STARTING May 27th and running through May 30th 2021 - TOGETHER APART, a collection of new short musicals written, composed, directed-by and starring Brown University alumni. TOGETHER APART premieres May 27 at 5:30 PT/8:30 ET and streams through May 30 to raise money for The Actors Fund. Maria Deasy and Deborah DeFuria, two of the talented writers/performers chat with Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm

Deborah De Furia & Maria Deasy
featured on KUCI 88.9fm

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Thu, May 27, 2021, 8:30 pm EDT

Sun, May 30, 2021, 8:30 pm EDT Online


TOGETHER APART, a collection of new short musicals written, composed, directed-by and starring Brown University alumni, will premiere on May 27 at 5:30 PT/8:30 ET and stream through May 30 to raise money for The Actors Fund.

The musical evolved out of a true Zoom moment: A Brown musical theater reunion attended by graduates from the early 80s through the late 90s. Lisa Loeb, ’90 Graduate and Grammy Award Winner, was energized by the digital reconnection, and inspired to write a musical about the experience. She asked the group if they wanted to collaborate, and the creative process began. Loeb said “As I sat in the Zoom reunion, listening to everyone talk about their current lives, connecting with friends, and reflecting on all of our vivid musical theater memories from Brown, I realized that we shouldn’t just talk about what happened in the past, but we should write a Zoom musical about what’s going on, and it should happen all in the world of Zoom. And by sharing our storytelling and our passion and love for theater, we can work together to provide an outlet for our shared creativity while giving back to this incredible cause.”

The production is a compilation of ten seven-minute musicals, all about connecting on Zoom at the beginning of the pandemic. Producer Beth Wishnie, ’89 Graduate and Tony Award winner, said “This entire project has been a labor of love. Once we decided to raise money for our friends in the entertainment industry, we worked around the clock to make something meaningful to anyone who was able to see it."

Emmy and SAG award winner Julie Bowen ’90, who was in the midst of filming in Canada, was especially enthusiastic to join, knowing the show would be raising money for The Actors Fund. David Lai ‘86, who was deep in production on the music for the movie of Come From Away, came aboard as well, as did so many other talented Brown alums including Broadway veteran Ann Harada, Emmy Award winner Josh Hamilton ’92, and film icon JoBeth Williams ’70.

General admission tickets start at $25 with a VIP pre-show event available for donations of $100 or more. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite with proceeds benefitting The Actors Fund.

Performers Include Akin Adams, Syd Atlas, Jessie Austrian, Kitty Balay, Julie Bowen, Isabel Brodsky, Noah Brody, Karen Bryant, Imani Camara, June Carryl, Sara Clarke, Maria Deasy, Mia Ellis, Abby Espiritu, Deborah DeFuria, Duncan Gallagher, Becky Gibel, Oamiya Haque, Ann Harada, Josh Hamilton, Laurie Israel, Claire Karpen, Eric Kirchberger, Pebble Kranz, Lisa Loeb, Tisola Logan, Gillian Maimon, Meg MacCary, Dan Mackenzie, Gillian Maimon, Joseph Meissner, Luisa Patino, Gabriel Rosen, Rhonda Ross, Jonathan Schaffir, Marcy Schaffir ,Sirsa Shekim, Lawrence Stern, Charlie Thurston, Paco Tolson, Anthony Walley, JoBeth Williams, Joe Wilson Jr., Beth Wishnie and Arianna Zukerman.

Writers: June Carryl, Matt Hoverman (Emmy Award winner), Maria Deasy, Deborah DeFuria, Eric Kirchberger, Derek Livingston, Lisa Loeb, Meg MacCary, Dan Mackenzie, Sam Phillips, Lawrence Stern and Lorin Wertheimer.

Directors: Seth Bockley, Leslie Buxbaum, Vivienne Benesch, Sarah Cusick, Michael Lippman, Derek Livingston, Cris Sales, Pam Seiderman and Margie Zohn.

Composers: Jocelyn Adams, Carl Belfatti, Jules Cohen, Jonathan Feinberg, Lisa Loeb, Dan Mackenzie, Erin McKeown, Maria Seigenthaler and Lawrence Stern.

Produced by Beth Wishnie and Lisa Loeb, and co-produced by The 24 Hour Plays.

Musical direction by David Lai.

Video direction and editing by Kevin Surace.

TICKET PRICES
General admission tickets start at $25 with a VIP pre-show event available for donations of $100 or more.

VISIT: Actorsfund.org

Deborah Belford de Furia
www.haikuonaplumtree.com

Maria Deasy
www.mariadeasy.com
http://linkedin.com/in/mariadeasy

Travel and wellness journalist, Annie Daly, talks about her debut book, DESTINATION WELLNESS: Global Secrets for Better Living Wherever You Are

LISTEN to the conversation featuring Annie Daly.

Disillusioned with the commercialization of the wellness industry, Annie embarked on an inspiring adventure through some of the world's happiest and healthiest cities and villages to find out what we can learn from them. Whether she's hiking along gorgeous fjords in Norway to see why Norwegians are so dedicated to getting outside, soothing her spirit with Hawaiian salt water cleanses, or learning about the importance Brazilians place on community, Annie combines on-the-ground reporting with heartfelt personal narrative to share the global lessons, philosophies, and customs that prove that wellness is not about the products—it's about the way you live your life.

Whether you’re a foodie, travel enthusiast, history lover, or just someone looking for that extra dose of inspiration this year, Annie’s book is guaranteed to satisfy your needs.

Here are a few of Annie’s recent travel and wellness articles:
Here’s How You Can Explore Norway’s Wellness Culture
11 global beauty rituals to try at home
How not traveling in 2020 has helped me to heal

Annie discusses:

• How to use these ideas to "travel from home" during the pandemic (ex, the best globally-inspired DIY beauty rituals, recipes, music, home decor and design, and more).
• What it was like to work on a travel book during a travel shutdown.
• The difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation—especially when it comes to travel.
• All things female solo travel, from how to stay safe on the road to how to make friends on the road to how to combat occasional loneliness.
• The best travel gear for every type of trip, from an around-the-world adventure to a weekend getaway.
• What the wellness industry has gotten wrong about wellness—and what it's gotten right, too.
• The rise of wellness travel, plus the best wellness destinations to put on your post-pandemic “wanderlist.”
• The ethics/best practices of travel photography in the age of Instagram.
• The difference between self-soothing and self-care--how “true self care is soul work.”
• What a meal following an Ital diet consists of, and how we can incorporate it into our daily lives.
• The Ital diet is a nourishing plant-based lifestyle from Rastafari culture. It’s main goal is to enhance vitality through food, and encourages growing your own food when possible. This enhances one’s connection and respect for Mother Nature.
• The friluftsliv lifestyle (popular in Norway) and the importance of spending time outside and celebrating nature. How to live a more friluftsliv lifestyle while battling weather, work, and other factors.
• The importance of conversation and the art of listening in Hawaiian culture, and how we may benefit from this practice.
• Her experience with traditional Japanese onsen soaks and attending a tea ceremony.
• What she took from these experiences back home with her.
• How, according to Ayurveda, lifestyle choices, diet, the weather, etc. can all throw off the balance of our doshas.
• How Ayurveda is all about personalized wellness -- what works for one person may not work for someone else. It’s about listening to your body.
• How, according to Brazilians, well-being is a group thing rather than an individual thing. How our overall wellness can benefit from human connection.

True well-being isn’t hard to find. You just have to know where to look. In this insightful, full-color tour of Jamaica, Norway, Hawai'i, Japan, India, and Brazil, wellness and travel journalist Annie Daly shares a diverse array of philosophies, lifestyles, and practices for better living.

With candid photography, lesser-known history sidebars, and guidance on how to incorporate these often ancient and always timeless practices into your own lifestyle, this culturally-immersive read invites you to view the world through a different lens and decide what being well means to you.

DESTINATION WELLNESS also explores many other ideas, such as:
● Wellness is not a commodity. It’s a lifestyle and a mindset.
● It’s also not about adding — it’s about subtracting.
● The wellness philosophies that work best are often the simple, timeless ones: change your relationship to food, get outside when you can, connect to your roots, be present, stay balanced, and lean into your social connections.
● Self-care was originally created by and for Black people during the civil rights movement, but now many things labeled as self-care are really only self-soothing.
● True well-being is not something you can buy. It’s about tapping into what you have already, and what’s already inside of you.
● Our connection to both the past and the present is key to our well-being.


About Annie Daly
Annie Daly is a fourth-generation journalist who has worked at and written for a variety of wellness and travel publications, including SELF, AFAR, BuzzFeed,
Condé Nast Traveler, Travel + Leisure, and Cosmopolitan. Her specialties are travel and wellness, and how and where those two intersect. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband.
Connect with Annie!
Website // Instagram // Twitter

Writer and a former editor at The New York Times, Cate Doty, shares her new book MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS: Or, Everything I Know About Love I Learned on the Wedding Pages

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If your weekends consist of devouring the weddings section of The New York Times, Cate Doty's Mergers and Acquisitions needs to be on your TBR list.” —Marie Claire


“Navigating the world of weddings can’t be easy, but Cate handles it fearlessly with to-the-point sass in this eye-opening expose.”

—Jen Lancaster, author of Bitter Is the New Black


MERGERS AND ACQUISITIONS: Or, Everything I Know About Love I Learned on the Wedding Pages by Cate Doty is a compulsively readable behind-the-scenes debut memoir that takes readers inside the weddings section of The New York Times—the good, bad, and just plain weird—through the eyes of a young reporter just as she's falling in love herself.


Cate Doty talks about:

· Her experience at The New York Times

· How The New York Times wedding section has endured and why it is still so coveted

· Her predictions on changes we might foresee in the wedding industry post-pandemic

· Advice she would give someone planning their wedding for the first time


Growing up in the south, where tradition reigns supreme, Cate Doty thought about weddings…a lot. She catered for them, she attended many, she imagined her own. So, when she moved to New York City in pursuit of love—and to write for The New York Times—she finds her natural home in the weddings section, a first step to her own happily-ever-after, surely. Soon Cate is thrown into the cutthroat world of metropolitan society pages, experiencing the lengths couples go to have their announcements accepted and the lengths the writers go in fact-checking their stories; the surprising, status signaling details that matter most to brides and grooms; and the politics of the paper at a time of vast cultural and industry changes.

Reporting weekly on couples whose relationships seem enviable—or eye-roll worthy—and dealing with last-minute snafus, Cate is surrounded by love, or what we’re told to believe is love. But when she starts to take the leap herself, she begins to ask her own questions about what it means to truly commit…


Warm, witty, and keenly observed, MERGERS AND ACQUISITONS is an enthralling dive into one of society’s most esteemed institutions, its creators and subjects, and a young woman’s coming-of-age.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Cate Doty is a writer and a former editor at The New York Times, where she worked for nearly 15 years, including as a wedding announcements writer, presidential campaign reporter, and a senior staff editor on the Food desk. She occasionally teaches journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, from which she graduated, and lives in North Carolina with her family.

Donne Davis, founder of the GaGa Sisterhood, a national social network for enthusiastic grandmas, and author of When Being a Grandma Isn’t So Grand: 4 Keys to L.O.V.E. Your Grandchild’s Parents — a practical guide for handling the most common grandparenting challenges

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Donne Davis is the founder of the GaGa Sisterhood, a national social network for enthusiastic grandmas. She founded the organization in 2003 after witnessing the birth of her first granddaughter and going completely “gaga.” When she came back down to earth, she realized she was not the first grandma to feel this way. Every grandma she met was just as crazy about her grandchildren as she was for hers. Her next realization came as she watched her daughter parent her new infant. Everything she did was different from the way Donne had parented. She knew she needed to talk to other grandmas to learn from their wisdom.


In December 2003, 15 grandmas sat in her living room and began a conversation about what it means to be a modern grandma. That first meeting lasted three hours and the GaGa Sisterhood was born. They’ve continued to meet for the past 17 years. When the pandemic hit, their in-person meetings shifted to a monthly Zoom speaker series for grandmas. Now grandmas from all over the U.S. can join the call. The GaGa Sisterhood mission is to inspire grandmas to continue learning along with their grandchildren and children and to foster understanding between the generations.


After seventeen years of listening to grandmas share their stories, Donne’s come to better understand the many challenges grandmas face. There’s a new dynamic that develops with their adult children and it can often get tricky to navigate this unfamiliar territory and relinquish control. She coaches grandmas on how to build mutual respect, trust and empathy with the parents of their grandchildren so that they can be a unified team in raising the next generation.

Donne is the author of When Being a Grandma Isn’t So Grand: 4 Keys to L.O.V.E. Your Grandchild’s Parents — a practical guide for handling the most common grandparenting challenges. The book is available on Amazon.
She writes and speaks about her experiences and observations of grandparenting on her award-winning blog at http://gagasisterhood.com, in her monthly newsletter and to community organizations.

TODAY, May 20th 2021 is #MentalHealthAction Day - shifting awareness to action for emotional wellbeing. Today is the first #MentalHealthAction Day. Take a moment today to take action on your own mental health. From taking a yoga class to reaching out to a friend, taking action on your mental health can be easy. If you don’t know where to start, take action at MentalHealthIsHealth.us.

Today is the first #MentalHealthAction Day. Take a moment today to take action on your own mental health. From taking a yoga class to reaching out to a friend, taking action on your mental health can be easy. If you don’t know where to start, take action at MentalHealthIsHealth.us.

WATCH!

For Immediate Release

Thursday, May 13, 2021


Media Contacts:

Emily Singer, mtv@berlinrosen.com


CBS, NAACP, Nickelodeon, Selena Gomez & Rare Beauty, TikTok, World Health Organization (WHO) and YMCA Latest to Join ‘Mental Health Action Day’, Largest Cross-Sector Effort to Shift from Awareness to Action for Emotional Wellbeing

MTV Entertainment Group and more than 1,000 partners in more than 30 countries will encourage and empower people to take #MentalHealthAction on Thursday, May 20


More information and full list of partners at www.MentalHealthActionDay.org


NEW YORK CITY -- To address a global mental health crisis in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and amid the continued struggle of systemic racism, more than 1,000 organizations, brands, government agencies and cultural leaders have signed on to be part of the inaugural Mental Health Action Day on Thursday, May 20 during Mental Health Awareness Month. Spearheaded by MTV Entertainment Group, this open-source movement to shift culture from awareness to action on mental health has added more than 800 partners since its announcement one month ago.


Cultural and political leaders are among the new partners who are committed to encourage and empower their followers, fans, and constituents to take action on their mental health. Prominent supporters include:


Anna Akana, Actress and Writer

Maria Bamford, Comedian

Madison Beer, Singer-Songwriter and Mental Health Advocate

Molly Bernard, Actor and Producer

Nadine Burke Harris, California Surgeon General

Rosalynn Carter, former U.S. First Lady & co-founder of The Carter Center

Wyatt Cenac, Actor, Comedian, and Creator of “aka Wyatt Cenac"

Deepak Chopra MD, Author and Founder of The Chopra Foundation

Tracy Chou, Founder and CEO, Block Party

Chelsea Clinton, Author, Advocate & Vice Chair of the Clinton Foundation

Glenn Close, Actor and Bring Change to Mind Co-founder

Coodie & Chike, Award-Winning Directors of “Soul City”

Noah Cyrus, Singer-Songwriter

DJ Pauly D

Jenni “JWoww” Farley

Dr. Paul Farmer, Co-founder & Chief Strategist at Partners In Health

Grace Gaustad, Singer-Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist

Clark Gregg, Actor and Filmmaker

Chris Gethard, Actor, Comedian, and Host of “Beautiful/Anonymous"

Dr. Mark Ghaly, California Health and Human Services Secretary

Jean Grae, Rapper, Comedian, and Creator of “That’s Not How You Do That"

Selena Gomez, Founder of Rare Beauty, Mental Health Advocate, Actress, Artist and Producer

Vinny Guadagnino

Brent Hayden, Olympic Swimmer for Team Canada

Mariel Hemingway, Actress

Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO, Thrive Global

Lauren Jauregui, Singer-Songwriter

Jazz Jennings, Transgender Activist, Author and star of the TLC series “I Am Jazz”

Jewel, Grammy Nominated Singer-Songwriter and Founder of the Inspiring Children Foundation

JoJo, Singer-Songwriter

Congressman John Katko (NY-24), Co-Chair of Congressional Mental Health Caucus

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy, founder of The Kennedy Forum and author of "A Common Struggle"

Congressman Dan Kildee (MI-05), U.S. House of Representatives

Jeremy Lin, Professional Basketball Player, Philanthropist

Darius Leonard, Indianapolis Colts LB

Arian Moayed, Succession, Waterwell Co-Founder

Dacre Montgomery, Actor

Kron Moore, Actress and Mental Health Advocate

Eric Nam, Singer-Songwriter and Entrepreneur

Aparna Nancherla, Comedian

Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (CA-32), Co-Chair of Congressional Mental Health Caucus

Lamar Odom, Former NBA Athlete, CEO and Entrepreneur

Rita Ora, Singer-Songwriter, Actress, and UNICEF Ambassador

Jared Padalecki, Actor and Founder of Mantra Labs

Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi

Mónica Ramírez, Activist, Founder of Justice For Migrant Women, Co-founder of The Latinx House, and Founding Principal of Poderistas

Dr. Giuseppe Raviola, Director of Global Mental Health at Partners In Health

Dwayne De Rosario, Former MLS Athlete, 4-Time Canadian Player of the Year

Evan Ross, Actor and Musician

Jacob Sartorius, Musician

KayCee Stroh, Actor, High School Musical

Lindsey Stirling, Electronic Artist and Violinist

Solomon Thomas, Defensive Tackle for Las Vegas Raiders

Mikhail (Doctor Mike) Varshavski D.O. Board Certified Family Medicine,Content Creator, & People's Sexiest Doctor AliveGabriella Wright, Actress and Co-Founder, Never Alone Mental Health & Suicide Prevention

Roy Wood, Jr., Comedian and The Daily Show Correspondent

Tony Zosherafatain, Director and Co-Creator of “Trans in Trumpland"


“This purpose-driven and diverse group of cross-sector partners will shift our culture from awareness to action on mental health -- and the timing couldn’t be more spot-on,” said Erika Soto Lamb, Vice President of Social Impact Strategy at MTV Entertainment Group. “No matter who you are, we want you to hear the urgent call for mental health action on Thursday, May 20 -- for yourself, for your loved ones or for your community.”


A sampling of Mental Health Action Day activations includes:


REACHING A BROAD AUDIENCE


The Atlantic is holding a free, day-long event, In Pursuit of Happiness, to explore the human hold on happiness and ways to build a more meaningful life. The event features Arthur C. Brooks, Deepak Chopra, Angela Duckworth, spiritual leader T.D. Jakes, and a performance by the global company of Dear Evan Hansen.


Eventbrite will launch an online event collection of virtual wellness events and activities to help individuals discover and take action on prioritizing their mental and physical health.


First Look Media’s streaming service Topic is developing a talent-centered PSA with Chris Gethard, Wyatt Cenac, Josephine Bornebusch, and more, who will share their experiences and tips for taking mental health action. They will also host a Mental Health Action Day social challenge that encourages followers to document simple actions for a compilation post on May 20 that celebrates all the actions taken.


Headspace will host a live global meditation on TikTok on May 20th at 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET.


Into Action/TaskForce, together with leading artists, animators and illustrators, will host a mental health Creative Jam: a creative “design-a-thon” for mental health where hundreds of artists live co-create on Mandolin to develop over 500 digital-pieces focused on mental health.


Morgan Stanley will be raising awareness for Mental Health Action Day and mental health resources at their Times Square global headquarters signage.


MTV Entertainment Group's new multi-year campaign 'Mental Health Is Health' will feature content including PSAs, direct-to-camera talent takeovers, stand-alone franchise clips highlighting mental health stories, and a social media cleanse that will offer positive posts, hosted meditations and calming livestreams across MTV Entertainment's nine brand accounts: MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Paramount Network, Logo, TV Land, CMT, Smithsonian and Pop.


Queens Gaming Collective will host a 8-hour charity stream for Rise Above The Disorder for women gaming creators to support each other’s mental health to build a stronger support system and keep a healthy-mindset despite our daily obstacles on Twitch.tv/queensgg


Reddit will host an ‘Ask Me Anything’ with Dr. Joy Harden Bradford from Therapy For Black Girls.


Snap has partnered with Active Minds on a Mental Health Action Day filter encouraging Snapchatters nationwide to take action around mental health and wellbeing for themselves and their close friends and family.


Sound Mind Live in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will host the 2021 Sound Mind Mental Health Music Festival at the Ventura County Fairgrounds featuring All Time Low, Fitz & The Tantrums, Lovelytheband and more.


TikTok will feature the hashtag and content tagged #MentalHealthAction on the Discover page on Mental Health Action Day.


Unpack U Will host a webinar highlighting resources and actionable ways for the Pittsburgh community to be champions of mental health.


VS PINK and The Jed Foundation will host ‘Make Your Move Fest’ in May to encourage young adults to take action to support their mental health, including a fireside chat on the 20th with high-profile Gen-Z artists and advocates to talk openly about emotional health challenges and opportunities and how they are coping and supporting each other.


YouTube is partnering with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) on a workshop for how digital creators can develop positive mental health content to engage their audiences. On May 20th, they will curate a playlist of #MentalHealthAction videos from workshop attendees and mental health advocates on the homepage of YouTube.

REACHING PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD


#MentalHealthPH (Philippines) will host a tweetchat to discuss important mental health issues in the Filipino community.


Our Minds Matter is engaging 90 student-led chapters across the world through their Thriving Together campaign by hosting free self-care activities open to the public and OMM student leaders focused on building protective factors, implementing wellness weeks, and sharing mental health resources online and in school for their peers to take action.

Partners In Health premier mental health experts, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur Eric Nam, and CEO of Block Party, Tracy Chou, will join together to discuss the intersection of racism and the current state of mental health care. They will examine how inequalities permeate health and society at large, explore the impact of racial stress and trauma, and educate audiences on how they can prioritize mental health during a time of much-needed healing.


UNICEF is promoting new and existing social media guides and resources to help empower young people, urging people to advocate for the Mental Health Services for Students Act, and featuring stories of young people from around the world taking action on mental health.


World Health Organization (WHO) is organizing a discussion with Dévora Kestel, Director of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Use at WHO, and Cynthia Germanotta, Co-Founder of Born This Way Foundation and WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Mental Health, including a demonstration of exercises to help manage stress from 9 to 9:30 EDT on May 20th on YouTube.


REACHING THEIR EMPLOYEES


Adobe is featuring the initiative on their quarterly ‘Tune In, Take Care’ session series for global employees, with the main message that helping others is an effective mental health tool. Employees will be encouraged to donate to mental health causes like JED Foundation and volunteer as mentors to young people through Adobe’s non-profit partners worldwide.


Chipotle Mexican Grill is amplifying a dialogue with their employees about the importance of mental health and the resources that are available to them.


Feeding America is hosting a mental health webinar to support member food banks in effectively maintaining their mental health.


Kate Spade New York will host monthly Mental Health First Aid Trainings through October, in partnership with the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, to offer their corporate and field teams the opportunity to become mental health first aiders.


Represent Justice is holding a staff session to talk about trauma-informed approaches to protecting mental health and wellbeing while working on justice issues.


ViacomCBS' Veterans Network will host two panels on their YouTube channel, one on “De-stigmatizing Mental Health in the Military Community,” and another entitled “Thriving Beyond Surviving – a conversation on PTSD and resiliency."


ADVOCATING FOR CHANGE


The Carter Center will host the 25th annual Rosalynn Carter Georgia Mental Health Forum to address timely mental health policy issues facing the state of Georgia. Service providers, policymakers, advocates, and consumers from across Georgia are invited to participate free of charge.


Inseparable will launch a grassroots campaign to build support for the Mental Health Services for Students Act (H.R.721), which would provide funding for public schools across the country to establish on-site mental health care services for students.


The Kennedy Forum will connect people who are ready to get help for mental health challenges to more information about their rights to equal insurance coverage through its Don’t Deny Me campaign.


March of Dimes, the leading nonprofit fighting for the health of all moms and babies, is calling on lawmakers to support the Moms Matter Act, which addresses maternal mental health issues affecting BIPOC women. The organization is also hosting a webinar entitled “Honest Conversations about Infertility” on its Facebook channel on May 20 at 2:00 pm ET to build awareness and share mental health information and resources.


REACHING COMMUNITIES OF COLOR


Aliento will amplify messages of why mental health matters from an immigrant lens, and aims to remove stigmas associated with mental health. They will focus on healing through arts, therapy, and storytelling.


Justice for Migrant Women along with partners National Migrant and Seasonal Head Start Program, Latinx Therapy, and the Eva Longoria Foundation, with funding from The Workers Lab Innovation Fund and Collective Future Fund, is offering a new program called "Healing Voices" that pilots the use of technology to engage farmworkers and bring them together in virtual support groups to support healing, teach workers their rights, build community connections, and inspire change.


Therapy for Black Girls will host a free Zoom session for the community to discuss options for connecting with therapists and strategies to practice self-care and self-compassion.


The Manic Monologues, a play, film, and virtual experience showcasing diverse true stories of mental health and illness to disrupt stigma, by Prince George's Community College, featuring a majority BIPOC cast, will be released via Maryland local-cable and free-to-watch via YouTube anywhere.


NAACP Youth & College will host a Mental Health Week of Action May 17th-21st. Members across the country will take action on May 20th to move from awareness to action to provide mental health resources and support for youth & college. In addition student leaders will participate in live conversations with mental health practitioners throughout the week to promote necessary mental health resources for Black students in school.


The Safe Place, a culturally competent mental health app for the Black community, will share and highlight Culturally Competent resources. The Safe Place App is available on Android and iOS and provides helpful mental health resources when racially traumatic situations occur in the media and beyond


Sounds of Saving plans to release the latest video in its “Song That Found Me at the Right Time” series in partnership with National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. It will feature queer indigenous recording artist Black Belt Eagle Scout covering the Grouper song, “Heavy Water / I'd Rather Be Sleeping” and discussing the importance of connecting with nature, music, therapy and the Swinomish community in the context of mental health.


Univision Communications Inc. is planning a multiplatform roadblock, which will activate over 120 television and radio stations around the country and over 200 social media accounts to connect viewers to mental health resources in Spanish.

REACHING PEOPLE DIRECTLY

Easterseals will host a “Donor Check-in Call” at 8pm ET on Mental Health Action Day featuring Easterseals President and CEO Angela F. Williams and mental health experts sharing findings from the organization’s recent research study on the impact of COVID-19 on children and adults with disabilities and those who care for them and offering tips on managing challenges that many of us are experiencing as a result of the pandemic. You can join by dialing in to 844-227-7564.


Shakira Johnson PR & Events is hosting a Mental Health Action Day Walk at Rahway River Park in New Jersey.


Morgan’s Message will empower high school and college athletes across the U.S. and Canada to reach out to peers and break the oftentimes unacknowledged stigma surrounding the relationship between mental health and athletics.


Piedmont High School’s (Monroe, NC) Break The Silence Club will play music during lunch and pass out Life Savers with a pocket-sized Mental Health Resource card attached. Club members will also encourage students to store key numbers in their phones.


Sound Mind Live in partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) will host the 2021 Sound Mind Mental Health Music Festival at the Ventura County Fairgrounds featuring All Time Low, Fitz & The Tantrums, Lovelytheband and more.


Saint City Culinary Foundation (San Antonio/Austin) will be distributing self-care packs to food & beverage workers that can be used during their shifts.


Simply Say Hey at Skidmore College will be hosting a pop up postcard writing event on campus encouraging students to reach out, check in, and simply say hey to friends and family members.


REACHING PEOPLE WITH FREE RESOURCES


Abundance of Hope Counseling is sharing free access to the 12-week W-A-I-T (Walk, Approach, Initiate and Transform) course material connected to the mindset in mental health, self-esteem (bariatrics and weight loss) using Solution Focused and Cognitive Behavioral Techniques free throughout the month of May.


Connor’s Climb will be making their Mental Health Action Plan card, a tool that aims to normalize talking to your family/guardians about mental health and to take a step further by making a PLAN, available to the community for free.


COVID Grief Network is offering free 1-1 and group grief support, and an online community for young adults grieving the illness or death of someone close to COVID-19. They will also host a free COVID Grief Network Broadway Live event on May 20 with a screening of the Seasons of Love COVID Grief Tribute followed by a conversation featuring Adam Kantor from the cast of RENT.


Genomind, which developed the Mental Health Map as the expert starting point for mental health and wellness, will be giving away free Mental Health Map consumer DNA test kits to the first 50 visitors with code ACTIONMHM. Learn about mental health traits you may be genetically predisposed to, and gain tools and techniques to help overcome obstacles and support strengths.


Ginger will kick off a year-long series of mental health dialogues that will feature a diverse mix of people and industries - artists, athletes, celebrities, CEOs, and leaders.


Mental Health Match is offering free services to match people with therapists and offering free employee workshops to large employers / wellness programs.


Mooditude is free in May! To commemorate national mental health month and promote self-awareness, our entire app, including the premium features, will be free of charge to encourage everyone to take the mental health assessment, discover their mental health status, and take actions to elevate their mental wellbeing.


New partners since initial announcement are here and a full list of partners is available here.

Mental Health Action Day is being planned with the support of TaskForce, a cultural organizing agency that builds capacity for those taking on the most pressing challenges facing our communities, our nation and our world. More on Mental Health Action Day can be found at MentalHealthIsHealth.us or you can follow along at #MentalHealthAction.

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About Mental Health Action Day

Mental Health Action Day is an open-source movement of brands, organizations, government agencies, and cultural leaders to drive culture from mental health awareness to mental health action. The first Mental Health Action Day will take place on May 20, 2021 with a mission to encourage and empower people to take their first actions on mental health -- whether for themselves, for their loved ones or for their communities , because mental health is health. Learn more at MentalHealthIsHealth.us

Coming up 5/17/21 at 9am on KUCI 88.9fm -- Certified Life Coach, specializing in mindfulness, mental health, and trauma, Kathryn L. Greenberg, CLC of alifeworthliving.life!

LISTEN | WATCH

My Story

From Life Adrift to Life Coach

I understand your pain. I was there. I’ve lived in the darkness and depths of roaring pain. Years of struggles and suffering obscured my perspective and my path. After years of moving through life with a heavy soul, I realized how my vulnerabilities impacted my choices and in turn my choices impacted my everything. I then discovered the light of mindfulness, awareness, and wakefulness.


“Promote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.”


My inspiration and drive toward the light came from persistence through the depths of pain and the understanding that joy is a choice. When we live mindfully, awake and aware, we are able to experience peace and joy in a new way. We cannot change what life hands us, but we absolutely can change our response to it.

Tikkun Olam


I have healed so I can help others heal. It is my privilege, my honor, and my duty. In Hebrew, “tikkun olam” (tee-koon oh-lom) means “repair of the world,” and I believe that when we save one life, we begin to repair the world.


“A life full of experiences led to a life full of light.”

I was born and raised in Washington, DC, and am now based in Sarasota, FL. I was educated at Sidwell Friends School, Boston University, and Marymount University. I earned my degree in Developmental Psychology. I am a Certified Life Coach, specializing in mindfulness, mental health, and trauma.

I have found that living near the water has been soul-healing. I love walking on the beach, breathing in the glorious sunsets, and admiring the non-judgmentalness of the surf…the waves that engulf you regardless of who you are.

I love: family and dear friends that become family, dogs, crochet, dessert, the strength and breadth of love.


My Practice

A Life Worth Living Today


My practice provides certified life coaching services to human service agencies, therapy groups, and individuals through focused topics that encourage mindful self-awareness and evidence-based mindful emotion regulation.

Whether it is professional or personal transition you’re after, I help unfold your life experiences and address your challenges to explore the benefits of realizing positive change. Together, we’ll navigate through your challenges to explore a world of possibilities and set you on the road to goals achieved, dreams fulfilled and a life worth living today.

READ MORE>

Coming up 5/17/21 at 9:20am on KUCI 88.9fm -- Kelly Corrigan talks about her new book, HELLO WORLD! HELLO WORLD! is a celebration of the beauty and diversity of life; a story about all the incredible people you'll meet throughout your life, the impressions you'll have on them, the impressions they'll have on you, and the beauty of relationships.

LISTEN

Kelly Corrigan, HELLO WORLD!

The four-time New York Times bestselling author and host of PBS’s “Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan,” shares her first book for children, a picture book with a timely message that celebrates the people in our lives and the meaningful connections we make that come from asking each other questions. Perfect for graduates of any age and people longing to preserve and make personal connections in this age of an isolating pandemic, HELLO WORLD! serves as a reminder that the journeys we take through life are all about the people we will meet along the way—people who will make us smarter and stronger, enriching our lives in more amazing ways than we ever thought possible.


“The voice of her generation”—O: The Oprah Magazine

“The poet laureate of the ordinary”–HuffPost Notable reviews


Kelly Corrigan, four-time New York Times bestselling author and the host of PBS’s “Tell Me More with Kelly Corrigan,” shares her first book for children, HELLO WORLD! (Illustrated by Stacy Ebert; Flamingo Books; ISBN: 9780593206065; Ages 3-7), a picture book with a timely message that celebrates the people in our lives and the meaningful connections we make that come from asking each other questions.

Perfect for graduates of any age and people longing to preserve and make personal connections in this age of an isolating pandemic, HELLO WORLD! serves as a reminder that the journeys we take through life are all about the people we will meet along the way—people who will make us smarter and stronger, enriching our lives in more amazing ways than we ever thought possible. With her trademark wisdom that has touched so many hearts, Kelly Corrigan has written a book with an inspirational world-view for readers of all ages, especially those embarking on a new adventure.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kelly Corrigan has been called “the voice of her generation” by O, The Oprah Magazine and “the poet laureate of the ordinary” by The Huffington Post. She is the author of New York Times bestsellers Tell Me More, The Middle Place, Lift, and Glitter and Glue. Her podcast Kelly Corrigan Wonders and her PBS show Tell Me More keep her busy enough to occasionally forget she is about to be an empty nester. She lives near Oakland, CA. Hello World! Is her first – but not her last – book for children.



ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Stacy Ebert makes her picture book debut as the illustrator of HELLO WORLD! She is also the illustrator of the middle grade book How to Build a Story…or, the Big What If, written by Frances O’Roark Dowell. She lives in Minnesota with her husband and three sons, tinkering with words and drawing funny pictures. Find out more about Stacy at www.stacyebert.com.

Coming up 5/17/21 at 9:40am on KUCI 88.9fm -- author Amy B. Chesler shares details on her NEW book, Working for Justice: One Family’s Tale of Murder, Betrayal, and Healing

WATCH | LISTEN

Amy B. Chesler is author of an award-winning blog and the new true crime memoir, Working for Justice: One Family’s Tale of Murder, Betrayal, and Healing, and published by Post Hill Press (and distributed by Simon & Schuster) on April 6th, 2021. In the book, Amy discusses her mother’s murder, and the harrowing efforts it took to imprison her admittedly guilty killer.

With Working for Justice, she talks about mental health, violence, & the way our social services protect or enflame each. She wrote this book in an effort to spread awareness about victim’s rights and the often difficult procedure of securing them.

ABOUT THE BOOK
When beloved educator Hadas Winnick was murdered, her sleepy, affluent hometown of Calabasas was rocked to the core. More shocking than her killing, though, was the process of convicting her admittedly guilty murderer. Calabasas is a quiet, well-to-do California town often referred to as “The Bubble.” But on September 25th, 2007, that bubble burst with the murder of one of its longtime residents—high school math teacher Hadas Winnick. The upscale community may have been deeply affected by her gruesome death, but as shocking as the tragedy seemed, the years of abuse she faced that preceded it were more so. Even more devastating still, was the effort and time it took to sentence her murderer to prison, and the power that our systems-in-place allowed him while on his way there. Follow Hadas’s daughter, award-winning blogger Amy Chesler, on her often heart-wrenching—but eventually heart-warming—road to justice.




ABOUT AMY

Amy B. Chesler is an author, award-winning blogger, and entertainer from Southern California. She discovered her passion for the literary and film worlds as early as she can remember, and has been voraciously reading, writing, and performing ever since. However, it wasn’t until surviving domestic violence and freeing herself from an early life of abuse that she began to pursue her dreams professionally. Amy’s journey has led her to contribute work to many popular publications, including several Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies, TODAY Parents, and the Elephant Journal, as well as media appearances with the DVD Netflix blog, Life of Mom, Home and Family, and more. She is thrilled to be sharing her memoir, despite it being very heavy, and hopes she can help lighten other victim’s loads in the process. While not parenting, blogging, cooking, reading, traveling, and healing, Amy is happiest at home with her family. Feel free to follow her on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter at @amybchesler. For a full collection of her published works, visit Amy’s Amazon Author page.
Author • Blogger • Content Creator
http://amybchesler.com
http://www.facebook.com/amybchesler
http://www.amazon.com/author/ABChesler
http://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-chesler
IG: @amybchesler • Twitter: @amybchesler

THE BABYSITTER - MY SUMMERS WITH A SERIAL KILLER By Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan

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THE BABYSITTER

MY SUMMERS WITH A SERIAL KILLER

By Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan

A chilling true story—part memoir, part crime investigation—reminiscent of Ann Rule’s classic The Stranger Beside Me, about a little girl longing for love and how she found friendship with her charismatic babysitter—who was also a vicious serial killer.




Growing up on Cape Cod in the 1960s, Liza Rodman was a lonely little girl. During the summers, while her mother worked days in a local motel and danced most nights in the Provincetown bars, her babysitter—the kind, handsome handyman at the motel where her mother worked—took her and her sister on adventures in his truck. He bought them popsicles and together, they visited his “secret garden” in the Truro woods. To Liza, he was one of the few kind and understanding adults in her life. Everyone thought he was just a “great guy.”

But there was one thing she didn’t know; their babysitter was a serial killer.

Some of his victims were buried—in pieces—right there, in his garden in the woods. Though Tony Costa’s gruesome case made screaming headlines in 1969 and beyond, Liza never made the connection between her friendly babysitter and the infamous killer of numerous women, including four in Massachusetts, until decades later.

Haunted by nightmares and horrified by what she learned, Liza became obsessed with the case and, in turn, uncovered new information about the case. In writing the book, she and cowriter Jennifer Jordan’s investigative journalism found that three women to be known as victims of Tony Costa—Barbara Spaulding, Diane Federoff and Bonnie Williams—actually were not.

The Babysitter reveals the chilling and unforgettable true story of a charming but brutal psychopath through the eyes of a young girl who once called him her friend.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Liza Rodman attended the University of Massachusetts/Amherst and received her Bachelor of Arts with a concentration in Creative Writing from Vermont College. She has balanced life as a mother, stepmother, writer and tax accountant for more than thirty-five years. In 2005, she began researching the story of Tony Costa when she realized her personal connection to the infamous Cape Cod killer. She has gathered thousands of documents, testimonies, and interviews, perhaps more than any other investigator or journalist who’s worked on this case. She and her husband live outside Boston and have three children and five grandchildren. The Babysitter is her first book.




Jennifer Jordan is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and screenwriter with decades of experience as a news anchor and investigative journalist. She has worked for NPR and PBS, and her work has also appeared in a variety of national and international newspapers and magazines. She has directed and produced several documentaries, including 3000 Cups of Tea, which revealed the flawed 60 Minutes report on renowned philanthropist, Greg Mortenson. In addition to her own books Savage Summit and Last Man on the Mountain, she has ghost written two others. The Babysitter is her fifth book.





Early Praise for THE BABYSITTER


“Like a real-life horror movie, The Babysitter is a harrowing account of the evil that can lurk around the edges of girlhood.” —Carolyn Murnick, author of The Hot One


“The Babysitter is a gripping read that’s impossible to put down: a string of gristly murders, a cast of charismatic, often abusive, and occasionally pathological characters, a comically incompetent police force, and an astute child’s perspective on the adults in her life. More profoundly, it raises questions about how children manage to adapt and survive in a world in which love, attention, and violence are inextricably intertwined.”

—Helen Fremont, bestselling author of The Escape Artist and After Long Silence


“I was utterly captivated by The Babysitter, a hybrid memoir and true crime investigation of the heinous crimes of a Cape Cod serial killer who also happened to be the only adult young Liza Rodman felt safe with. Rodman and Jordan’s book skillfully weaves a suspenseful portrayal of murderous madness in tandem with a child’s growing loneliness, neglect, and despair, a narrative collision that will haunt me, and readers, for years.”

—Sarah Weinman, author of The Real Lolita and editor of Unspeakable Acts: True Tales of Crime, Murder, Deceit and Obsession


THE BABYSITTER by Liza Rodman and Jennifer Jordan

Atria Books | Hardcover| On-sale: March 2, 2021 | 352 pages |ISBN: 9781982129477,

Phil Furey, Director of Since: the Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 joins Janeane, a Syracuse University alum

 

Phil Furey

Director, Since: the Bombing of Pan Am Flight 103

LISTEN

SINCE: THE BOMBING OF PAN AM FLIGHT 103 is now streaming on multiple video-on-demand platforms

The feature documentary film on the 1988 Lockerbie bombing is now available to rent or buy on Amazon Prime Video, iTunes, Apple TV, Google Play, and Vudu.

If you like the film, please rate/review it on your viewing platform, like us on Facebook, share on social media, and tell a friend. Word-of-mouth will help us reach more viewers, and will help keep the important story of Pan Am Flight 103 alive for future generations.



ABOUT THE FILM:

The 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, killed 270 innocent people and began the new age of terrorism. Bound together in tragedy, the victims' relatives fought for justice, only to watch it unravel for Libyan oil.

Abandoned by the United States government in their hour of need, American families of the dead weaponized the media and refused to let the matter be swept under the rug. With nothing left to lose, they demanded answers for the crime, brought down the once-iconic Pan Am World Airways for its negligence, and changed forever the way governments handled victims of terrorism. Along the way, they found the comfort they needed not from elected officials, but from the small, quiet Scottish village of Lockerbie, which lost eleven of its own citizens when the wreckage of Pan Am Flight 103 rained down upon it.

After a groundbreaking police investigation and international criminal trial, which resulted in a guilty verdict against a Libyan intelligence officer, the story seemed to have come to an end. That is, until Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi used his nation's vast oil reserves to undermine justice by threatening to withdraw from a massive British Petroleum (BP) contract if the convicted murderer was not released. The British and American governments did nothing as Scottish officials caved to Gaddafi's demands and released the prisoner, proving that with great oil wealth, you can literally get away with mass murder.

The Pan Am Flight 103 families watched in horror as everything they fought for was seemingly lost. However, justice would eventually come from the most unlikely source - the oppressed Libyan people, who rose up during the Arab Spring to take back their country from Gaddafi's iron grip.


Trailer


Website

Dr. Kim Perkins - Speaker, Author, and Coach joins Janeane on KUCI 88.9fm

LISTEN to Janeane's conversation with Dr. Kim Perkins

Dr. Kim Perkins Speaker, Author, Coach - www.kimperkins.com

Kim holds a Ph.D. in positive organizational psychology from Claremont Graduate University. As an executive coach and consultant, Kim has worked with leaders at companies as diverse as Warner Bros., Human Longevity, and the Getty Leadership Institute. A former journalist and pro athlete, Kim’s research helps companies get beyond reward and punishment to motivate their people through passion, purpose and flow.
In Kim's own words...

MY STORY

I’m a former pro speed skater and former journalist. I have a Ph.D. in positive organizational psychology, the science of optimum human experience at work.

I give intriguing and inspiring keynotes on positive psychology, women in leadership, and the complexities of diversity.

I lead interactive, fun workshops on all matters pertaining to leadership, culture, problem solving, and communication.

And I coach executives and entrepreneurs at key moments in their careers.

I HELP AMBITIOUS, COMPASSIONATE LEADERS MAKE CHANGE.