One night this week, I watched a favorite TV show where a father was instructing his son to run laps around the local track until the anxious feelings inside his stomach 'went away'. As I was running the other day, I thought of this, and how running, to me, has been part of my self-care toolbox for years. It seems though that during this time in quarantine, limited socially from seeing family and friends, I have been seeking out less time running away from anxious feelings--and more time spent in the quiet, sitting with these uneasy feelings.
It's what Hub participants are craving too. The Care Coordination that the Hub provides--regular mental health and addiction support check-ins and referral to resources in the community-- is not magic. It is something much simpler. It is truly listening and connecting on a deeper level to what our participants need. Helping them to sit in the quiet as well.
Our community partners at Drug World who are working tirelessly during this time, shared with me that they were taking ten minute breaks in the middle of the day to acknowledge each other and separate the morning from the afternoon, believing that 'We must recognize what we can't see'. There is nothing easy about softening and really trying to support each other. But it is just as essential and more important than ever.
Over the last two months, the Hub has tried to adapt by providing programming like weekly virtual Middle School Meet-ups, that bring together local middle school students to talk and learn quarantine coping skills. Socialization with peers is key during the middle school years--and programming like this is vital to keeping this part of them awake and alive. We have shared tips on how to navigate COVID-19 on a webinar with Dr. Benante and the Haldane community, and also joined Mike and Kacey In the Mornings to offer advice on how to cope with our current situation.
Thanks to donors that have stepped up during this time, we have been able to continue to provide these programs and think innovatively about how to increase the capacity for the Hub to be responsive to community needs. This support helps get us closer to expanding the resources we can offer and I am so deeply thankful to the Hub community for believing in a better tomorrow for our participants.
Our community now embarks upon a different phase of these challenging times, as we begin the 'Re-Opening' process. During this, we are often asked to be 'New York Tough'. But what if, instead, this 'Re-Opening' could be an opportunity to soften and open up towards each other--and to be gentle with ourselves. There is nothing easy about this. It is hard work made easier with support. Please know that Philipstown Hub is here for you. To connect, please visit www.philipstownhub.org, call 845-809-5050, confidentially text 845-260-1001, or email danielle@philipstownhub.org.
I cannot possibly say it better than Alicia Keys: 'You're doing a good job. Don't get too down. The world needs you now. Know that you MATTER".
Health and Hope,
Danielle Pack McCarthy
June 2020