It's that time of year again: Goalsetting for 2022! Others say "Are you sure we should have any goals at all this year because this pandemic is never going to end." My answer is YES! If you wait for something to happen so you can be happy or really live your life, you're very late to the party! This unprecedented life we're living worldwide now has taught us some important lessons.
1. Family matters - much more than we even thought.
2. Self-Care is not self-indulgence. Our health is in our own hands. Exercise, healthy foods, quality sleep are all factors that we can manage ourselves.
3. Preparing for emergencies is more than listening to the emergency broadcast tone on television. We need to have cash on hand. We need to keep a supply of food staples and paper products. Carol Bach uses a solar generator that stays charged in her window so she will always be able to use her computer or charge her cell phone even if losing power.
4. If we aren't feeling well, we need to stay home.
5. Technology is key. Thank you, Zoom, for bringing my friends and family into my home on the small screen. A business can thrive by innovation and determination. The new work at home culture is showing us that business offices and cubicles are so 2019.
7. Loneliness hurts our health. A. Lot.
8. Six out of 10 people have found a new appreciation for nature since early 2020.
Eighteen months ago, many of us were asking if we even knew anyone with Covid. Today many of us have buried friends and relatives from this awful virus. At first, it seemed like older adults and/or those with pre-existing medical issues were the ones at risk. That picture has changed dramatically.
We've also become very opinionated about our perspective of Covid 19.
"Everyone should get vaccinated."
"No one should put anything in their body that's not natural."
"Boosters are vital."
"Those boosters don't work. People still get sick ."
"Everyone should wear masks."
"Why should I wear a mask if I've gotten the vaccines and the booster?"
"Anyone who doesn't get the vaccine shouldn't get medical care and tie up hospital beds."
"I don't want that shot because my rights are at stake."
My goal and wish for you is to find the balance between doing what you believe is right and believing that everyone is doing their best. Someone's best may not be acceptable to you but we have our own filters and we make decisions for ourselves based on those filters. Let's face it...we will never have identical filters. I will always be trying to be my best self and I'm going to trust that you are doing the same. Or as many of us have said, "You do you."
This week's Random Awesome Deed suggestion is to talk with your closest friends. Ask them what their goals are for 2022. Then ask them how YOU can help support them to meet those goals. One of the most powerful motivators to reach goals is to tell people what you are planning. Just talking about it provides a type of accountability that you might lack if keeping those thoughts to yourself. We can have a fabulous 2022 and I intend to do just that! Enjoy another Friday off from our weekly meetings and may you start the new year with the determination to inspire, create, bloom, and flourish every single day!
Now let's go forth, be great stewards of Rotary and Catalysts of Caring in our Community!
Please be well, be safe, and be kind. There are a lot of people needing just that.
From Brent Urban, Cougars Care Director @ Coronado High School
Let me extend my THANKS to so many people. Harvest of Love is an endeavor that encompasses literally thousands of hands coming together to support our community.
Special thanks to Emily King and STUCO (bang up job this year), Cougars Care Board of Directors, Parrish Larkin (called over 200 families and is still giving gift cards to families), Lisa Kline and the Pickle Ball community, Russ Bone, The Counseling Staff, The Coronado Staff and Admin (for taking on this challenge) Coronado students, Our EDGE classes (yes – that had something to do that benefitted others!!!), Holmes NJHS, King Soopers, Bimbo Bread, The Rotary of Colorado Springs, Kiwanis Club, 1st EV Free Church, ….. on and on and on.
OK number crunchers, here is the data – Stats class, you can do something with this 😊
160 boxes of food were prepared for Coronado families – each box had fresh fruits and veggies, pumpkin pie, fresh bread, etc. etc. About 25lbs of food.
For the first time ever, we are going to get food or a gift card to every family that we contacted (Thanks Parrish!)
We were able to provide food for several area group homes and charities that serve students in our community: The Place, The Nevada House, The Griffith Center, The Dale House, A ComCor Covid Clinic, and Catholic Charities
Over 200 volunteers helped make it happen!
The staff donated more money than ever – over 2K!
Over 5K in donations overall!
Enough food to restock the Cougars Care Closet (room 110) so we have food and snacks for our staff, students, and community all year!!
Enough snacks to provide teachers “Emergency Snacks” for your classroom.
Approximately 5,000 non-perishable food items were donated by our community.
I’m sure there are more things to say…. But I would simply say, we did well to help those in our community both at Thanksgiving and in the future.
Thanks for making Coronado a Community that Cares!
If you are interested in participating in our International Committee, please email Jordan Davis at Jordan@sociallyexceptional.biz to be added to the notification list!
If you have bulletin announcements, please email the EXACT WORDING of your announcement to KSaltmarshVoss@yahoo.com by Wednesday at 5 pm. I don't write your announcements but I do make them nice 'n' fancy!
As you're doing your shopping online, did you know that you can support our Rotary Club with every Amazon purchase? Here’s how:
Go to smile.amazon.com (not amazon.com). Amazon Smile is the same company, same account, same password, but the Amazon Smile program gives one half of one percent of every purchase to charity. No, it’s not a lot, but it’s also not nuthin’ (to be exact: about $150 for the Club so far). So again, go to smile.amazon.com
Sign into your Amazon account as you normally would
On the very top left of the page, next to the AmazonSmile logo, are three horizontal bars. Click there for the drop-down menu.
Scroll ALL the way down to “Your AmazonSmile”; it should be the last option right before “Sign Out”; Click on “Your AmazonSmile”
On the right side of the page, click on the “change charity” box under Your current charity (Note: If you are currently supporting another charity, that’s awesome! These instructions are for those who are not doing so. Also, if you have not previously selected a charity, your default option will be St. Judge Children’s Research Hospital.)
Type in Community Service Fund of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs; click Select
That’s it. You’re all set. Just remember to go to Smile.Amazon.com when you shop from now on.
