Parading Pooches

100 Days... to a more peaceful holiday season for everyone

Is Black Friday your favorite day of the year... or Cyber Monday? Are you  a last minute shopper racing around the mall on Christmas Eve? Or maybe someone who pays that additional  one-day delivery shipping fee to be sure their presents get there in time. Or are you that rare person who smiles (smugly?) when hearing friends talk about the crowds in the mall on December 22nd and says, "oh all my gifts have been wrapped and ready since before Thanksgiving."

Each year I seem  to be spending a little less time at the mall and more time shopping on-line. There's nothing more fun  than getting my shopping done while curled up in a chair next to the woodstove... and two days later coming home to a stack of boxes with really unique gifts for everyone on my list. And when then I go to the mall to buy one last gift so I get to experience the decorations, the music, kids sitting on Santa's lap... all the excitement of holiday shopping but only one line, no parking hassles  and no pressure.

How we shop varies from person to person, but we all give to show love, to bring joy and to make the world a little better. Want to expand  your giving and bring some extra smiles, without any additional cost or effort? When I shop on-line I do my shopping through amazonsmile. It's as easy as using amazon.com (same company, same wish list, same amazon prime advantages, same account settings) but when I use amazonsmile, Amazon donates 0.5% of every purchase to Wellspring. So while I'm giving to those I love, amazon is giving to support a nonprofit in my community. I, of course, select Wellspring (registered as Domestic Violence Services) as my charity of choice. Signing up takes less minute... really. it's 6 easy steps. Go to: 

Smile.Amazon.com

Questions? Learn More about Amazon Smile

Sign in (or set up new account)

Search for and select Domestic Violence Services Inc.

Check box that says: Yes, I understand that I must always start at Smile.Amazon.com to support Domestic Violence Services, Inc.

Start Shopping

 

Now as you're spreading holiday joy, Amazon will be giving money back  to your community to help end domestic violence. What better gift is there this holiday season than making sure everyone is safe at home.

 

May we all have peace this holiday season. Thank you for your support.

Sportscasters Aren't DiscussingThese Concussions

Car racing fans are will be missing a favorite driver in races throughout the rest of 2016. Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been off the track for several races already due to a  concussion and it was recently announced that he'll miss the remaining races of the season.  In recent years, athletics teams have been much more diligent  in implementing concussion protocols to better evaluate, monitor and treat brain injuries to minimize the risk of long-term health problems.  Each head injury is unique and recovery may take days, weeks or months... or may result in permanent injury. From football fields to the boxing ring, to racecars, and from Little Leagues to the major leagues,  there's increased concern for addressing neurological damage due to head injuries.

Even with protective gear, helmets, and attentive medical professionals, athletes and coaches are concerned  about the life-altering damage that can be caused by a single, or by repeated, head trauma. There's a group of people who may suffer these same damaging blows  to the head, but they lack protective gear, immediate medical attention, or  protocols to assist them post injury. They may  experience lasting neurological damage that impairs their daily functioning... and no one identified the reason. According to the article Fists Not Football: Brian Injuries  Seen in Domestic Assaults, "the injuries leave some survivors so impaired that they can't manage their jobs and lives. Some even end up homeless". For many of these victims, the cognitive decline was gradual, the result of  repeated injuries, many which never  resulted in any medical intervention. In the article, Susan Contreras talks discusses mysterious seemingly unrelated physical conditions, headaches, memory loss, and confusion that she'd never associated with the physical abuse.

"He would hit me mainly in the head

so that nobody would see the injuries...

there's so many holes in my memory, thinking problems," she said. 

 "My memory is really gone."

 

This isn't just a random, small population. According to the Center for Disease Control, in the US,  about one quarter of  women and 14% of men have experienced  severe physical assaults by a partner. If you or someone you know is experiencing abuse, we can help. Call Wellspring to discuss your concerns and your options. All services are free and confidential.

 

 

Office 518-583-0280

24/7 Hotline 518-584-8188