October Newsball 2017
Playing Catch-Up with the Life is Good Playmakers
Last week I attended Jake Jam. Jake Jam is Life is Good’s quarterly all-staff meeting. Since it was late October, we went with a Halloween theme – which meant encouraging folks to come dressed in costume.
I went as the Grinch. Bert Jacobs (Life is Good Co-Founder) bought me the costume. I originally planned to just wear a suit and tie and tell people that I was dressing up as, “the best version of myself.”
For some reason, I was a bit reluctant to dress up. Maybe, on some deep level, dressing up still felt a little “uncool” to me. See I grew up thinking that being cool was about being stoic, tough, almost aloof. I think lots of boys grow up this way.
Well at 51, I’ve abandoned any notion of being cool. I’ve decided that I’d rather be fun, loving, compassionate, creative, and a host of other superpowers. I wore my Grinch suit – complete with big, suffocating mascot head. And you know what? It was actually pretty cool.
Thank you for helping us make funny the new handsome, compassionate the new macho and for helping our LiGP use these superpowers to help children heal, grow and thrive.
Love & Peace,
Steve Gross, MSW
Chief Playmaker, Life is Good Playmakers
GOOD PROGRESS
Our Work in the Field
National Resilience Summit
This month our Chief Playmaker, Steve Gross, joined leaders at the 4th Annual National Resilience Summit to take part in an extensive share of best practices and resources in the areas of student, military-connected and community resilience. Steve presented on the power of optimism and The LiGP Movement which is used as an operating system to enhance culture and connection among childcare professionals and improve the quality of care they deliver to children in health, education and enrichment programs across the United States and Haiti. Read more on the National Resilience Summit and those who joined Steve at the conference.
Riley Hospital for Children
October kicked off The LiGP’s partnership with Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, Indiana. Steve Gross along with Lead Playmaker Emily Saul guided 100 members from Riley’s leadership and direct services teams through our Playmaker 101 Discovery, a workshop that helps childcare professionals gain a deeper understanding of the impacts of toxic stress and early childhood trauma, and how they can create optimal care environments that build resilience and help kids heal. More on our partners at Riley Hospital for Children.
Good Continues to Grow in South Boston
Since early spring, The LiGP has been partnering with the South Boston Association of Non-Profits (SBANP) to help dozens of health and wellness organizations strengthen their community. On October 20 The LiGP hosted a Playmaker 101 Discovery for 48 care professionals based in South Boston from across 15 different organizations. Our partnership with the SBANP came to fruition much in part to one of Boston’s most devoted social services advocates, Kay Walsh. Read more about Kay’s outstanding commitment to the children and families of her community in her recent Playmaker Spotlight feature.
GOOD GROWTH
Our Work to Raise Support
Alex and Ani Partner Summit
On October 18 The Life is Good Playmakers joined more than 35 other ALEX AND ANI charitable partners at Belcourt of Newport to recognize our collective efforts to grow the good. Since 2016, The Life is Good Collection, a series of four beautifully crafted ALEX AND ANI bangles, has raised more than $250,000 to support our mission. Shop the collection now to send someone special a symbol of optimism and fuel our mission to help kids heal from the traumas of poverty, violence and illness at the same time.
Amazon Smile
With the season of online shopping upon us, just a reminder that if you shop Amazon, you can have a percentage of all your purchases support The Life is Good Kids Foundation at the same time. To take advantage of offer, simply use your Amazon log in at https://smile.amazon.com/ and then choose Life is Good Playmakers as your designated charity. It’s really that simple!
GOOD PEOPLE
Our Playmakers
“I definitely could’ve been a statistic,” Carly admits.
Her teaching career started in a charter school in Pittsburg, where she knew some of her students had witnessed shootings in their front yards and that many of the parents were equally as scared and traumatized as the kids they were raising.
GOT NEWS?
If you have news about a program, fundraiser, or event in support of The LiGP, let us know. We love hearing from you!
