Diakon Living and Learning after 50

Workplace stress can be a serious issueeven without a pandemic. Now, COVID-19 presents additional and unique mental health stressors, particularly for health-care and frontline workers, notes a new post on Diakon’s Many Voices. One Heart. blog. But work-related stress is also likely to affect you, either personally or indirectly, no matter your occupation. Disregarding your or a coworker’s stress is an option, but it’s probably not a good one." So what can you do? Diakon ...Family Life Services has some suggestions. To learn more, see the post at https://blog.diakon.org/supporting-colleagues-during-a-str/.

Dating back to as early as the 12th Century, Christmas carols have become an important part of our annual holiday celebrations. "O Come, O Come Emmanuel" is one of the oldest Christmas hymns to still get airplay. And much of the secular Christmas music we listen to today was adopted from music initially created for other purposes. They later became associated with Christmas in some way. Examples are Sleigh Ride, Jingle Bells, Frosty the Snowman and Winter Wonderland. Comment... below your favorite Christmas carol or song! #MusicMonday

Benevolent care is a commitment to serve those with limited resources. Diakon maintains a more-than-150-year tradition of care for people of all ages, especially those with limited financial resources. In 2019, we provided more than $1.5 million a month in uncompensated care! Every year our need for benevolent care funding increases. We appreciate your generosity in helping us to bridge this gap! The current pandemic has only exaggerated this situation and we need and value y...our support. Your gifts help us to serve our most vulnerable children, families and older adults. In honor of #GivingTuesday, would you consider making a tax-deductible donation today? You can give on our website at: https://www.diakon.org/giving/online-donation. Thank you for your continued support...lives are being transformed because of it!

Finding joy and thankfulness in continued service ... and ‘small places’ ... a message from Diakon President/CEO, Mark T. Pile, MSHA, MSW: Thanksgiving most likely will not seem the same this year. I think we all recognize that. If we travel outside our state, we may have to receive a COVID-19 negative test resultor self-quarantine for 14 days. If we stay at home, our guest list will probably be smaller.... Of course, we all recognize the critical need to stay safeand to keep family members and others safe as well. Even so, Thanksgiving will seem different, as much of 2020 has been different. We may even find it difficult to feel thankful at times. The advice we may have heard from a sports coach arises in such situations: We have to dig a little deeper, try a little harder. But that advice overlooks one important fact: All we have done to get through this unprecedented time ... and the positive impact we have had on others to make their world a little brighter. I am thankful as I remember that during the pandemic Children and youths have still been placed with forever families. Older adults have continued to receive compassionate care, even if their caregivers are shielded by masks, gloves and gowns. Families in crisis, perhaps as a result of job and income uncertainty, have gained the counseling and support they need, if virtually on occasion. Our services have continuously helped people for more than 150 years and nothing, not even pandemics, has interrupted that ministry. We have always dug deeper, tried at little harder, been on the front lines of care and serviceand succeeded in making a difference. That is certainly something for which we can be thankful! To all of our friends, supporters, board members, family members, residents, clients and certainly our very dedicated staff members, I hope the coming days are filled with lots of little joys. And thankfulness. My personal best wishes to you and your family.

As a case manager for Pennsylvania, Sonia Lebron was accustomed to encounters with youths working their way through the juvenile justice system. In fact, she often helped them with issues such as employment and family relationships. But when she found herself in a different roleas the mother of a young person facing a legal issueshe had to change roles. It put me on the other side of the equation, she says. I had to stop being my job, stop being a case manager. I had to ...be a parent. Her son, considered a juvenile at the time, used poor judgment in a situation in which he was influenced by older peers. He was first assigned to a youth facility, but then transitioned to Diakon Youth Services’ Bridge Program in Lancaster County, which focuses on teaching self-discipline and accountability. In particular, he was able to take advantage of the predisposition program, which helps adolescents learn accountability and coping skills to successfully take steps toward young adulthood. The family’s challenge began with a car ride... https://www.diakon.org//diakon-youth-services-bridge-prog/

If you've been on social media, you've likely seen the controversy surrounding Thanksgiving. People are passionately defending their decisions and backing up their arguments. Yes, you guessed it! It's the debate over macaroni and cheese as a Thanksgiving side dish. So what do you think? Does mac and cheese deserve a place at the table next to the mashed potatoes and green bean casserole? ... Let us know by commenting below!