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SAN DIEGO ARMED SERVICES YMCA: Stress Less...! |
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WHITE HOUSE : No Texting & Driving |
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HIRE A HERO |
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HIRE A HERO |
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SESAME STREET'S: Outreach for Military Children |
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STRESS LESS AND CONNECT MORE WITH FREE PROGRAMS
FOR MILITARY FAMILIES
Dear San Diego Armed Services YMCA Supporters –
Usually once a month, you get our PhotoSnapshot of Events. This month, we thought we would share with you in real time what we are doing this week to assist military families. Maybe you know of some active-duty families that would enjoy these fun, free events! Thank you for your ongoing support, we could not do it without you! Please let us know if you prefer just the snapshot, or like to see our events in real time as well to share with your military networks.
Thank You
Click [ here ] to find out more about what the San Diego Armed Services YMCA has to offer!
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EXECUTIVE ORDER PROHIBITS TEXTING WHILE DRIVING
The Obama administration recently issued an executive order banning federal employees
from text messaging while driving on government business.
Released at the end of a two-day distracted driving summit in Washington, the order applies to federal employees operating government-owned vehicles or driving privately owned vehicles on government business. It also bans the use of government-supplied electronic equipment while driving. Federal contractors are encouraged to implement similar restrictions.
Agencies will be required to outline specific steps to implement the ban, including disciplinary actions for employees caught texting while driving. The order directs agencies to evaluate existing driving safety education and awareness programs and consider expanding these efforts in coordination with a stricter texting policy.
The General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management will assist the Transportation Department in guiding the order's implementation and enforcement in agencies.
Texting while driving is illegal in 18 states and the District of Columbia.
See executive order at the following URL: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Executive-Order-Federal-Leadership-on-reducing-text-messaging-while-driving
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> ANHEUSER-BUSCH SALUTES YOU, OUR HEROES! Anheuser-Busch have once again made available a complimentary park admission for active duty military representing all five service branches, active members of a reserve or National Guard unit, and/or up to three direct dependants. This offer is valid for one complimentary single-day admission per person, per year, to one of Anheuser-Busch Adventure Parks.
* SeaWorld Orlando, San Diego, or San Antonio
* Busch Gardens Tampa Bay or Williamsburg
* Sesame Place
* Adventure Island
* Water Country USA
Offer valid through 12 / 31 / 2013. Operating days and hours vary by park. Please check with specific park for current operating schedule.
DIRECTIONS:
1. Fill out this on-line form below entirely and then submit.
2. Print a copy of the form.
3. Sign the bottom of the printed form on the line provided.
4. Along with completed registration form, applicant must present valid,
active-duty Military/Service ID; dependents ages 10 and over must present
valid Dependent ID.
5. If you are unable to print your registration form, you can pick one up
at Guest relations and fill it out upon arrival.
DISCLAIMER:
Valid military identification reflecting active status and dependent ID(s) required for offer. Non-transferable. Non-refundable. Not valid at Aquatica or Discovery Cove. Not valid with any other discounts or offers. Subject to change or cancellation. Limit one complimentary admission per person, per year.
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SESAME WORKSHOP LAUNCHES PHASE TWO OF
MILITARY FAMILIES OUTREACH PROJECT:
TALK, LISTEN, CONNECT: DEPLOYMENTS, HOMECOMINGS, CHANGES
Elmo and Friends Help Military Families and Young Children Cope With Challenges of Multiple Deployments and Combat Related Injuries
Arlington, VA., April 29, 2008 – Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, today launched Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes, the second phase of the Workshop’s military outreach program launched initially in 2006. The initiative provides support and offers significant resources for military families with young children experiencing the effects of deployments, multiple deployments or when a parent returns home changed due to a combat related injury. The announcement was made today by Gary E. Knell, President and CEO of Sesame Workshop, Loree K. Sutton, Colonel (Promotable), MC, USA, Director, Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury and the Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury, Stephen J. Cozza, M.D., Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.) Professor of Psychiatry, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, and Sesame Street’s Elmo and Rosita at the Women In Military Service For America Memorial. With major support provided by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Military OneSource, the Wal-Mart Foundation, and American Greetings Corporation and additional support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH), the USO (United Service Organizations), the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and Joseph Drown Foundation, Sesame Workshop has developed Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes to help military families with young children between the ages of two and five build a sense of stability and resiliency during times of separation and change. According to statistics, as many as 700,000 children under the age of five have a parent in the military. Due to the success of the first phase, Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families During Military Deployment, as well as the overwhelming support the first kit generated from the military community, the need was clear to launch this second phase.
Talk, Listen, Connect: Deployments, Homecomings, Changes seeks to: · Reduce the level of anxiety children may experience during homecomings after multiple deployments · Help parents with ways to cope with multiple deployments · Help young children gain an age-appropriate understanding of a parent’s injury by including them and the entire family in the rehabilitation process · Reassure children that they are loved and secure and that together with their families, they can learn new ways of being there for one another and having hope for the future “The incredible response and impact Sesame Workshop saw from our initial work with military families and the impact it made, inspired this next phase of Talk, Listen, Connect,” said Gary E. Knell, President and CEO, Sesame Workshop. “With an increasing number of military parents experiencing multiple deployments and a parent coming home injured, more than ever, these families need help navigating the ups-and-downs of these experiences with their children as well as ways to support one another and find resiliency in the face of change. We hope with the help of their friends from Sesame Street they will continue to discover ways they can continue to forge family bonds despite the situations they may encounter.” According to the Director of the Defense Center of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury U.S., Army Colonel Loree K. Sutton, “This wonderful project by Sesame Workshop demonstrates its long-standing efforts to provide positive development in our children. The Talk, Listen, Connect series is a solid, practical and entertaining learning tool for our military families and will contribute greatly toward psychological health for our troops and their families. What a privilege to work in collaboration with these educational projects that serve those who are serving us.” “Through their generous work in creating Talk, Listen, Connect, Sesame Workshop helps our many young military children affected by deployment and the changes that can occur in their parents as a result of combat exposure. Talk, Listen, Connect provides an opportunity for children to cope with these challenges in positive and reassuring ways,” stated Stephen J. Cozza, M.D., Colonel, U.S. Army (Ret.). “These much needed materials offer wonderful strategies that can help military families with young children and foster meaningful connections between family members, friends, and communities in their everyday lives.” The resources will consist of a bilingual (English/Spanish) multimedia outreach kit with DVDs for children and adults starring the Muppets from Sesame Street, print materials for children, parents and caregivers and facilitators and American Greeting postcards featuring the beloved Sesame Street characters for parents and children to stay connected. Sesame Workshop will produce and distribute 500,000 kits at no cost to individual families, schools, child care programs, family support programs, hospitals and rehabilitation centers and other organizations serving the needs of military families with the help of Military OneSource, the New York State Office of Mental Health (NYSOMH), the USO (United Service Organizations), the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) and other partners. Special emphasis will be made to reach families of the Reserves and National Guard. The kit materials will also be available online at www.sesameworkshop.org/tlc, where streaming video is being provided by the Department of Defense Military Community and Family Policy Program Support Group, so families everywhere can view the videos and download the information. In continuing efforts to keep families connected, Sesame Workshop will unveil the enhanced Talk, Listen, Connect Web experience in Fall 2008. Supporting the outreach materials, the enhanced Web site will feature fun and interactive activities for families to share together and stay connected.The project’s advisory board, which consists of leading experts in child development, mental health and programs supporting military families, has informed and guided Sesame Workshop on all aspects of the project. They have helped determine the needs and challenges of young children in military families and guide the development of age-appropriate and effective content for the program.Finally, Sesame Workshop will assess the program's effectiveness with spouses of military personnel who have been injured or experienced multiple deployments, and have a young child. Sesame Workshop routinely conducts these assessments in order to focus future outreach programs more effectively.
Hire a Hero is a not for profit charity. Their only goal is to eliminate what they call the Military Service Penalty. They are starting a very aggressive program called Wounded Warriors to Work and PTSD Peers. All their programs leverage social networking to drive social interaction and empower the people looking to reintegrate into civilian society. For example, they have a very cool Military Fantasy Football League being launched on Veteran's Day. Units can play units etc. - all is done in the attempt to get people connected so they can help themselves by helping
others. Step one is getting people communicating. The more people a person talks to during transition is directly proportional to how successfully they reintegrate. For more information, visit Hire A Hero's Web site by clicking here, www.hireahero.org.
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More Families Now Eligible to Receive WIC Checks
Call the American Red Cross WIC Program For Details - 1-800-500-6411
(San Diego County)—The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated its income eligibility guidelines, making WIC benefits accessible to more families. A family of four can now earn $38,203 annually (before taxes), an increase of $1,203 over last year’s income maximum, and qualify for the WIC program. This change has been implemented by WIC agencies nationwide, including the American Red Cross WIC Program.
“Bottom line, more San Diego County families are eligible to receive free nutrition counseling and checks for healthy food,” said Shelley Miller, director of American Red Cross WIC. “We are the only WIC agency in the county to have WIC offices on military bases.”
For more information, please click here to download a two-page Word document including Web site and email links in connection with this news.
Want To Give Back?
American Red Cross Volunteers Needed
We are particularly in need of a volunteer office manager at Balboa Hospital for the Red Cross Office there as recent returns of wounded warriors have caused a spike in activity there. For a list of the current volunteer opportunities available, please click here.
A job description for one of these positions, office manager at Balboa Hospital can be downloaded by clicking here.
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