(NewsUSA) - The COVID-19 pandemic and historically low mortgage interest rates have caused a flurry of home buying across the United States. Families are searching for more flexible work or learning spaces, larger homes and spacious yards for cooped up kids.
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(Family Features) For many travelers itching to go on vacation, 2021 offers plenty of opportunities to get out and go. Whether it’s heading to an outdoor escape or simply cozying up with loved ones while enjoying beautiful surroundings, vacation is on the minds of many.
(Family Features) Children develop their identities right alongside their abilities to crawl, walk, talk and recognize letters. There’s also a common misconception that children are “colorblind.”
(Family Features) Celebrating the talented Black actors and filmmakers in the TV and film world is an easy and enjoyable way to commemorate this Black History Month. Among those noted stars is Vivica A. Fox, a leading lady in numerous blockbuster films.
(Family Features) When easing into a new year, many experts encourage more self-care. From paying more attention to your mental health to pampering yourself from head to toe, now is the perfect time to start showing yourself a little extra love.
(Family Features) Fishing is a treasured pastime for Americans from coast to coast, but the experience can be as individual as the person reeling them in. A successful angling excursion begins with thoughtful planning and all the right gear.
(Family Features) Fostering kittens and cats has risen in popularity during these unprecedented times, and many pet lovers are becoming fosters to help overcrowded animal shelters. Fostering a kitten can be a fun and exciting time, but it may also come with a learning curve.
(Family Features) You may have heard of “GMO” foods before, but what you may not know is the science and purpose behind them.
(Family Features) After months of unfamiliar restrictions and guidelines, pandemic fatigue is affecting how some Americans protect their health. However, experts warn that diligence is still extremely important because new mutations and variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 are being discovered. The typical cold and flu season also brings added threats to people’s health and wellness.
(Family Features) The facts are troubling: Black Americans are more likely to have a number of serious illnesses, including diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. And, members of the Black community are 30% more likely to die from heart disease and twice as likely to have a stroke compared to other ethnic and racial groups.
(NewsUSA)
(NewsUSA) - Nothing beats the midwinter blahs like a juicy true crime movie, and the Lifetime television network delivers with a quintet of original movies as part of its popular "Ripped from the Headlines" series premiering this February/March, including three movies featuring Law & Order alumni.
(StatePoint) Keeping your household well-stocked of items you need to run things smoothly is essential, particularly during the spring cleaning season. But whether it’s home improvement supplies or laundry necessities, selecting the best products may be a bit more challenging these days. Not only are new products introduced to store shelves all the time, if you’re like many consumers, you’re staying home more with fewer opportunities to compare products in-person.
(Family Features) If there is a silver lining to the challenges the past year created for families, it may be the growth, availability and affordability of virtual care for medical and mental health needs. The ability to see a doctor from home, with little notice, offers a level of flexibility in accessing health care that was historically quite rare.
(Family Features) Devoting a little time every day to care for yourself can go a long way toward protecting the health of your heart. Simple self-care, such as taking a moment to de-stress, giving yourself time to move more, preparing healthier meals and not cheating on sleep, can all benefit your heart.
(Family Features) As Americans continue to spend more time at home, it’s important to support the health and comfort of those living spaces. Regularly cleaning and disinfecting surfaces is an important step, but one often overlooked aspect of a home’s health and comfort is its air quality.
(Family Features) COVID-19 has challenged families in different ways, and many had to cancel or reschedule trips during the pandemic due to travel restrictions, which meant missing out on quality time with loved ones and the mental health and self-care benefits of going on vacation.
(Family Features) Adopting and fostering pets continues to trend as people across the nation add furry friends to their families for company during these unprecedented times. However, building a bond is just the first step to pet ownership; curiosity and care for your pet’s health lasts its entire life.
(Family Features) A financial emergency may have previously seemed like a “not me” scenario, but it’s now a reality many families across America are dealing with as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the economy.
(NewsUSA)
(NewsUSA) - Parenting has been described as "the toughest job you'll ever love," and figuring out how to keep your baby safe can be one of the most difficult elements of parenting. Child safety in the home is especially important as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic keeps more young children at home for longer periods of time.
(NewsUSA) - Promoting a healthy immune system has never been more important.
(NewsUSA) - Many people spend a lot of time planning and fine-tuning their physical fitness, and that often includes working with a personal trainer. Why not think of financial fitness in the same way?
(StatePoint) With the pandemic continuing to disrupt routines, you may have growing anxieties about how the extended crisis will affect your child’s social and emotional health long-term.
(BPT) - Deb Mallin, Forbes Councils Member
(NewsUSA) - The daunting number of jobs lost by women during the coronavirus pandemic is only the beginning of the story.
(NewsUSA) - Residential real estate provides one of the most basic human needs -- shelter. When the world shifted to 'everything from home' due to the pandemic, that place of shelter took on many more identities. The home is now the focal point in many of our lives, representing where people work, shop, school and exercise.
(NewsUSA) - No matter how you and your partner organize your money, making a financial plan and reviewing it regularly should be a priority for all committed couples, from newlyweds to those in long-term relationships.
(Family Features) A lifelong diagnosis like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may feel overwhelming and confusing, but by working closely with your health care providers, you can work toward managing the disease and improving your quality of life.
(NewsUSA) - For those fortunate enough to find themselves with unexpected income through an inheritance, the task of managing a large amount of sudden wealth at once can seem daunting. However, a smart financial plan can boost confidence in your money management skills and optimize your new assets
(Family Features) During pre-COVID times, wedding concerns like venue capacity had far more to do with budget and vision than with the health and safety of guests. It’s a different world today, but with some careful planning you can still find ways to safely celebrate your love.
(Family Features) While a haircut is often the first thing that comes to mind when pet parents contemplate a visit to the groomer, those visits can involve much more than a bath and trim. It can also include spa-like skin and paw treatments, deep moisturizing shampoos and conditioners for healthy skin and a lustrous coat, de-shedding and flea or tick treatments. These treatments are all in addition to the expert clipping, shaving and nail trims you might expect.
(NewsUSA) - Recreational Vehicles, or RVs, are a great way to experience a unique method of travel across the country, a welcome departure from the typical resort vacation for many. Thousands of Americans discovered the RV lifestyle in 2020 and RVs emerged as the go-to choice for U.S. travelers.
(BPT) - Got kids who love cars? Whether your child (or your student) is a preschooler, a teenager or somewhere in between, here are some creative ways to keep kids happily engaged at home while they’re dreaming about cars. These activities are appropriate for any age to help nurture and inspire a fascination with cars.
(NewsUSA) - Awareness of racism increased as Black Lives Matter protests spread across the country last summer. In response, psychoanalysts suggest three ways to change attitudes about race -- curiosity, courage, and building intimate relationships with others.
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(Family Features) More than 30 million Americans, including nearly 10 million children, have eczema, the umbrella term for a group of noncontagious, inflammatory and painful skin conditions marked by an itchy, rash-like appearance. Because one of the most challenging aspects of eczema can be its unpredictability, the National Eczema Association (NEA), designed an app to help people and parents easily track what’s important and make sense of it.
(Family Features) A lifelong diagnosis like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may feel overwhelming and confusing, but by working closely with your health care providers, you can work toward managing the disease and improving your quality of life.
Introducing a new puppy to your household can bring many rewards. However, getting the hang of things can take some time, especially for first-time pet owners.
Nearly 30 million children in the United States rely on school meals for a significant portion of their daily nutrition. Since the start of the pandemic, the number of food-insecure children has increased 20% to 1 in 4. Although many schools are operating remote or hybrid models, most are still open full-time for feeding students.
(Family Features) As knowledge about the aging process, medical research and technology continues to advance, so do the options for managing how aging impacts your life. While biologically everyone ages differently, you can control some things by committing to healthy lifestyle choices that can keep your mind sharp for years to come.
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(NewsUSA) - The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic will continue to impact the manufacturing industry in both the short and long term, but smart businesses will continue to adapt by understanding current trends and their impacts.
(NewsUSA) - Maybe it was a sleek, reusable water bottle. Whatever it was, most of us probably bought or received a gift last month that was marketed as eco-friendly, ethically-sourced, or giving back to the community. I believe in the wisdom of giving gifts that have multiple beneficiaries. But if there’s one area where bringing ethics and intentionality into a consumer decision can have the biggest impact, I'd focus on K-12 education.
(NAPSI)—You may be able to bring some comfort to your friends and family members who have been grieving a loss in these difficult days.
Poetry And Emotion
There’s a new book that can help heal the hearts and minds of people who have lost jobs, opportunities, homes, even loved ones. Called “Words for the Unbearable: A Journey Through Loss” (IngramSpark), it was written by psychologist Enid Sanders, who has had her own losses to deal with.
When her first child, Keri, died, the young mother spilled out a series of poems and put them away in a drawer. Decades later, when her husband Andrew died, she took them out and started writing again. At first she wrote for herself, for Andrew and to Andrew. A poem would rise up out of nowhere and she’d jump up and scribble it down, not knowing how it would end until she wrote the last word.
Little by little, she shared the poems with friends and fellow therapists who pushed her to turn them into a book. The title comes from a friend who read the poems and said, “These are words for me, words for the unbearable.” Because it is poetry, the book reaches people at a deep level, helping therapists, patients, hospice workers, clergy, and anyone who grieves.
Yet the book is not really sad. It’s helpful, engaging and even rather funny in spots because it tells the truth about grieving without self-pity—including the fact that it can make everyone a little crazy.
Dr. Sanders also brings 34 years of experience as a noted clinical psychologist and bereavement counselor to writing this book. Having trained with internationally renowned child abuse expert Eliana Gil and specialized in helping abuse survivors for 18 years, she now focuses on helping clients negotiate grief and transition.
Doctor’s Opinions
As Dr. Gil herself put it: “I am wiping tears so that I can write...I feel as though I’ve been seen and heard and understood. Each poem is a picture memory, a reminder, a suggestion, a loving gesture, words that attest to the author’s love. I thought only I loved so deeply and hurt so profoundly, but she’s captured and clarified grief so well, it was comforting to read her words, even though many hurt like hell…Enid Sanders’ words evoke strong feelings and encourage reflection, while providing the strange comfort that comes from being understood.”
Added psychiatrist Daniel Kostalnick, MD: “It is rare that an author can capture both the emotional and intellectual experience of grief, but Dr. Sanders has succeeded...Most of us find it impossible to express that experience, but Dr. Sanders uses her work as a psychologist—and a poet—to help the reader identify, name, and deal with the profound and universal aspects of grief...a work of compassion and understanding that comes from the soul of someone who has loved deeply.”
Many therapists recommend the book to grieving patients and it can inspire people to write their own poetry, or to paint or find another creative outlet for their feelings.
Learn More
For further facts or to order the book go to www.wordsfortheunbearable.com. It’s also available from Amazon and other booksellers.
(BPT) - It’s not news that the COVID-19 pandemic has put a damper on learning opportunities for high school and college students. Unfortunately, that’s been especially true for underrepresented students, who often face roadblocks in accessing professional opportunities.
One glaring issue is that the in-person internships so crucial to on-the-job experience have been largely unavailable in this time of remote learning. As a result, students are missing out on the chance to participate in real-world work settings, gaining practical new skills, networking with other professionals and growing further in their careers.
That’s a big deal, given the importance of that experience to both employers, who are seeking to hire future leaders, and job applicants. Prior to the pandemic, a 2019 survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 58% of graduating college seniors who received full-time job offers had completed internships — and notably, they received 16% more job offers than those not privy to internships.
The good news? Nonprofit organization The Center for Excellence in Life (TCEL) has stepped up to launch the first-ever paid virtual internship program geared specifically toward underrepresented students and uniquely focused on nurturing students beyond job skills in a specific field. This program already has served more than 80 Black, Latinx and Asian students in the U.S. in 2020. And with help from new supporters, its founders hope to provide many more with valuable work experiences throughout 2021 and beyond.
“Today’s students are our future workforce and leaders, but even with hope on the horizon for COVID-19, the negative consequences for underrepresented students can be long-lasting,” notes TCEL founder Mary Stutts. “At TCEL, we seek to help students understand what is possible and achieve their goals, by providing access, connections, exposure, and development of the ‘whole person.’”
Here’s what you should know about the program, whether you’re a prospective intern, a company wishing to participate or a donor interested in providing financial support for underrepresented students:
Internships are available in multiple fields. TCEL arranges remote learning opportunities in disciplines ranging from STEM fields to communications, finance, life sciences, fashion, digital entertainment and more. The internships are structured so company mentors regularly work online with participants to help them experience practical, real-life settings and situations, as they develop the multifaceted skillsets and perspectives the future workforce needs.
And the program is intended to be accessible to all — for example, in 2020, 13% of the TCEL interns without access to a computer completed the program using only their phones.
Supporting the “whole person” is key. For TCEL interns, education goes beyond specific career tracks, with every intern participating in the “Whole Person” track. Access to this unique training teaches interns how to define a personal brand, build a career while balancing multiple interests, better understand personal finances and care for their mental health.
“The TCEL interns I spoke with wanted to better understand financial topics,” notes John Clay, a vice president at Morgan Stanley and TCEL mentor. “As a result, I joined forces with TCEL to continue providing financial mentoring sessions for all cohorts, to build foundations for future interns’ personal and professional successes.”
Mental health struggles are at a dangerous high for young people. More than 90% of TCEL’s 2020 interns wrote in their application essays of experiences with anxiety and depression, which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, racial and social unrest, and a lack of opportunity. That’s why Kaiser Permanente became a TCEL sponsor. Its mental health professionals will provide mental health-focused mentoring sessions — so that participants are more equipped to help themselves and others.
Would-be interns should apply now. Because the goal is to impact students early in their education, interns can apply as high school juniors and seniors or college freshmen and sophomores. In 2021, internships will be available in the spring, summer and fall. Throughout the program, students receive stipends to help cover expenses as they work, since unpaid internships present a barrier for some students.
“My goal is to serve as an ambassador for the United Nations, and I know that there’s a great need for more women and people of color in ambassadorship roles,” notes TCEL intern Kaylyn Goode, a George Washington University sophomore studying international affairs. “The TCEL internship provided me with important connections and knowledge as I work to achieve great things.”
Donors and supporters are needed. To thrive, TCEL needs more financial support from individual and corporate donors who believe in the importance of supporting underrepresented young people and helping to build paths to success. Additionally, TCEL is actively searching for industry leaders and companies willing to share their expertise.
Recently, TCEL was one of the first nonprofits to receive a contribution from Life Science Cares, a newly formed consortium of Bay Area life science companies leveraging employee expertise and corporate profits to tackle society’s greatest social issues including pervasive racial and socioeconomic inequalities.
The program arose from humble beginnings. Stutts, a foster child from a young age, credits her foster mother (a special education teacher) with teaching her that all people are valuable regardless of their labels. While achieving a successful career in the biotech industry, Stutts developed a passion for nurturing underrepresented youth and founded TCEL to cultivate creative, academic, professional, entrepreneurial and life skills. She and her daughter Loren created the TCEL internship program to address disadvantages from the combined forces of the pandemic and racial injustice.
Supported by major corporations such as Blue Shield, W2O Group and others, the virtual internship program has been enormously uplifting. Donors and supporters can visit TheExcellentLifeCenter.org for more information.
TCEL’s overall mission is to mentor, inspire and empower youth and adult professionals in the pursuit of excellence. Potential participants in the TCEL Virtual Internship Program are encouraged to apply at TheExcellentLifeCenter.org.
(NewsUSA)
(NewsUSA) - Warm up with Lifetime's winter slate of hot stories featuring several of pop culture's most iconic women: Salt-N-Pepa, Wendy Williams, and Whitney Houston.
(NewsUSA) - Celebrations of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Black History Month often prompt consideration of the United States' diversity and the many contributions made by people of different races and ethnicities. These occasions also provide opportunities for communities, organizations and businesses to reflect on their efforts to support and promote diversity.
(NewsUSA) - The arrival of the new year means new decisions for students planning their futures. Although the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has thrown many students' career plans for a loop, the increased time at home allows students and parents to reflect and explore opportunities they might not have considered. One place to start is by discovering a student's learning style.
(NewsUSA) - The market for cannabidiol (CBD) products continues to expand worldwide, but not all products are created equal. Nanotechnology, the science of subatomic particles, is revolutionizing many areas of health and medicine. Pure Craft CBD, a southern California-based company, has harnessed nanotechnology to make a purer line of CBD products with greater bioavailability.
(NewsUSA) - Did you ever thumb through the Guinness Book of World Records as a kid, awed by the amazing feats? This year, families can help set records in ways that may not make headlines, but will make a difference.
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