Waggle Family Magazine, Spring 2021, GROWING HOPE by Waggle Family Magazine

Growing Hope In The Community To End Hunger Page 16

Benefits of Indoor Climbing for Kids Page 8 Complimentary Copy

Have It All With LFA Rush Youth Soccer Club and Facility Page 28

Growing Hope With Summer Camp Adventures Page 24

SUMMARY Letter from the Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Find Resiliency During Stress, by Monica Fitzpatrick . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Buying a Home in Today’s Competitive Market, by Sarah Jo Gates. . . . . 6 Benefits of Indoor Climbing for Kids, by Shauna Hylenski. . . . . . . . . . 8

Educator Spotlight: Olivia Alvarez, by Deborah Kelly. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A Garden of Hope, by Angela Nickerson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Growing Hope Through Inclusion, by Chris O'Brien. . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Seicento Baroque Ensemble, by Amanda Balestrieri . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 The Power and Impact of Hope, by Molly McCLish. . . . . . . . . . . . .14 An Update on Family Village, by Melanie Piazza. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Cover Story: Round Pantry: Growing Hope to End Hunger, by Nancy Hurianek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Growing Happy, by Yvette Morton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Meet Your Makers: Modern Farmsteads, by Jennifer Bridge and Nikki Knez. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Small Acts to Help Those in Need, by Anand Sharma and John Nichols . . 22 Grow Hope in Your Own Garden, by Teresa Myers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Growing Hope with Summer Camp Adventures, by Scott Yoho. . . . . . .24 The One Doing the Helping, by Kyl Caragol. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Someone Needs Your Smile Today, by Kelly Nichols . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Adventure, Growth, and Hope at Camp, by Fred Hobbs . . . . . . . . . . 27 Have It All with LFA Rush, by Rick Lizobndo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Is Midwifery for Me?, by Dana Brandorff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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Waggle Family Magazine Longmont, CO (720) 984-3044 Waggle Media: We publish a print magazine four times a year. Be sure to check out our monthly online magazine at www.wagglefamily.com. Owner/Publisher—Rikki White Advertise with Waggle Family Magazine contact@locowaggle.com Contact us today to get your company seen by local families! Direct all inquires, address changes, and to join our mailing list please email contact@locowaggle.com WaggleFamily.com—Check out the Online Articles and Resources—Please Share with Friends and Family

LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER, SPRING 2021 Hello Waggle Family, Our team is so excited to share this issue of Waggle Family Magazine with all of you! The theme for this issue is “Growing Hope.” This Spring Issue also marks the first anniversary of the month that all of our lives changed. So much can change in a year. Last year at this time, I woke up every day and braced myself for the emails and calls I knew I would be receiving from our advertisers. Waggle saw a 90% drop in revenue over ten days. The word ‘Pivot’ became a part of our vocabulary. None of us knew how long we would be feeling the impacts of the pandemic. We only knew that Waggle would survive by continuing to put our local families, nonprofits, and businesses first. Our mission of providing a place for local companies and nonprofits to speak directly to our community became more critical than ever. While the pandemic continues to affect all of us, one thing has not changed. There is always a person, a family, and a community that counts on each of us. This responsibility can feel heavy at times. The result of continuing to create a stronger community is strong families, thriving nonprofits, and robust businesses. When the weight of my responsibilities as a human, a mom, a wife, a business owner, and a community partner has started to feel overwhelming, I have returned time and again to one simple mantra- H.O.P.E.—Help One Person Everyday. This word on its own holds so much power...HOPE. Hope makes you imagine an outcome that will improve your life in some way. Hope can make a challenging situation bearable. Hope is optimism. It is a life jacket. It keeps us focused on the possibilities instead of the challenges. Actively hoping creates concrete results. Hope can eventually improve our lives because it allows us to create a better future by taking steps to make what we hope for a reality. There is a growing sense of hope and optimism that I think each of us feels as we head into the brighter days of spring. Businesses are opening back up, people are engaging in new ways while masking up and keeping each other safe. There is less uncertainty and more HOPE about what this

summer will look like in a newly vaccinated world. Despite all that we have experienced this past year, hope has given each of us a reason to keep smiling, loving, helping, and living. Hope is growing. Warmly,

Rikki

P.S. Waggle Family Magazine needs your help. Please be sure to support our advertisers by using their services and buying their products. Our advertisers make it possible for Waggle to provide the space for local nonprofits to let our community know about the services they provide. We are so proud that Waggle Family Magazine has provided over $80,000 in free advertising to local nonprofits in the three years we have been in business. Our advertisers have made this possible. Let them know that you saw them in Waggle and that you appreciate their dedication to our community.

MEET THE TEAM Owner/Publisher: Rikki White Graphic Designer: Lucy Clark Editor: Yvette Morton Photographer: Rebekah Romero Advertising Manager: Rikki White Social Media Manager: Riley White Director of Morale: Rosie Joe —>

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RESILIENCY

Find Resiliency During Stress Simple tools for kids and adults By: Monica Fitzpatrick

Stress seems to be everywhere these days, especially for families and parents. We may not be able to control what happens around us, but our stress response system is within us. A healthy response to everyday stressors can help us be resilient and overcome current challenges. We have tools within ourselves to activate our “rest and digest” mode, the parasympathetic nervous system. Here are a few simple practices that both kids and adults can try to reduce stress in the body.

Movement

Moving your body has been well studied to aid in the activation of our parasympathetic nervous system. Explore a variety of options and find what works for you. You don’t have to call it exercise, and you don’t have to go to the gym if you don’t want to. Try walking, dancing, swim ming, yoga, rock climbing, jumping jacks, or cart wheels. Get creative and allow moving to be joyful because smiles help reduce stress, too.

Box Breath

Your breath is always with you and can be a great tool to activate your parasympathetic nervous system. The box breath is a common practice to explore and even known to be used by our military! It works like this: ● Inhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4 ● Exhale for a count of 4, hold for a count of 4 ● Repeat a few times.

Body Scan (using mindfulness)

Notice your jaw right now. Can you release any tension there? What about your shoulders? When we take the time to rest our bodies, we are actively telling our parasympathetic nervous system to turn on. This response is a wakeful rest and different from sleeping. A body scan works like this: ● Using your mind, notice each part of your body, and as you do, actively try to rest your muscles. ● Example: face, shoulders, arms/ hands, back, torso, legs/feet. Be as detailed with it as you’d like, spending about 30 seconds or longer on each body part.

challenge can have a significant impact on our overall response. A growth mindset is the knowing that learning is a process, and with practice comes progress. Some simple growth mindset reframes: ● “I can’t do it, yet.” ● “It’s hard, but I can try again.” ● “I can learn new things, and mistakes will help me learn.” The continued practice of these tools is what will change our stress response patterns. It’s essential to explore these practices in both times of stress and calm. Remember, we can’t always control what is causing our stress, but we can choose how we react or respond. Giving our next generation these tools brings about a lot of hope for all that is yet to come.

● During this mindfulness exercise, our attention becomes focused on the present moment. When you notice your mind wandering, smile because you noticed, then try to bring your attention back to the sensation of your body again and again.

Growth Mindset

Finally, our thoughts hold a lot of power when it comes to stress. A simple reframe of a problem or

Monica Fitzpatrick is an Educator, Owner of Mooka, and Co-Owner of Elevated Yoga Studio. Monica teaches children, families, and educators self-awareness skills through yoga, mindfulness, and growth mindset practices. Discover more at www.mooka. org, monica@mooka.org

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FINANCES

Buying a Home in Today’s Competitive Market By Sarah Jo Gates

Anyone who has been actively searching for, or preparing to buy a home in Northern Colorado during the past several months can be sure about one thing—our housing market is more competitive than ever! As a buyer, you will experience unique challenges right now, but there are many ways you can stand apart from the rest, especially when partnered with an experienced Realtor.

Save, Save, Save

This may seem obvious, but Buyers aren’t finding themselves in any position to request excessive repairs or upgrades from Sellers because they’re often competing against 3-10 other offers! When you can replace the carpet or update the blinds yourself after closing, it may make you a more appealing buyer.

Appraisal Gap Coverage

There are many accounts of appraisals coming in low, which can pose a challenge for Buyers and Sellers alike. Your Realtor may propose an Appraisal Gap Coverage, which means bringing

funds to make up the difference between the appraised value and purchase price to closing. This isn’t possible for everyone, but it may be worth exploring if you abso lutely love the home.

Proactive vs. Reactive

A Longmont home can hit the market and be “Under Contract” within a matter of a few days, leaving no time to hesitate. Many sellers see showings in overwhelming numbers, leaving them ready (and able) to choose an offer much sooner. The key to winning the home is a proactive approach! Prioritize visiting homes as early as possible, use a mortgage lender who will be available to draft custom preapproval letters as needed, and work with a Realtor who will be on top of it all.

Cast a Wide Net

Going into your home search, you may feel that you only want to live in Old Town, and the home must have five bedrooms with full closets and plenty of storage space, too. However, limiting your search criteria can be a huge mistake, especially for first-time homebuyers. Be open-minded to expanding things like your geographic preferences, layout, and design features, and you may be surprised by the gems that pop up!

Never Skip Out on Inspection

We may find ourselves in a seller’s market, but that doesn’t mean a buyer should forfeit the right to a safe and suitable home; therefore, I always advise against the temptation to waive inspection. Providing a complete and 6

extensive inspection report back to the seller, along with your very reasonable list of requests, is a great way to show your willingn ess to compromise and still protect what will likely be the most significant investment of your life.

Work with an Experienced Realtor

Your experience buying a home will only be as positive as the partnership you forge with your Realtor. Be sure to trust someone who will advocate for your best interests, maintain high motivation in helping you reach your real estate goals, and have the experience and knowledge of the area you’re searching in. The best among us will minimize your stress while maximizing value! Sarah Jo is a Colorado native Realtor who enjoys helping home buyers and sellers all along the Front Range. When she’s not advocating for her clients and their real estate goals, she enjoys soaking up the sunshine from Horsetooth with her family, hiking through Chataqua Park and digging around in the garden at home. Work or play, it’s all Colorado, all the time!

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F A M I LY F I T N E S S

Benefits of Indoor Climbing for Kids

There are more than you might think By Shauna Hylenski

Are you searching for a family activity for your kids that will increase their confidence and problem-solving skills? Indoor rock climbing might just be the thing you’ve been search ing for. There are some basics to be aware of as you join the climbing world. First, there are two types of climbing:

Climbing builds confidence

No matter if you’re a kid or an adult, nothing boosts confidence and selfesteem quite like climbing. If your child is afraid of heights, this is especially true. Battling our fears provide us with the skills we need to overcome mental and physical

1 Rope Climbing

This type of climbing uses a harness and a rope. The walls are typically higher, and you will often need a belay partner to hold the rope while the climber scales the wall.

2 Bouldering

This type of climbing has no ropes. The walls are typically lower, and the boul dering area has mats designed to support climbers as they come off the wall. Climbing is an excel lent activity for children that not only builds physical strength and fortitude, but helps navigate mental chal lenges both on and off the wall. Let’s explore some of the most significant benefits climbing can offer your kids.

struggles throughout life. Climbing teaches us persistence in the face of adversity. Who doesn’t need a little more of that?

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Climbing increases strength and flexibility

Because climbing is a full-body activity, it’s a great way to enhance overall physical fitness. Your child will exercise their core, legs, arms, and even the tiny muscles in their hands that provide some serious grip strength. Endurance is also a big part of climbing, especially as kids progress to longer and more technically difficult routes.

Climbing improves hand, foot, and eye coordination

Climbing is a full-body activity that incorporates every major muscle group and appendage. It also requires full-body coordination and cross-body patterning, unlike any other sport. When your child climbs, they learn to evaluate the route and then determine how to move their body and use their hands, feet, and core to reach the top.

Climbing enhances problemsolving skills Climbing is as much of a mental game as it is a physical feat.

As they climb more, they’ll learn how to mentally map out the most efficient ways to navigate the holds. These problem-solving and planning skills can quickly transfer to everyday life.

Bouldering with friends and family

Bouldering, in particular, is known to be a very social sport. Since you can climb solo or in a group, it opens the door to many different social styles. It is wonderful to explore as a family. Show your kids how physical fitness can be fun with a bit of family bonding on the side. It might be scary and intimidating at first, but with persistence and practice, you’ll all be scaling walls in no time.

Shauna is one of the owners of the Longmont Climbing Collective and its full time program director as well as yoga teacher. She has been designing programs for youth and adults in climbing, fitness, and yoga with the expert help of her coaches and teachers.

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E D U C AT O R S P O T L I G H T

Olivia Alvarez By Deborah Kelly Olivia Alvarez has taught on the same campus for 21 years. She is a Spanish teacher at Timberline PK-8 and taught kindergarten up until this year. She began her career there when the school was Loma Linda and fed into Heritage middle school. Olivia is known for her advocacy for the kids and her advocacy for teachers and families. In addition to her role as a teacher, she serves as the family liaison for the school. Olivia said, “Teachers are champions for the kids.” She knows what it’s like to have a champion as her road was not easy. As a child in Mexico, Olivia became orphaned, but someone saw something in her and gave her more op portunities than she might have had otherwise. Out of the seven kids from her family, she’s the only one that has a career. In Mexico, Olivia became a lawyer; here, she’s a teacher helping kids like her. As an adult, Olivia lost her husband in a car accident while pregnant with her son and later lost her son to liver cancer at nine years old. She wants her students, many of whom have faced considerable adversity in their own lives, to learn the lesson that they can use pain to push themselves up. Alvarez has used her experiences to improve her life and others’ lives in the community. She had a full scholarship to the University of Colorado-Boulder, where she completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. Before that, she 10

was a teacher’s aide at Columbine Elementary for six months. Before officially becoming a teacher, she was a volunteer in her son’s class at Rocky Mountain Elementary.

alright. She said, “When they see me at their door, they know there’s someone who cares.” She also helps parents navigate the complications of getting their kids set up with health appointments, filling out forms, and getting necessities like car seats, clothing, and, sometimes, food. She hopes to attend data training for filling out DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) forms under the new admini stration. Olivia is also a board mem ber for the St. Vrain Valley Educators Association (SVVEA), heavily involved in advocacy for her students and their families, the Latinx community, and the greater Longmont community. In addition to her work as a teacher, a family liaison, and a board member with SVVEA, she can be found at protests and other community organi zing events advocating for rights for all. She is also a member of SURJ (Standing Up for Racial Justice).

Olivia’s dedication to her students goes beyond the classroom walls. During the pandemic, if she hasn’t heard from or seen a student for a while, she makes masked visits to their homes to ensure everything is

Alvarez wants people to know that teachers are partners and not the enemy. She wants the community to understand that teach ers are there because they love working with the kids. She said, “Historically, teachers are the ones that change things in the world.”

Deborah B. G. Kelly owns Elegant Expressions Creative Services, where she serves clients’ writing, editing, and content marketing needs. In addition to writing for Waggle, she reports for The Longmont Leader, is the copy editor and HM product showcase editor for Hobby Merchandiser Magazine, and is the Content Coordinator for Garden of the Gods Friends and Neighbors. Website: www.elegantexpressions-creative-services.com

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HOPE

A Garden of Hope By Angela Nickerson

Until last summer, I was a potted plants gardener. I loved buying a few flats of pretty blooms, filling my pots, and calling it a day. When we lived in California, that was all it took to have a beautiful, flourishing outdoor space. When we moved to Colorado almost four years ago, we bought a house with a larger yard and a garden—however, making use of that space wasn’t a priority. But last summer, stuck at home like the rest of the country, I needed an obsession. I needed a connection to the greater world—even if it was just the greater world of our back yard. Not to mention: I was tired of looking at the sameness inside our house.

So, I began to garden. For real. Beyond potted plants. I started with the ancient raised beds—relics of another gardener, another time. I shored them up, added soil, com post, vermiculite. I bought seeds and seedlings—tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, zinnias, cosmos, nas turtiums—starting small, nothing particularly challenging.

Every evening I watered and watched and waited. It wasn’t a solitary activity. Our eight-year-old became my gardening partner, and we cherished watering the garden together. He learned each plant’s names and habits, celebrated each tiny cucumber and tomato, and rejoiced over each blossom. Over time, living g re e n e m e rg e d from the soil I had enriched, and soon the garden sprang to life, but it wasn’t just the plants. Butterflies came, flitting between the leaves. Birds gave morning concerts while I sipped my tea, and bees bumbled about the sunflowers and zucchini blossoms. Each evening as we ate outside, two rabbits would scoot under the fence looking for dinner. And one night in the gloaming, a pair of skunks wandered in followed by their five babies—seven skunks only a few yards away. We watched fascinated while they wandered amongst the beds, coolly assessing the possibilities. Honestly, our garden didn’t yield all that much to eat—the squirrels ate every strawberry, the cucumbers weren’t all that yummy. It turns out we don’t like summer squash much. But it fed our spirits; the garden gave us hope. And we gorged on that hope, slurping in the change our beautiful green patch offered. The hours we spent tending and weeding and watching centered around life even in isolation, putting the death and disease around us into some perspective. While the

number of illnesses and deaths from COVID-19 swelled—and continue to do so—caring for the tenderest plants tethered me to life, bol stering me for the tidal wave of grief beyond our fence. So here we are—a year later. I have spent the last months planning for this summer’s garden. This sum mer promises to be another spent at home—not quite so fearful, but cautiously watching, waiting. And hoping. We will plant another garden of hope again this year. Hoping this solitude season will change. Waiting for our turn to get vaccinated. And we are tending to the needs of other living things—not just ourselves. Angela K. Nickerson has a new pandemic memory project—perfect for individuals and families to reflect on and create a record of the COVID-19 pandemic. Find the Stay at Home Club as well as DIY projects and so much more at MidModernMama.com.

Author Angela K. Nickerson still feels like she is new to town. Between her many moves and her travels around the world, Angela is lucky to have friends across the globe, but she is always looking for friendly faces in coffee shops. Angela writes about restoring old houses, family life, DIY projects, and gift giving at www. MidModernMama.com.

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LOCAL RESOURCES

Growing Hope Through Inclusion The impact of an inclusive census on our community By Chris O’Brien

Hope for equality is like a seed. Even when buried under the soils of chal lenge, failure, judgment, and perhaps discrimination and violence, in time, it will germinate and reach for the light again. In our local community, we see this over and over through the good works and mighty deeds of individuals and organizations. As a Center for Independent Living, CPWD sees this nascent and sprouting hope every day in the triumphs of people with disabilities who are striving to live independent and integrated lives in our community. Like most other community pro-social and human service organizations, part of our funding is through state and federal grants. Many people don’t know that census data determines large portions of those grants and monies for programs. In fact, on average, Colorado receives $2,300 for human service programs for each person who completes the census, or about 8.5 billion dollars. Those funds go to support programs such as Medicaid, children’s health in surance, housing, independent living services, clinics, schools, special education, and home investment programs. The census-derived funding provides a backbone of economic and social support for our community members who need assistance in all these areas. However, historically, those same people have been under-represented. They are hard-to-reach populations. Barriers that reduce participation in the census and access to services include poverty, race, immigrant status, and disability, combined with silent segregation and discrimination and internalized self-discrimination. Combine these with racism, and 12

ableism, and a historically oppressive system, and the result is an unhealthy and underfunded community. This burdens nonprofits to bear the responsibility of doing the powerful work of assisting and lifting those members of our community out of poverty, discrimination, and suffering. The historical impact and depth of this kind of separation and dis crimination are profound. Much has been written about this lately. But let’s talk about the hope.

Champions of inclusivity and equity planted the seeds of hope in the past. And now these seeds bear fruit and flowers during this last census. Recognizing the past shortcomings of inaccurate data collection, local communities created a grassroots initiative to use cultural brokers to connect with hard-to-reach popu lations to increase participation in the census and increase funding and benefits to communities. Craig Towler, a wheelchair user who CPWD hired to reach out to under-accessed disability populations during the last census, explains it like this: “Cultural brokers connect the dots between government funding and marginalized communities that were excluded in the past. This is a direct effort for inclusion of these undercounted and under-served populations, which brings more resources to the community and benefits all of us.”

Besides Craig’s efforts to include more people with disabilities in the last census, other cultural brokers focused on immigrants and Latin(x)s who speak Spanish as a first language, communities of color, college students, seniors, families with children under five, low-income residents, people experiencing homelessness, and people living with disabilities. While this story of hope is about an action of inclusivity that directly benefits our community through funding, programming, and well-being, it also carries a deep seed of hope. It repre sents the hope that we are shedding our old patterns of discrimination and marginalization, racism and ableism, poverty, and ethnicity gaps. It means greater acceptance and cooperation and taking actions to represent the rhetoric of equality that we have sung for so long. It’s the hope that we can all live together in a community. That we can accept each other and help each other; and that there are programs and funding available. These programs provide support for those who need assistance and create a healthier and more robust community for all. Who knew that a government survey could become a catalyst for seeds of hope and change? Chris O’Brien is the Director of Development and Communications for the Center for People With Disabilities. Chris has worked with CPWD since August 2013 as a fundraising and communications consultant. His background includes marketing, fundraising for various nonprofit and for-profit prosocial organizations in the community. Learn more at https://cpwd.org

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ARTS IN THE COMM TY CU ON MIM UNITY

Seicento Baroque Ensemble By Amanda Balestrieri, Artistic Director

Just as the pandemic was shutting down concert venues in March 2020, Seicento Baroque Ensemble was poised to present a beautiful program of French baroque music called Airs & Graces. Performers included grade school singers, a high school soloist, an ensemble of instrumen talists and singers, and a beautiful baroque dancer in 18th-century cost ume. Performers were of all levels of ability as well, from amateur to professional.

Additional presentations will cover historic organs, baroque keyboard tuning conventions, and historical flutes and recorders. We have de

Like languages, the easiest and best time to learn new music skills is during childhood. I would love to “Grow Hope” with our young people by encouraging future expertise in this special repertoire and these gorgeous historical instruments. Next season, Seicento is planning to col laborate with Sarah Biber and the Viola da Gamba Society of America to borrow five viol consort instruments and begin a small Seicento Youth Viol Consort. This ensemble will help create opportunities for youth in volvement and offer more direct educational participation within our community.

While the organization had to adjust due to Covid, the show went on. We recorded the performance without an audience. In the fall of 2020, we released “Airs & Graces” on YouTube. This concert has be come a model for how Seicento would like to move forward, promoting the baroque era’s spectacular music through a historically-informed performance, inc luding a full array of ages and musicians. We are working toward expanding our educational outreach. One way that has come to fruition is that we are about to present a series of online educational segments, Seicento’s “Inspire Baroque” series. The series will host five experts who will discuss a n d p e r f o r m B a ro q u e m u s i c . Instrumentals will feature period instruments, while our dancer will highlight baroque-style dance through a beginning baroque dance class.

students, including her nine-year-old daughter and a middle school stu dent, who will share what it’s like learning to play the viol in addition to the cello.

signed our programs to appeal to the non-expert audience, so they are suitable for interested children. Since these are online presentations, they are available for replay on YouTube, and parents can watch them at any time to suit their family’s needs. The presentation on the baroque cello and the viol might especially interest families in the community. Also known as the viola da gamba, the viol is an instrument played between the knees like a cello, but it has frets like a guitar with more strings. The bow is also held and used differently. Our expert will focus on multi-generational musical activities and present some of her younger

Seicento Baroque Ensemble has survived this terrible year. We join all of you in our hope for the future and our determination to bring beautiful performances into our world. For more information on Seicento Baroque Ensemble, our upcoming pro gramming, how to donate, and to inquire about our volunteer needs, please visit our website, www. seicentobaroque.org Amanda Balestrieri, soprano, is the artistic director of Seicento Baroque Ensemble in Boulder. She is an accomplished vocalist who has performed worldwide and is highly regarded for her skills in baroque repertoire. She moved to Colorado in 2009 and has performed as a soloist with the Colorado Symphony, the Colorado Chamber Players, and with various ensembles throughout the United States.

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INCLUSION

The Power and Impact of Hope By Molly McClish

Hope is a word that can seem vague or used without having any real meaning. By definition, it is “The feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best.” (Dictionary.com). I lost my 13-year-old daughter Lily to suicide because of her own shattered hope… her utter hopelessness about living in the world as an LGBTQ per son. This experience shattered my sense of hope as well.

Ask your children if they feel safe to report bullying. Find out how our schools address bullying and, if needed, encourage the school to adopt more effective strategies. Students must feel confident that their schools will address bullying to have enough faith to report it. Lack of confidence destroys hope and can quite literally swallow the hopeless.

Each day, we generate either hope or hopelessness through our thoughts, beliefs, words, actions, and inter actions. Feeling hope again is quite literally my lifeline. My deep and heartfelt desire is that each person who reads this will find some small way to add hope to the world every day. Here are a few ways we can each increase hope for ourselves and others; ● To grow hope in the world, we must first choose the side of hope without exclusion. How do we bring hope into the world? And do our actions exclude others from feeling hope? The second part of this is essential because we create hopelessness when we exclude others. Lily was tormented by witnessing direct and subtle discrimination toward LGBTQ people. She saw this exclusion in school, in the community, and in the news. To be inclusive is to offer hope to those tormented by discrimination, hatred, and dehu manization. ● As parents, we can talk with our children about how powerful words and actions are. Please encourage your children to create hope through how they treat others. Help them speak up when they witness bullying—if not directly, by reporting it to teachers and staff. 14

● One visible and straightforward way to grow hope for LGBTQ youth, adults, their loved ones and allies, is to hang a rainbow flag or sticker on your home, business or car. This small action has a profound impact. When I travel to Logan, Utah, to visit my son and his girlfriend who attend college there, seeing rainbow flags not only lifts my heart, it gives me hope. It also sends a message of love and value. It is hard for me to

visit Utah due to the abundance of discrimination and the personal loss and devastation I experienced while living there. I am tormented by it, dreading being there yet needing to see my son for my survival. However, when I see these flags, I see the state changing, and I see more people opening their hearts, strengthening love, growing hope, and encouraging others to do so. Hanging a rainbow flag in support is a visible and powerful thing you can do. It is a way to give hope to people who you may never meet. It may also offer hope to a young LGBTQ person who could be your neighbor.

● Teachers and school staff can foster hope for LGBTQ students. Put a SAFE SPACE sticker on your door for a visible message of love and value, growing hope in all students who see it. Start a GayStraight Alliance or get involved in one. Be aware of and watchful for bullying, knowing that marginalized students are most at risk of being targets. Build confidence and hope for your students by responding to any bullying effectively. These small actions will affirm your students’ sense of value and safety. For more information on how you can grow hope, please visit www. lilyshopeforkindness.com.

Molly McClish lived in Moab, Utah for over two decades. During that time, she served the community through a few different businesses. She was serving her third year of teaching at Grand County High School when her 13-year-old daughter Lily McClish died by suicide. Since then she has advocated for greater safety for all students, especially LGBTQ+ youth who face much higher rates of bullying. She created Lily’s Hope for Kindness as a resource for people in her own community, and anywhere, to work for critical changes needed in schools; as well as offering resources for parents of LGBTQ+ and of self-harming/suicidal youth. In 2019 she moved to Oregon as a matter of survival. She works daily to bring greater kindness and love into the world.

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STRONGER TOGETHER

An Update on Family Village By Melanie Piazza

Somehow a year has passed since our lives, our schools, our businesses, and for many of us, our hopes shut down. Family Village, temporarily closed since March of 2020, was built to be a source of connection for families. We are a place to be seen and supported, lay our burdens down, and let others love on our kids. It is a place to work on and get advice on our business and find rest and rejuvenation for our bodies. And now we’re desperate for all of that in an even more primal way. Economist at the University of Michigan, Betsey Stevenson, says, “People talk about how moms can lift a car off their children, but even though you can do it, it doesn’t mean you didn’t do damage to your body when lifting the car. 2020 was like lifting a car off your kids; 2021 is going to have to be ‘How are those women able to heal?’” I’d even argue the damage started long before this pandemic. The good news is the world outside of parents has taken notice. The New York Times is running an ongoing series about parenting in the pan demic, appropriately titled “The Primal Scream.” Other headlines tell the tale many of us could see coming for years: “The Free Market Has Failed U.S. Working Parents” from Harvard Business Review, “Other countries have social safety nets. The U.S. has women” from Culture Study, and

“Women are leaving the workforce in droves” from the Boston Globe. Parents, and particularly moms, need change. We can’t do it all, be it all, or show up for it all, especially in isolation. We need policies, structures, and systems to change. But we can’t wait for our bosses, leaders, politicians to do it. That’s where Family Village will once again step in. The Village has resourced moms looking to live life on their own terms. We don’t all want a full-time job. We don’t all want to be full-time parents. We want varying amounts of both, with plenty of alone time and com munity time built into the mix, too. Family Village has allowed parents to play with not compartmental izing these parts of thems elves while simultane ously being wellresourced. And from that ground ed space of having our needs met, our cups filled, and our kids in someone else’s loving care, women have come back to life. They’ve built businesses, clarified their dreams, stepped into advocacy or activism, and simply felt less alone.

While we’re still unclear when the Longmont Village will reopen (crossing our fingers for summer!), we know that we will. Since being closed, we’ve received inquiries from across the state (as well as out-of-state). These inquiries repeatedly have been seek ing help as to how Family Village (or something like it) can become a resource for other towns and neighborhoods. We’re working to provide resources, guidance, and support for growing future Villages. In the meantime, we’ve continued virtual meetings of MADE Ready, our mompreneur community, which is open to new members. No matter what stage of your business you’re in (even if you’re simply dreaming of it), you’ll find support with not just logistics and strategy but with the emotional, social and motivational aspects of entrepreneurship. Because, as we know more than ever, we are the sum of ALL our parts, and we’re stronger together. https://www.meetup.com/MADEReady-Moms-Aligning-to-DriveEntrepreneurship/ https://www.familyvillagelongmont. com/

Melanie Piazza is the Executive Director of Family Village and a regular Waggle contributor. Family Village is a cooperative of (mostly) mothers devoted to thriving. We provide co-working and community space with onsite childcare for work-fromhome and stay-at-home parents to resource themselves, their businesses and their children. Due to the pandemic, Family Village is currently closed but is exploring reopening options. Learn more at www.familyvillagelongmont.com.

Waggle Family Magazine—Spring 2021—Patronize our Advertisers, They Support the Community

COVER STORY

ROUND PANTRY: Growing Hope In the Community to End Hunger By Nancy Hurianek

he Round Pantry is a distributing agency of Community Food Share [CFS] and pro vides nutritious food at no cost. We do not require ID, and there are no qualifi cations to meet to access this re source. The Round Pantry operates on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month (except December’s only opening on the 2nd Tuesday.) We use a drive-line distribution process. Simply drive through our pick-up line, and one of our friendly volunteers will place bags of pre-packaged food into your trunk. Westview members and donors work together with volunteers from across the community to demonstrate our commitment to Jesus’ charge to “feed my sheep.” The Round Pantry welcomes each guest with respect, acceptance, and joy. Through eleven years of service, it has become clear that The Round Pantry means a lot!

The Round Pantry takes a lot of work! ● We receive orders from CFS totaling 30,000 lbs. or more each Pantry week. ● We pack food into color-coded bags. White bags for non-perish ables (soup, canned protein, pasta sauce and pasta, canned vege tables, prot ein bars, etc.), green produce bags, blue bags of dairy products, teal bags of frozen meat/foods, and yellow bags of bread and desserts—and, funded by a state grant, purple bags containing additional protein and produce! ● We stage pallets of large items like cases of cereal and gallons of fresh milk. We also set up traffic cones and a conveyor system, put on bright yellow safety vests

and, of course, masks and gloves, and lift and load with smiling eyes and voices.

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The Round Pantry reaches a lot of hungry people! Each Round Pantry distribution provides food directly to more than 450 households at each opening. Community distribution provides food to over 500 additional “households”—those who live in senior housing, the staff at care facilities, and other agencies who work directly with those facing challenges in addition to food insecurity.

A lot of donations bless the Round Pantry! Donations of non-perishable foods are accepted at the church the Monday before each Pantry. Needed items are cereal, canned fruit and vegetables, canned meals, and flavored pasta meals. You can donate funds by sending a check to Westview Presbyterian Church, 1500 Hover St. You can also donate through the Give Now link on our website westviewpres.org.

The Round Pantry engages a lot of volunteers! Each Round Pantry week sees volunteers from across the community filling 200 time slots. Volunteers can find information by visiting westviewpres.org. Do you want to help? Volunteers can sign up using Sign Up Genius at https:// w w w. s i g n u p g e n i u s . c o m / g o / roundpantry.

The Round Pantry means a lot! Recently, a shopper entered the drive-line and waited patiently for her turn to have her trunk filled with groceries. The shopper took the food home and gratefully unpacked all of it. Things hopefully felt calmer and assured. We know there was deep gratitude because that shopper sat down and penned a thank you note. She got back into her car, came back to the

parking lot, and entered the driveline. She handed the drive-line greeter a card that read:

roundpantry@westviewpres.org Nancy Hurianek retired after a nearly 50-year career in education as a teacher, curriculum developer, principal, and university instructor. She then devoted herself to missions of service. She is a founding member and the Facilitator of The Round Pantry at Westview Presbyterian Church. Nancy is mother of three adult children, two children-in-law, and three grandchildren. Things you will frequently hear her say are “...not yet,” “purpose is my middle name,” and “SHINE ON!” Waggle Family Magazine—Spring 2021—Patronize our Advertisers, They Support the Community

PA RE NTIN G

Growing Happy

Helping your teen understand their values for growth and wellbeing By Yvette Morton

When was the last time you took a good hard look at your personal values? For most of us, the answer is usually, “it’s been a while” or “never”! I love the process of guiding teens and young adults to identify their values. When we recognize the values that are meaningful to us, it can go a long way toward guiding decisions for our happiness, health, and future goals. What are values? Values can be defined as a person’s core goals or standards that provide meaning and direction in life. Our values are unique to each one of us, and they change t h r o u g ho u t o u r lifetime. The reason it is important to take stock of personal values is that our sense of wellbeing is directly tied to whether or not we are living life in-line with our goals and standards. For example, if trust is a value important to you, but you are making choices that are in violation of other people’s trust, then you are not going to be happy with yourself, and this will impact your physical and emotional wellbeing. Knowing that trust is a value that you hold to a high standard can help you choose behaviors that are trustworthy and lead to greater feelings of contentment. Taking stock of our values is a simple and enlightening process that we can benefit from when done regularly. As 18

parents, we can facilitate a great conversation by asking our kids, “What are three values that are most important to you?” Some examples could include: family, friendship, hard work, happiness, prosperity, kindness, strength, fun, trust, spirituality, accomplishment, helping others, etc.

anything that they might do dif ferently to live more in alignment with them? 4) Ask yourself these same ques tions and consider if you are making life choices that align with your unique goals and standards as well. Many parents have shared with me that this is an eye-opening process, often realizing that they were not taking stock of their values when making decisions about their own life. 5) Enjoy this opportunity to develop insight into what your kids think about and find important!

As you participate in this conversation: 1) Listen with an open mind and with curiosity. Your child’s personal values may be, and probably are, different from your own. It’s impor tant not to judge or condemn, or you can guarantee the conversation won’t go far.

2) Ask them why they chose these as the ones that are most important to them? Use phrases like “that’s really interesting” or “I love hearing about what is important to you.” 3) Encourage them to consider if they feel that they are making choices that live up to these three values and whether or not there’s

I have a list with over 100 examples of values that I’d be happy to share with you. Please send me an email at yvette@yvettemorton. com if you are interested or would like to know more about my coaching program for teens and young adults. You can also sign up for my newsletter at www.yvettemorton.com. Yvette Morton Ed.S, MA, NBC-HWC is an educator and Nationally Board Certified Health and Wellness coach who guides clients through a selfreflective process to identify values, create new habits and feel empowered to achieve goals for lifelong wellbeing. She specializes in supporting teens and young adults as they move through this exciting and sometimes challenging stage of life.

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Waggle Family Magazine—Spring 2021—Patronize Our Advertisers, They Support Our Community

M E E T YO U R M A K E R S!

Modern Farmsteads

An interview with local artisans, creators, and passionate entrepreneurs By Jennifer Bridge and Nikki Knez Most of us won’t ever own a farm, but “living off our own land” certainly has a good amount of appeal. Christina and Jochen Manning Lebek have made it their mission to bring the wisdom and traditions of farmsteading into modern times—creating beautiful and enjoyable spaces where growing your own food becomes the norm and fits into anyone’s busy schedule. With more than 20 years of experience, they launched Modern Farmsteads, a family business focused on serving those looking to grow fresh ingredients while offering an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the healing properties of nature. We sat down with them and got the dirt on why they’ve made gardening their full-time gig.

Tell us why you love what you do.

Contributing to people’s health and well-being by doing what we love is the best feeling. Sharing our love of gardening with others, along with all of its beauty, peace, and the natural healing it brings is the most rewarding experience.

Why Longmont?

After six years of living in England, we yearned to return home to Colorado. We fell in love with Longmont (as one does!) and weren’t content until we’d found a home in the heart of the city. In fact, our family has a saying, “Longmont always over-delivers.” We love the people, the events, the entrepreneurial spirit, and the excitement around our city’s growth, 20

not to mention the beautiful outdoor lifestyle, craft beers, killer food trucks, and vibrant downtown scene.

What type of services do you offer?

We provide garden design, consulting, installation, maintenance, and cus tom and standard size raised bed construction. We also sell seeds and seedlings through our website. Each Wednesday, we host a free 20-minute garden coaching call on Zoom for anyone directly or indirectly affected by Covid-19. For those facing

food insecurity, we’d like to talk to you about practical ways we can help. Also, if you are interested in donating garden-grown food, we can connect you with excellent local organizations that ensure that quality food doesn’t go to waste.

What can folks expect when working with Modern Farmsteads?

For us, gardening isn’t a sport, it’s a meditative, meaningful practice. We want to make gardening easy and fun for everyone while teaching people

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how to slow down, economize, and make memories. We’re committed to being a professional, dedicated, and reliable service for our community. For non-residential customers, we act as trusted advisors to help people achieve their gardening goals.

What advice would you offer someone considering a career in a creative industry?

We’d offer this: life is short so go after your dream; you won’t regret it—but make sure that what you do makes you extremely happy because it will be hard work. Be generous, make friends, support others, and deliver what you promise.

Any gardening tips before we go?

Yes! 1) Understand soil health— it is the foundation of everything. 2 ) If you are new to gardening, grow

a variety of crops—find what you love and what works well for you. 3 ) Check out the Modern Farmsteads

podcast; we host genius guests who help enormously! To learn more, head over to www. modernfarmsteads.com and join the ‘Instagram Garden Party’ at @modernfarmsteads for inspo!

Jennifer Bridge and Nikki Knez are the co-founders of Branded Beet, a local content creation studio offering branding photography and social media strategy to small businesses in and around Longmont. They are a regular contributor to Waggle Family Magazine, highlighting the creative community of Longmont. If you have ideas for a business or artist they should feature, please email them at brandedbeet@gmail.com.

NEIGHBORS HELPING NEIGHBORS

Small Acts to Help Those in Need By Anand Sharma and John Nichols

“Kindness is a language that deaf can hear and the blind can see.” – Mark Twain

When people come together with a single passion of helping others—good things happen. John and I come from different backgrounds. I am an Electrical Engineer working in the corporate ecosystem for 27+ years. But I identify more with what I do over the weekends and holidays—I volunteer as a Therapy Clown, cheering up elderly patients in hospitals and senior homes. John is a high school teacher and a Realtor. He is passionate about helping students and families. John is calmer and older than me and thinks everything through before making a decision. But we both have one common passion— the intention to support others in any way possible. John and I have tried to help people in need but sometimes without the means and resources to help them selves—people who may not be visible to service institutions instantly but may need support immediately. During the time that we have worked together to help others, we have had many meaningful encounters with people in our community. We recently helped a single mother with five children. She had just moved into our town and was living in a safe house, hiding from an abusive exhusband. When we learned about this family, John and I decided to dress up as Santa’s elves and provide the

family with Christmas gifts. Quickly, we got a few of our friends together to contribute some funds and John and I contributed the rest to buy gifts for the children. On Christmas Eve, John, John's son, Aaron, our friend Surekha, and I went to their home with the Christmas gifts.

We were so convincing as elves that the children (3 to 10 years old) were sure that Santa had sent us from the North Pole. They asked us so many questions about Santa and the North Pole. We did our best to answer all of their questions and bring Christmas magic and hope into their home. The eldest boy had anger issues and was skipping school. We made him promise us that he would attend school. While talking to the mom, we found out that she could not get groceries since her car had broken down. I sought help from a car mechanic friend. He agreed to fix her car for free, and we all pooled in the cost for the parts. In follow-up conversations, we also found out that the eldest boy had not skipped school since his promise to

Anand Sharma is a Senior Staff Engineer at Seagate Technology and has worked in the field of digital technology for almost three decades. He also owns and manages multiple rental properties along the front range. He was previously the Caring Clown Director for the World Clown Association and lives in Longmont with his wife and his 8-year-old son.

us and had been helping his mom with chores at home. This great news earned the children a reward of ice cream. We were also able to connect this family to a local church that distributes free groceries every other week. (Please see the cover story about The Round Pantry to learn more about this resource.) We have many similar stories to share. We believe in the act of human kindness and community support. Usually, it is just John and me who pool our funds and time. Sometimes we also ask our small network of friends if they are willing to help others. We are sharing our story here because we hope to reach out to other local families who would like to help us with this meaning ful work. We hope to put together a network of trusted people—more a bunch of friendly neighborhoods— whom John and I can approach for little fixes in people’s lives that can mean a lot for the people we support. We do not intend to start any Facebook group or big social media buzz around it, nor a formal organization. We want to create a close, informal network of individuals who want to create meani ngful change. To get in touch with us—please fill out this form, and we will approach you with details when the need arises. STARFISH PROJECT CONTACT FORM https://forms.gle/ CVYkrNomiTDtfWb8A

John has a driving force and passion in his life: acquiring and managing his own portfolio of rental properties. He has gleaned tremendous wisdom from many years of experience buying and managing his properties. This sets him apart from many real estate agents. John is a licensed Realtor with Lokation Real Estate in Longmont. Contact John at johnjnichols63@gmail.com

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I N S P I R AT I O N

Grow Hope in Your Own Garden By Teresa Myers

For many of us, it’s impossible to believe that spring is again at our doorsteps, but the COVID-19 pandemic is still hanging around like a very unwelcome house guest. After a year of challenges and upheavals, you might be feeling weary and struggling to locate your optimistic perspective. Your friends at the library understand. Really, we do.

to browsing, the familiar card catalog Seed Library will return to its spot in the library lobby, offering up seed packets to all who want to test their green thumb. See all the information about the Seed Library online at http://bit.ly/LibPrograms.

This year, the library staff are determined to share our Free Seed Library program with the com munity more than ever. Nothing is more reassur ing of the world’s cyclical nature—that good will always follow bad, just as warmth follows cold— than springtime and the way the Earth rejuvenates herself each year. Taking a small seed, planting it in a pot with dirt, and nursing it with water and hope is a timeless way to reconnect with our hopeful selves. The Longmont Free Seed Library debuted in 2018 and was an instant hit with library patrons. Housed in an old card catalog and located in the library’s lobby, the Free Seed Library offers master gardeners and novices alike the chance to grow their own flowers, fruits, and vegetables from seed. This year’s Seed Library will be slightly different. While the library is closed, patrons will be able to request seed packets through an online form and then pick them up through the Curbside Delivery ser vice. Later, when the library reopens

The Free Seed Library couldn’t operate without generous do nations from our community. Local companies seeded (do you see what we did there?) the library with commercial seed packets to help it launch in 2018 and 2019, but we need the broader community’s support to sustain it. If you have unopened commercial seed pack ets from 2016 or newer and would like to share them with others, please consider donating them to

the Free Seed Library. Unfortunately, we cannot accept heirloom seeds or open packets. A donation box is available at the library’s east entrance, near the Curbside Delivery table. This year, the library has partnered with the Boulder County Master Gardeners for a special online program, “Gardening Success! Growing Veggies.” This free program will air on Thursday, March 18, from 7 to 8 pm, and the Master Gardeners will be pre senting information and answering gardening questions. These experts will share their knowledge about planning, preparing for, and growing a suc cessful vegetable garden in our area. Registration is required. Please register at http://bit.ly/LibPrograms. Let the sunshine warm your back and your heart this spring as you grow beautiful plants from seed, and remind yourself that we are all capable of renewal, rejuvenation, and rebirth. Happy growing!

Images are patron photos of plants grown from seeds from the Free Seed Library.

Teresa Myers handles marketing and communications for the Longmont Public Library, and loves telling people about all the great things the library has to offer. Learn more at https://www.longmontcolorado.gov/ departments/departments-e-m/library.

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F A M I LY F U N

Growing Hope with Summer Camp Adventures By Scott Yoho

his year, perhaps even more than ever, families are looking for ways to share new experiences with their children. Looking forward to future adventures is a time-tested method to grow hope in our hearts. Summer camps present wonderful opportun ities to explore childrens’ current interests, from dinosaurs to wizards, and expand those interests in every direction. What better way to begin to move out of our COVID cocoons than to go on a treasure hunt or attend a zombie apocalypse training camp? This summer, the Longmont Museum will host a wide variety of options for campers aged 3 to 16. These include traditional in-person camps, with options outdoors and indoors, as well as virtual camps. All camps will follow current Boulder County Public Health guidelines to ensure everyone’s health and safety. Indoor offerings, held in large class rooms to allow for distancing, range 24

from arts and crafts and science exploration to fashion design, theater, and improv. Campers will create retro projects like friendship bracelets, lanyards, candles, and tie-dye. They’ll conduct experiments with forces that make travel by boat, car, and plane possible and decipher ancient texts as they unravel the mystery of the lost artifact. They’ll sew their own clothing and act on stage. Outdoor camps offer an even wider variety of options. The youngest campers will learn Spanish through music, art, storytelling, and movement as they explore the worlds of mermaids and pirates. Campers can travel through history, visiting dinosaurs and the Wild West. They’ll embrace fantasy, play Dungeons and Dragons, battle zombies, and attend the Hogwarts Preparatory Academy’s

outdoor sessions. Their hands will be busy playing the ukulele, creating comics and manga, and discovering crafts like fiber arts and paper maché. Whether your camper wants to track furry, feathery, and scaly creatures in Longmont or make jewelry inspired by the universe, these programs leverage their imaginations to expand their worlds.

If your family is not ready for in-person camp, there are many options for you, too. Virtual campers will learn to sew by hand and explore the boundaries of the universe. Campers curious about magnets, light, and electricity will make lightsabers, simple and parallel circuits, compasses, and more. Future wizards will attend Hogwarts preparatory sessions. When the Museum says they have something for everyone, they mean it. Need-based scholarships are available to campers thanks to the generous support of the Dodge Family Fund. You can find the full camp schedule and register today at LongmontMuseum. org or by calling 303-651-8374. Growing hope in campers is excellent, but what about the rest of the family? The Museum is hosting a series of free, outdoor concerts this summer for everyone. Plus, until July 18, the Museum is home to Enduring Impressions, a rare and wonderful opportunity for all to see—in person— the original inspirational work of Degas, Monet, Pissarro, and their printmaker, William Thornley. Discover new ways to grow hope in your family at LongmontMuseum.org. Scott Yoho is a Digital Content Specialist at the Longmont Museum and the father of two SVVSD students who are eagerly looking forward to a host of outdoor adventures this summer.

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CCOOM MM MUUNNI ITTYY

The One Doing the Helping By Kyl Caragol

It’s been a year. Last spring, while business shuttered, schools closed, and—most terribly— people lost their loved ones to this vicious virus, we at the Longmont Youth Center knew we had to act quickly to support our neighbors in need. Thankfully, though we were in isolation, we weren’t alone. In partnership with several local organi zations and food banks, we began organizing a free meal and grocery program. We have been able to help Longmont’s most vulnerable

communities: low-income youth, elders, and folks with existing medical issues who had difficulty leaving their homes. Within days of beginning our program, we realized folks were com ing out to see us for much more than the food. People needed help getting masks, finding activities for their kids to do, accessing financial supports, and—not surprisingly—with gaining access to mental health services. For many, this was the first time they’d ever needed assistance programs. After being in lockdown for weeks, we found that what people needed more than anything else was community.

The Youth Center put out the call to our partner agencies and they re sponded immediately. The Longmont Library brought free, bilingual books for youth and adults. The Hidden Treasure 2 donated hundreds of cloth masks every week. SNAP enrollment specialists and Sharing the NextLight representatives came and assisted folks in signing up for food assistance and no-cost internet service. The Youth Center distributed fun activity kits for youths weekly, and we posted instruction videos to Facebook and TikTok for kids to follow along.

Through the meal and grocery pro gram, and thanks mainly to a vast network of volunteers and team members, we have distributed nearly 100,000 pounds of groceries and over 4,500 meals since early June. We continue to offer virtual enrich ment classes, literacy programs, licensed therapy, and many, many more resources for community members—struggling or not. After a few weeks, a woman who regularly visited us for groceries and books stopped after picking up her food. She turned to us and said, “You know, this is all new to me. I’m usually the one doing the helping. I appreciate

you being here when it’s my turn to need help.” Our team agreed that we had all been through situations too overwhelming to simply “go it alone” at some point in each of our lives. Whether our community members need childcare, college prep, housing referrals, or just a friendly person to talk to during a difficult time, the Youth Center and our partners are here for all of Longmont. We provide all of our services at no cost. As the months have gone by and youth have returned to school (and hence parents to work), we’ve seen our food distribution numbers plateau and, in some cases, begin to decline. While we’ll miss seeing folks out in the community, we take this as a sign that we will soon start seeing one another back at the Youth Center. We’ll be here when you need us. Kyl Caragol is the Youth Program Leader with the City of Longmont’s Children, Youth and Families Division. He has worked with at-and in-risk youth, in out-of-schooltime programming for nearly 15 years. In his role with the City, Kyl focuses on building trust and a sense of safety for participants, enabling them to ask for the help they need in navigating the transition from childhood to adulthood. Contact Kyl at kyl.caragol@ longmontcolorado.gov.

Waggle Family Magazine—Spring 2021—Patronize our Advertisers, They Support the Community

I N S P I R AT I O N

Someone Needs Your Smile Today And the mask shouldn’t stop you By Kelly Nichols

We shall never know all the good that a simple smile can do. – Mother Theresa

Smelling pleasant aromas Donating to a charity Getting in the sunshine Taking a walk Smiling at someone

According to the Center for Disease Control, symptoms of anxiety disorder and de pressive disorder increased considerably in the United States during April-June of 2020, compared with the same period in 2019. Mental health that has been negatively affected by the pandemic would primarily be categorized as situational, that is, instigated by events rather than inherent chemical imbalances. Brain chemicals like neurotransmitters are still involved, just not solely responsible for these negative feelings. So what can we do to feel happier while waiting for the public health crisis to improve? In his best-selling book, Stumbling on Happiness, Harvard psychology professor Daniel Gilbert outlines several little things people can do to increase their happiness. He writes, “Nurture social connections and appreciation. Twice a week, record

three things you’re grateful for, and tell someone why.” He adds that one of the best things we can do is to volunteer. Helping others is a sure way of helping ourselves. Dr. Gilbert also encourages people to meditate/ pray, exercise, and get enough sleep to promote a positive mood. University of Illinois research psy chologist Ed Diener has shown that the frequency of positive experiences is a much better predictor of happi ness than is their intensity. Small positive experiences, lots of them, can serve as a powerful way to make us feel happier. Examples include: Listening to music Wearing comfortable clothes/shoes Reading for enjoyment Kissing our significant other Petting a dog or cat Participating in a hobby Complimenting someone

Did you catch that last one? A Washington Post article published in October of last year explored the question of whether we should bother to smile at people from beneath a mask. The answer was “yes!” Smiles foster a needed sense of community. The author added that humans are very good at reading eyes. The orbicularis oculi muscle flexes in a genuine smile, causing the eyes to partially close and wrinkle at the corners as in these photos. Our brains release several chemicals when we smile, including dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin. These chemicals help lower one’s stress levels and serve as a mood lifter. When we see someone smile, we instantly mimic their facial expression. This automatic response happens unconsciously before we ever think about it. So, smiling at people can spread positive feelings like a conta gion (a good one). Let’s make a difference in our com munity. Smile at someone today! Kelly Nichols is an experienced math and science tutor and the coauthor of “Beyond the Dragonhead”, a YA historical fiction Viking adventure novel. Find educational resources on her website at: www.mindto.org or email her at nicholpack7@gmail.com.

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COMMUNITY

Adventure, Growth and Hope at Camp By Fred Hobbs

Hope grows when it is cultivated, nourished, and positively reinforced. The care and feeding of hope is the foundation of Imagine!’s Summer Camp program for children and teenagers with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Many of us have fond memories of summer camps past, where we developed forever friendships and learned lifelong lessons that could only be found outside of the school room. For many children with disabilities, however, opportunities to engage in this summer tradition are limited. Fortunately for Boulder and Broomfield Counties’ kids with I/DD, Imagine!’s Summer Camp fills that void. Imagine!’s Summer Camp Program creates meaningful and communitybased experiences for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Qualified and experienced therapeutic instructors assist each participant in achieving their full potential during exciting adventures. Not only do campers get to enjoy the grandeur of the great Colorado outdoors, but they also can visit and fully experience places that Colorado kids view as summer rites of passage, such as Elitch Gardens, Water World, or the Denver Zoo. Making these experiences available to children with disabilities ensures that both the campers and the community at large can see first-hand how hope can grow exponentially in the garden of a healthy and inclusive society. As a parent of an Imagine! Summer Camper recently told us, “My daughter’s autism tends to make her shy away from others and unfamiliar activities. Imagine!’s Summer Camp exposes her to different

activities and encourages peer interactions, and I see her skills improve on a daily basis.” Imagine! is currently in the planning stages of our 2021 Summer Camp and has strategies in place for deliver ing services through any number of COVID-related scenarios—fully online, a hybrid of online and communitybased activities, or entirely communitybased. To decide which approach to take for your camper, we consider the health and safety of campers, staff members, and our neighbors as our primary consideration. Whichever path we choose, we will do everything we can to ensure an experience that fosters the growth, and hope, of everyone involved, regardless of ability or disability. If you have a child or teenager with an intellectual or developmental disability and would like them to experience a joyous and active summer, visit www.imaginedirectservices.org/ school-age/summer-camp for more details. And if you are interested in a summer job where you can be a gardener of hope, visit https:// imaginecolorado.org/jobs/now-hiringsummer-2021. We hope to see you for a summer of adventure, growth, and hope for people of all abilities!

Fred Hobbs is Director of Public Relations at Imagine!, a Boulder County non-profit organization serving people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Contact Fred at fhobbs@ imaginecolorado.org.

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YO UTH S P O RTS

Have It All with LFA Rush By Rick Lizondo

The recent pandemic has emphasized the need for two essentials in our lives: meaningful physical activity and strong social connection. With our facility, LFA Rush combines both, trans forming the simplicity of sport into a dynamic life experience of shared pur suits, growing relation ships, player well-being, and mental health. The result? Our kids become more than just great soccer players. 28

LFA Rush is a traditional youth soccer club with a significant innovative addition. While LFA competitive teams eagerly participate in the Colorado Soccer League, we don’t stop there because we know there

and exploration result from additional activities like Free Play (or pickup soccer), private lessons, skills, and repetition routines. Bonding and friendships spring from club social events like barbecues just as much as from weekend games. The true foundation of LFA Rush’s success can be seen in images of teammates becoming close friends and spending quality time together around the sport they love. The club offers teams from ages U10 through U18, com peting in the fall and spring seasons. However, LFA Rush operates all year long with additional extras, all provided in one affordable and bundled annual membership, which remains cost-competitive with other area clubs. For those players who just can’t get enough, we raise the ceiling and allow them to play to their hearts’ content. In contrast, our multi-sport athletes use our flexible yearround model to fit soccer around their other chosen sports, customizing schedules with various off-season LFA Rush training opportunities. In addition to our programs for U10 and up, we have partnered with Soccer Shots Boulder County, which pro vides an introduction to soccer with an emphasis on character development for ages 2-8. Soccer Shots is a year-round program that teaches skills and concepts using an engaging, age-appropriate curriculum. Photo by K.E. Grill

A youth soccer club with its own private facility? Outside of golf, tennis, and swim clubs, this is extremely rare for youth sports. But it doesn’t have to be. And now it’s here, owned and operated by LFA Rush Soccer Club, serving the Northern Colorado communities of Longmont, Mead, Berthoud, Firestone, Frederick, and surrounding areas. The advantages of a private sports facility are immeas urable. Our 57-acre property in a safe and intimate location on Longmont’s northeast border with Mead, serves as a cherished sports home to train and prepare for league games and tournaments. The fullest manifestation of a sports club is one that moves be yond public parks and school grounds, combining sport and social interaction together in an atmosphere of families and friends, cultivating person al relation ships for a genuinely fulfill ing and bala nced sports experience.

is so much more to the youth sports experience. New and expanded layers of creativity, improvisation,

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LFA is a proud member of Rush Soccer, the world’s largest international youth soccer organization, with clubs spanning from Asia to Europe to South America. In the U.S., Rush Soccer has grown to over 50 clubs nationwide. Beyond the boundaries of our Northern Colorado LFA Rush community, we enjoy a camaraderie

among other Rush clubs from Colorado and all over the country through exclusive local and national Rush soccer and social events. Rush is one large soccer family exchanging common beliefs and empowering our players through scale and shared activity.

Rick Lizondo is the Owner/Director of LFA Rush (established in 2016), and has been a Youth Soccer Coach in the Longmont community since 1999, instructing teams, running clinics, private lessons, and summer camps. He has lived in Longmont since 1999 with his wife and four children.

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H E A LT H

Is Midwifery for Me? By Dana Brandorff

Despite myths about midwifery, a growing number of Americans are turning to the practice for maternity care. In the late 1980s, only 3 percent of births were attended by a midwife. Today, it’s 9 percent. In the US, choosing a midwife is sometimes seen as unconventional—even per ceived as “less than” compared to OB-GYN care. Whereas in the UK and other countries, midwifery is as common as care by obstetricians and utilized in two-thirds of births. Abby Zamora chose midwifery for all of her births. She says the key is being educated and informed. “My husband was unsure of midwifery at first. But then we experienced it with our first and we’ve had great births ever since.”

Misconceptions

People tend to think of midwifery as all-natural, with no doctors or medical expertise, no hospitals, and no drugs. “My husband thought I was going to give birth on the living room floor,” she said. After they went through it with their first child, he agreed that it was the best experience for them. “The midwives are there to help how ever you need, which can include epidurals and pain meds. And an OB is available if necessary,” said Assoc. Professor Jessica Anderson, DNP, CNM, one of Zamora’s midwives, and the director of Midwifery Services at the University of Colorado College of Nursing. With the Center for Midwifery and the University of Colorado College of Nursing, patients give birth at the Anschutz Medical Campus hospital. The majority of midwives in America practice in hospital settings with ac cess to a full range of medications and other options. “From water birth 30

to nitrous oxide to help alleviate pain, to aromatherapy and epidural—you name it, we can do it,” said Anderson.

Old beliefs

In the late 1800s, the tide turned away from midwifery. The advent of the hospital and new pain medications reduced the fear and discomfort associated with childbirth. Over time, hospitals began to be perceived as the safest places to give birth, and obstetricians started to bar midwives from practicing in them. Today, attitudes have changed. “We now have a generation of consumers who believe they should be involved in making healthc are decisions especially when it comes to child birth,” said Anderson.

Safety

Most births in the US are low-risk and require little medical intervention. “Midwifery-assisted birth is a safe option for most,” said Anderson. Research shows that midwife-attend ed births are as safe as physician-

attended ones. They are associated with lower C-section rates and other interventions that can be costly, risky, and disruptive to the labor process. A 2011 study published in Nursing Economics found that mothers whose care was led by a nurse-midwife had lower rates of episiotomies, druginduced labor, and vaginal tearing during delivery. In the US, certified midwives and certified nurse-midwives must hold a graduate degree from an institution accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education (ACME). Midwives are experts in normal physiological pregnancy and birth. With more than 20 years of marketing and public relations experience, Dana Brandorff is an award-winning communications professional. She is currently the Director of Marketing and Communication for the University of Colorado College of Nursing.

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