Uncertainty has grown for many families, and we are in the most trying times – financially, socially, and mentally. Help is still available, and it’s time to explore new options to find what is needed for your family. Birthright is here to help too.
Do you feel like it’s hard to know exactly what you need right now? Are your needs growing and changing? Being alone can be difficult, but protecting your family is essential. How can we change in positive ways that will support us right where we are? We must expand our thinking and heart beyond our current limitations. We would like to hear your ideas about what’s working, what’s not, and we’ll share some ideas too
The more we know and understand, the better we will feel, and can support our children; they need us to be strong, so finding support for them too is critical. In this article, we are going to provide you with a variety of resources to bolster support services for you and your family.
We are all in this together
News sources for information and inspiration
What we watch and listen to on TV and radio can be a distraction, not offering us any real value for the time spent. While we all feel the need to escape from the reality of our financial and job uncertainty, which is quite overwhelming, we must press on together. This means finding support in every direction with sources that include our neighborhoods and community. Expanding our views beyond our immediate borders may be necessary too if you have family in other cities or states. Remember, others are struggling just like you – you are not alone. Together, let’s change the story we’ve created around Covid and isolation. It doesn’t have to be gloom and doom. Good things are happening as people are coming together in new ways – to determine the true value in their lives and the people who matter the most. We must change together!
Changing habits, the way we learn, and new ideas
Childhood education has been modified for Washington County Schools with some remote learning. This mandate has been difficult for many families. If you need help with internet access and technology tools, get in touch with the school in your district. Here’s the link to the Washington County School Districts and their geographic locations if you are new to the area. Select the link to the school district within your city to learn the latest state mandates for distance learning and school closures. To learn the latest impacts to k-12 education at a state level, check out this document from the Oregon Department of Education
Local, Regional, National & Global News
Local radio station OPB (Oregon Public Broadcasting) 91.5 FM provides excellent coverage for the latest in science, health and public interest stories. They offer a wide variety of shows from what’s happening locally and news from around the globe. The reporters are meeting with numerous people from community leaders and people like you and me. Learn about the challenges others are facing and ideas for new solutions. On OPB, local musicians share their latest music reflecting their experiences and current events. Business owners, local advocates, and health care workers are featured for interviews. Connecting with excellent reporting and real people helps enlarge your world. How to cope at this time is the biggest question, and people are creative! These are real people, just like you and me, talking about how they are getting through these tough times. If you love to read, authors share excerpts from their latest books, and you can be a part of solving puzzles with game show quizzes too. You can find their programs online.
KXRY 107.1 / 91.1 FM (Portland, OR) is a local radio station in Portland, Oregon, which is for the community and about the community. There are a variety of interesting music programs and talk shows you can check out.
Individual Education, Entertainment & Personal Growth
Washington County Community Library Services and your local library
WCCLS libraries offer 24-hour online access to thousands of e-books, audiobooks, movies and research materials. If you’re not sure which library is closest too, check out the WCCLS map
- WCCLS is an excellent resource for finding print and audiobooks, researching any number of subjects, job and skills training, movies and kids TV programs, and even learning a new language! You can order books, DVD’s and videos online.
- Check with your local library for pick up and delivery options.
Reading is so powerful and is good for our brains. This may be an excellent time to study up on subjects you have always wanted to learn about but just didn’t have the time. Kids’ books are plentiful too. Tap into your child’s interests so they can grow their knowledge, imagination and develop an interest in reading.
- Kids Kanopy offers both entertainment (movies) and education like science and math, stories from around the world, classic tales and stories from world history. All you need is your libary card!
- For Spanish speaking families, use this link
- If you need help finding a good book selection for you and your child, call the library and speak to a librarian. Ask for suggested reading for new mothers; let them know how old your child is, and if they have any specific interests. Identify the location where you will pick up your materials, and give them a call.
What’s new for you? What are you doing differently? Are you growing your own garden, taking on a new art project, using chalk paintings on sidewalks with your child? Are you giving your creativity room to breathe? Are you studying an online course to improve your skills? We want to hear from you!
