through challenges in all life stages. FamilyMeans envisions vibrant and resilient communities where everyone lives to their fullest potential. Our work is life's challenges. A career with Familymeans provides an opportunity to enrich your professional life while working alongside colleagues who share a vision of making changes in people's lives through high quality services. We strive to provide the highest quality of care for our clients as well as work-life experience for our employees.
Interested in supporting our event through a sponsorship or an auction donation? Please call 651-439-4840 or email familymeans@familymeans.org
FamilyMeans Board of Directors
2024
Melissa Harris, Chair | Bob Clark, Vice Chair | Peter Matzek, Treasurer | Matthew Salisbury, Secretary
Lindsay Belland | Carmen Colombo | Anu Green | Marissa Kropp | Shawn Lohmann
Jessica Meletiou | Rajean Moone, PhD | Joe Paiement
Clark Schroeder | Jenny Terwedo | James Kroening, President & CEO
FamilyMeans
1875 Northwestern Ave S | Stillwater, Minnesota 55082
651 439 4840
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