MONDAY MEMO #11
- Resilient Georgia
- Dec 16, 2024
- 6 min read
Welcome to the last Monday Memo of 2024—your go-to source for updates, highlights, and opportunities to foster resilience and well-being in our communities. As we wrap up the year, please note that the memo will be on pause for the holiday season and resume in the New Year on Monday, January 6th. On behalf of the Resilient Georgia team, we extend our warmest wishes for a joyful and restful holiday season. May this time bring you moments of reflection, connection, and renewal with your loved ones. Additionally, we encourage you to explore and share the Free Your Feels Holiday Stress Toolkit.to support well-being during this season. Thank you for your unwavering dedication to strengthening our Georgia communities. This week’s edition includes: Coalition Spotlights, Funding Opportunities, Professional Development and Events, and Rural Mental Health Resources, but first some RG Updates:
RG Highlights
RG Coalition Event Webpage : We would like to continue our Coalition Event Calendar in 2025, but we are switching to an easier submission process via google form. Coalitions, please feel free to submit any of your 2025 events here and we will update them on a weekly basis. We will send a monthly reminder about the submission form moving forward. Thank you!!
2025 Regional Coalition Meeting Calendar Here is the calendar for the 2025 meeting schedule where you can find update call, coalition connection, general meeting, and lunch and learn dates all in one place! All event invites will be sent out before the end of the week, so please keep an eye out for those if you haven’t seen them already. Please save for your records.
Coalition Spotlight
Resilient Coastal Georgia: Thank you and congratulations to Lizann Roberts as she retires this month from her role as Executive Director of the Coastal Georgia Indicators Coalition and Resilient Coastal Georgia Coalition. We would like to take a moment to honor her incredible contributions and lasting impact on our state. Lizann’s leadership has been instrumental in fostering collaboration, advancing community well-being, and championing resilience. Her dedication and vision have inspired countless individuals and organizations to work together for a stronger, healthier Coastal Georgia and beyond. While we will miss her presence in this role, we celebrate her legacy and wish her all the best in her next chapter! Thank you, Lizann, for your extraordinary service and leadership. Please check out this heartfelt video tribute from her local colleagues and friends 😊
Cobb Collaborative continues to make a remarkable impact through its initiatives promoting mental health and resilience. Their newest Mind Your Mind Speaks Podcast episode discusses programs aimed at raising mental health awareness and reducing stigma within the community. Additionally, the final issue of the Mind Your Mind Magazine provides information on wellness during the holiday season, fostering safe communities, and a deeper look into the Connecting Cobb Veteran’s initiative. Their 2025 Resiliency Week has been scheduled for February 3rd-7th. Looking forward to seeing where 2025 takes your coalition! Thank you for these efforts.
Health Equity
What Do Georgians Think When They Hear “Health Equity”? - Georgia Health Initiative The "Communicating About Health Equity in Georgia" guide, developed by Spitfire Strategies for the Georgia Health Initiative, provides research-based messaging strategies to promote health equity statewide. It emphasizes starting with shared values like fairness, using accessible language, focusing on solutions, and sharing relatable local stories. Advocates are encouraged to address misconceptions with clear facts, tailor messages to audience priorities, and frame health equity as a shared responsibility that benefits everyone. By fostering inclusive dialogue and collective action, the guide aims to mobilize support for a healthier, more equitable Georgia.
Internships for Students
PIN Summer Internship (PSI) This opportunity from PIN Georgia is open to all active technical college, undergraduate and graduate students from any accredited higher education institution, PSI offers students the opportunity to work in-person, full-time in intern pairs on innovative and impactful projects that are dedicated to creating a positive public impact across communities. Interns will gain valuable experience working with innovative organizations, leaders and projects while being paid $8,000 over the summer for the 12-week internship. Please share widely! Students can apply here by Feb. 5, 2025!
Funding
GEICO Philanthropic Foundation Funding Application: For more than 40 years, The GEICO Philanthropic Foundation has supported organizations that provide programs and resources to help strengthen diverse communities across the country. The foundation supports three categories including education, engaging the community, and promoting equity. Funding guidelines, eligibility requirements and the application can be accessed here.
Vanguard Charitable: Sustainable Disaster-Relief Fund: The Sustainable Disaster-Relief Fund (SDRF) was established in 2006 to aid communities hit by natural disasters. This fund supports communities as they rebuild and establish necessary infrastructure to better handle the impact of a repeat disaster. When you submit an RFP, you will be asked to create a profile for your organization and complete a funding application for this year’s funding. Registration and profile creation is a one-time activity. Applications are due by January 15, 2025. Please share with communities impacted by the recent hurricanes!
2025 Legal Assistance for Victims Grant Program: The Department of Justice's OVW Grant Program supports projects that provide comprehensive legal services to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Eligible applicants include nonprofits, private and public higher education institutions, and publicly funded organizations not acting in a governmental capacity. Applications due by January 28, 2025.
HURRICANE RELIEF FUND | Georgia Foundation for Agriculture: Hurricane Helene devastated Georgia’s farming community, with an estimated $6.46 on estimated total economic impact and $3.2 billion in direct damages to farms, affecting nearly a third of the state's $9.6 billion agricultural industry. In response, over 40 of Georgia's leading agricultural partners, including the Georgia Foundation for Agriculture and the Georgia Department of Agriculture, have launched a relief fund to support affected farmers. 100% of the funds raised will go toward farmers in need in Georgia. FARMERS can apply for funds here by December 31st, 2024. Please share!
Professional Development and Events
Building Cultural Competence in Professional Practice: GSU Child Welfare Training Collaborative: This training on Wednesday December 18th 9AM-12:30PM focuses on developing skills to build trust, communicate across cultural differences, and adapt services to meet the needs of individuals and families from diverse cultural backgrounds. Through real-life examples and practice activities, participants will deepen their understanding of what operating as a culturally competent practitioner means.
SMARTS for Advocacy: Telling Your Story Learning how to talk with your legislators: NAMI Georgia is hosting three virtual workshops in January titled SMARTS for Advocacy: Telling Your Story. These workshops will teach participants how to effectively share their personal stories to raise awareness, inspire others, and influence policymakers to improve the lives of those affected by mental health conditions. Attendees will learn how to craft impactful narratives tailored for advocacy and engagement with legislators. Register for any of the sessions:
Health Care Unscrambled 2025 – Georgians for a Healthy Future: Health Care Unscrambled on Tuesday, January 14th, 2025, from 7:30 - 11:00 AM will provide a unique opportunity for health advocates, policymakers, and stakeholders to come together for bipartisan discussions about Georgia’s health care landscape. Attendees will hear from state leaders about their priorities for the year ahead, gain insights from experts, and learn more about the health experiences of Georgians. This year's event will feature Hemi Tewarson, JD, MPH, Executive Director of the National Academy for State Health Policy, as the keynote speaker.
Mental Health Day at the Capitol: The Behavioral Health Services Coalition is excited for this year's event to hear from great speakers and engage with sponsors and other advocates. Registration is Open! Mental Health Day at the Capitol will be held on January 22, 2025, at 8 AM. You can sign up to meet with your legislators and ask them to vote for Mental Health legislation this season. Every individual who meets with their legislators will receive a FREE MHDC 2025 T-Shirt! Register here to Meet with Legislators.
Rural Mental Health
MHA Rural Mental Health Resource: Mental Health America (MHA) launched a comprehensive resource page addressing the unique mental health challenges faced by rural communities. It highlights issues such as higher suicide rates, limited access to care, and prevalent stigma that hinder individuals from seeking help. The page provides strategies to combat these challenges, including promoting open discussions to reduce stigma, leveraging telehealth services to improve access, and fostering community resilience. Additionally, MHA offers tools like mental health screenings and connections to local support services to assist rural residents in managing their mental health effectively.
CU Anschutz Department of Family Medicine Practice-Based Research Networks HPRN COMET: COMET™ (Changing Our Mental and Emotional Trajectory) training teaches people how to intervene when they encounter someone who is in a “vulnerable space” and help shift the person’s mental health trajectory back to a place of wellness instead of proceeding towards a mental health crisis. This training helps reduce the suffering resulting from the high levels of stress in rural, agricultural communities. Learn more about COMET virtual training dates here. Please share with your rural partners! Upcoming webinar dates: January 7th, Feb 14th