Nevada County Happenings
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Make Pumpkin Carving a Family Event
Make pumpkin carving a family event! Halloween is a great time to gather around the table to carve Halloween pumpkins. Get into the spirit and hold a friendly family competition for the most creative or spooky design.
Spending time with family and friends in a shared activity can help build relationships while helping relieve stress and anxiety.
Friendly reminder from the folks at Blue Shield of California.
Halloween Safety and Prevention
Halloween Health & Safety Tips
Halloween is a time for spooky thrills and imagination. But the holiday also brings some extra risks for children and teens.Did you know that child pedestrian injuries are more likely on Halloween than on any other night of the year, for example? Help keep Halloween fun and safe for your family with these tips.
Stranger danger & tricky people
- Older children should travel in groups and create a “buddy system” to get each other home safely.
- Caution kids never enter a home or car for a treat. Notify law enforcement authorities immediately about any suspicious or unlawful activity.
- Review with your child how to call 9-1-1 (or their local emergency number) if they ever have an emergency, get lost or are prone to wander. See “Help Prevent Your Child from Going Missing” for tips.
Halloween street smarts
- Always accompany young children on their neighborhood rounds. If trick-or-treating doesn’t start until after dark where you live, consider checking with your town or park district for Halloween activities offered earlier in the day. Research shows that evenings from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. are the riskiest times of day for child pedestrians. Earlier festivities also help you stick to your child’s regular bedtime.
- If your older children are trick-or-treating alone, plan and review the route that is acceptable to you. Agree on a specific time when they should return home and get flashlights with batteries for everyone.
- Talk with kids about the risk of distracted walking. This includes text messaging, talking on or looking at their cell phone and listening to music.
- Cross the street as a group in established crosswalks. Most (62%) child pedestrian traffic fatalities occurred mid-block, rather than at intersections. Make sure kids know not to cross the street between parked cars or out of driveways or alleys.
- Don’t assume cars will stop just because they have the right of way. Motorists may have trouble seeing trick-or-treaters.
- Stay on well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. If no sidewalk is available, walk at the far edge of the roadway facing traffic. Only go to homes with a porch light on and, ideally, a well-lit pathway.
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The Hidden Biases of Good People Training
The Hidden Biases of Good People: Implications for Individuals and Organizations
Virtual Training
- Tuesday, December 10, 2024
- 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Pacific
- 12:00 pm – 3:00 pm Eastern
- $45 per ticket
Click here to register!
This training satisfies the federal grant requirements for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Training. The Dibble Institute® is offering this workshop because for us to create healthy relationships, we need to understand our hidden biases so that we might reduce and manage them. Broadly speaking, group-based bias involves varying degrees of stereotyping (exaggerated beliefs about others), prejudice (dis/liking others), and/or discrimination (unequal treatment of others) that occur above or below conscious awareness. Scholars have labeled the subconscious form of group-based bias as implicit bias. In this provocative and highly interactive presentation, Dr. Marks will describe the science behind the causes and consequences of implicit bias and its impact on individuals and organizational outcomes. Dr. Marks will also offer practical strategies for identifying, managing, and potentially mitigating implicit bias.This is the second workshop in an annual series of DEI trainings. You do not need to have attended the first workshop to attend the second.
Objectives — Participants will:
- Understand the science behind implicit bias
- Recognize the impact of implicit bias on individuals and organizations
- Identify personal and organizational implicit biases
- Develop strategies to manage and reduce implicit bias
- Foster a culture of inclusivity and fairness
Presenter: Rev. Dr. Bryant T. Marks, Sr., Professor, Morehouse College – Rev. Dr. Marks is a minister, researcher, trainer, award-winning educator, and former member of the Obama Administration. He is the Founder and Chief Equity Officer of the National Training Institute on Race and Equity and a tenured professor of Psychology at Morehouse College.
Today is the Day for BFFY Open House
Bright Futures for Youth connects with and serves several hundred young people every month in Nevada County, from after-school programs to ensuring the most basic of needs such as clothes, food and housing for those experiencing housing instability.
With ongoing community support, the organization is making a difference in so many ways.
Bright Futures for Youth will celebrate its many milestones 4:30-6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, at its campus, 200 Litton Drive in Grass Valley. Community leaders, elected officials, small-business owners and many others will attend the event that will include a look at the first phase of our new backyard (a second phase should be completed relatively soon).
Click here to learn more!
Nevada County Toy Run 2024
Is your family in need of assistance this holiday season? Nevada County Toy Run provides a holiday meal and unwrapped new toys for those in need in our community. Sign-up to receive at nevadacountytoyrun.com/families.
Nevada County Happenings
October is Depression Awareness Month
October is National Depression and Mental Health Awareness and Screening Month – a crucial time for promoting understanding, reducing stigma, and encouraging individuals to seek help for mental health challenges. Depression is one of the most prevalent mental health disorders that is more than just feeling sad; it is a serious mental health condition that affects millions of people. It can manifest in numerous ways, including persistent sadness, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite, and difficulty concentrating. Left unaddressed, depression can lead to significant impairment in daily functioning, impacting relationships, work, and overall quality of life. Screening for mental health conditions is a vital step in ensuring that individuals receive the care they need. Early identification and intervention can significantly improve outcomes for those experiencing depression and other mental health issues.
How to Support Mental Health Awareness
1. Educate Yourself and Others – Understanding mental health is the first step toward reducing
stigma. Share data-based information about depression and the importance of mental
health screenings with friends, family, and your community.
2. Encourage Open Conversations – Create a brave space for discussions about mental health.
Encourage loved ones to express their feelings and concerns without fear of judgment.
3. Promote Available Resources – Share credible resources that provide support for mental
health. Ensure that individuals know where to find help when they need it.
4. Advocate for Mental Health – Support initiatives that promote mental health awareness in
your community. Participate in local events, campaigns, or online discussions to destigmatize
the impacts of mental health.
5. Practice Self-Care – Taking care of your own mental health is essential. Engage in activities
that promote well-being, such as exercise, mindfulness, and connecting with others.
The impact of mental health awareness is a year-round commitment to fostering understanding,
compassion, and action. Remember, mental health is just as important as physical health, and
everyone deserves access to the support they need to thrive. Together, we can make a difference in
the lives of those affected by mental health issues and create a safer, more supportive environment
for everyone!
Article by Department of Defense Work-Life Programs Health & Wellness.
Understanding Ambiguous Loss in Foster Care
We sometimes spend life wondering what could have been. What would my life have been like if I hadn’t had that fight with my sister that led to her disappearing from my life? What would it be like if I had kept in touch with my father after my parents’ difficult divorce? These are examples of ambiguous loss—feelings of grief, confusion, and distress about the lost person or relationship.
Ambiguous loss is common in foster care and adoption. Birth parents experience it when a child is removed from their home. Adoptive parents may feel ambiguous loss when they mourn who the child may have been without the experience of trauma. Children placed in care experience multiple losses. The effects of these losses can impact all relationships moving forward. These struggles may include building trust, maintaining relationships, depression, anxiety, and family conflict. Children in foster care, relative care, and those who were adopted are challenged by a loss that is unique. They may spend a great deal of time wondering about their birth parents, “Are they OK? Do they ever think of me? Will they forget me?”
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BFFY Community Open House
Bright Futures for Youth will celebrate our accomplishments and milestones, and detail new efforts during the Open House.
Our dreams – from expanding and reaching more young people to the opening of the NEO Youth Center a year ago – have become a reality, thanks to the generosity and ongoing support from the community.
The Friendship Club and NEO Youth merged to become a much larger organization and was renamed Bright Futures for Youth four years ago. It has been a huge success.
Our three core programs – The Friendship Club, NEO and SAFE for those experiencing housing instability – reach 500 young people every month.
And we have a lot more in the works.
The Open House will take place in the recently completed first phase of the new backyard with a concrete patio, flowers, a lawn area and trees. The second phase of the backyard, including a sports court for basketball and pickleball, will start in the next few months.
Come join us, invite others and learn more about our life-changing program for the next generation!
Tuesday, Oct. 22, 4:30-6:30 p.m in the new backyard
200 Litton Drive, Grass Valley.