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Changing TimesNews from the Changes Parent Support Network community2019 Fall Social and AuctionBy Kathleen ColettaI wanted to take a moment to thank all that madethe 2019 Fall Fundraiser a success! It was a funevent in a scenic venue. GG Green, themagician, dazzled us with his jaw droppingmagic and was a big hit!The Changes fundraising committee wasinstrumental in pulling this event together. Ahuge thank you goes out to KarenGustafson, Leslie Serling and Grover Shegrudfor so generously donating their dedication andvaluable time. You are awesome!After all expenses, we netted a total of 10,400.00. This is outstanding considering howmuch we scaled back this year. Thank you to allwho attended and donated. These funds helpwith ongoing expenses like rent, licensing,fundraising software, bookkeeping, insurance,outreach, and continually working towardexpanding CPSN to reach more families who arestruggling.If you have any interest in helping withfundraising, or have connections with venues,caterers, or big-ticket auction items, we wouldlove to have you on the committee. Pleasecontact Kathleen Coletta at 206-402-3287 orpbjkathleen@hotmail.com.Thank you for your ongoing support of CPSN!Save the Datefor the2020 Changes Social & AuctionSaturdaySeptember 27BECU's People Helping
People AwardsThis annual awards program brings BECU’s principle ofpeople helping people to life. Every year, BECUrecognizes and honors both members and organizationsthat devote their time to helping others.Last year Changes was a semi-finalist for a BECUPeople Helping People Award. We were so closeto receiving at least 15k in grant money! Thank you to Ellen Lewis and Alan Grim among others fornominating Changes. Any BECU member can nominate a non-profit for this award. This grant isabout heartfelt services and that is what Changes is all about.If you are a member of BECU please consider nominating Changes. The 2020 nomination period istentatively in April. For more information, visit vement/people-helping-people.At Changes I was welcomed by other parents who had similar issueswith their teen and young adult children — for the first time I felt that Iwas not alone. Changes provided me with the tools and resources Ineeded to take care of myself and to allow my son to experience theconsequences of his choices. Excerpt from a Changes parent's BECU nomination.Meet Your Changes Board of DirectorsChanges welcomes two new Board members: Dawn Lum of Seattle and Alison Jensen from Utah.Yes, you read that correctly; we now have a Utah member on the Board. Ellen Lewis, MarthaShegrud (President), Steve Samario, Martha Hobson, Katie Joannes (Vice President), KathleenColetta, Martha Clay (Secretary), Alan Grim, and Robert M. Huberth (Treasurer) will continue to serveon the Board in 2020.Stephanie Mannion stepped down from the Board and Presidency in December. We appreciate herservice to Changes, especially in this year of transition.Taking Care ofYourselfTo be able to care for the people you love, youmust first take care of yourself. It’s like the advicewe’re given on airplanes: put on your own oxygenmask before trying to help someone else withtheirs. Taking care of yourself is a valid goal on itsown, and it helps you support the people you love.Caregivers who pay attention to their own physicaland emotional health are better able to handle thechallenges of supporting someone with mental illness. They adapt to changes, build strongrelationships and recover from setbacks. The ups and downs in your family member’s illness canhave a huge impact on you. Improving your relationship with yourself by maintaining your physicaland mental health makes you more resilient, helping you weather hard times and enjoy good ones.Here are some suggestions for personalizing your self-care strategy. Read more.Updates from Our Four Changes Locations
Everett, WAThe lovely couple at the auction picturedabove is Everett’s very own Vince and AliPirato supporting Changes.Seattle, WAWe have had a steadily increasing groupof dedicated parents at our SeattleChanges meeting this year. Each week10-30 members have gathered inWallingford, behind Dick’s Drive -In andsoaked in the welcoming environment andawesome tools that the Changes programand community has to offer.As a three year member I have to saythere seems to have been a changing ofthe guard this year. Some long timemembers have moved on occasionallycoming back to offer presentations onsome of their well practiced Changeswisdom.This year some of the returningmembers who offered presentationsincluded: Rodney presented Enabling. Freda presented No ACEing with skits. Anne Ellis presented Forming andWorking with your Team. Jerry presented Stands and Small Steps. Mary Chapman presented SoloParenting.Ever generous with their wisdom Changes ‘at large’ experts and seniormembers Sandy Barnes and CurtisFukushima offered presentations onStruggling, Defining Success, EmotionalBlackmail, and more.And we had some fabulous outsidepresenters: Kimberly Rettig from BellevueClubhouse Seth Welch from The Recovery School Andrea Hartman from Seattle Children’sHospital Laurie Riepe, therapist, presented onGrief Carol O’Dell, therapist, presented onWhat is Conscious Parenting and WhatMakes it so Difficult.Ongoing Seattle Members, KatieJoannes, Henry Herfindahl, Karen and BillGustafson, and Katherine Dobson havecontinued to be generous in presentationsand personal story offerings.2019 brought steady growth in Everett,where in the last three years, attendancehas doubled. While only one team formedin the prior year, there seemed to be anexplosion last year with five new teams.During the summer Martha and Sandypresented on Things We Do For OurChildren. The group came up with newideas to bring the old list into the 21 stcentury. Who uses pagers anymore?This past year Everett member Alan Grimjoined the Changes Board and also chairsthe Outreach Committee. Kolette Beckertgenerously lends her expertise to theProgram Review Committee.Ask a Program Rep about whichcommittee you would like to volunteer for.Redmond, WAHappy New Year 2020! Thank you toStephanie Mannion for her service anddedication as our Changes BoardPresident for the past year and all thegreat value she has brought toChanges. A big thank you to LeslieOsborn who has served as Program Repfor the past 2 years and all of herdiligence and great improvements shehas brought to the Redmond Chapter.Looking back at our Program lineupfor 2019 we had great topics andspeakers:We had 17 presentations from Changes101 One Liners to Changes 301 MoveOuts delivered by our Redmond & SeattleChapter members. Family stories wereshared by Rick & Lori Varsafsky, PamMilewski, Judy Russell, Ellen Lewis andJim & Leslie Osborn.Great outside speakers to present ontop of mind topics for parents: Mark Cohen, therapist Seth Welch, Recovery High School Detective Jamin Palmer presented Drugsand Paraphenalia Allie Wile, Hotel California by the Sea Mike Mathias, NAMI Programs Villette Nolan, Imagine Low-IncomeHousing Wendy Eden, therapist on TransgenderIssues Gregg Mohr, Life Management ReducingMarital/Parental Conflict
We welcomed 3 new reps in 2019:Katherine Dobson, Annie Stocker, and BillGustafson while a couple of the returningreps moved on to more responsibility inthe Changes community. Thank you PaulCostello, Stephanie Allen, and soon to beretired Katie Joannes.We are excited for 2020 at the RedmondChanges Chapter in getting back tobasics. We are working hard getting newchapter members involved in volunteerroles, when they can, to give back and tokeep the Redmond Chapter growing withnew ideas and perspectives.Others who have generously volunteeredfor ongoing jobs this year include AntjeMueller, Pam Milewski, Laura McCormick,Karen Gustafson, and Paul Ivester.UtahIt really takes a village to keep thiswonderful community rolling.Thank you. Community is where it is at.Let’s keep going this way!Our Utah group is excited to have AlisonJensen serving as a board member! Weappreciate all the hard work the boarddoes and know she will be a greatcontribution.Alison and I have also been serving onthe planning committee for the UtahAddiction and Substance Use Conferencethat will be held on March 13 at UtahValley University with MacKenzie Phillipsas the keynote speaker. We will have aChanges booth, and Gray Otis is apresenter and will involve Alison indemonstrating some Changes tools andhow they help families.I am focusing again on outreach and howto get the information about Changes tothe people and places who need it. Myfirst goal is to contact all the high schooland junior high guidance counselors.Changes 2019PicnicLast year, our annual CPSN picnicwas held at Richmond BeachSaltwater Park. We had a greatturnout and it was loads of fun! Thisyear we played a couple differentgames, like “musical hats” and thegame that got the most laughs wasthe “pooping potato game.” Thanks toall of those who participated in the funat the risk of looking silly. Muchlaughter was generated! Thank you tothe Seattle Chapter for planning andcarrying it out this year. We had awonderful potluck in addition to CPSNproviding hamburgers and hotdogs. The annual picnic is a greatopportunity to meet members fromother chapters and to socialize in asetting that is fun and interactive.Thank you to all who attended!Save the DatePlease join us this year for an afternoonof socializing, food, and fun with membersand alumni from all our meetings.Saturday, July 1812 pm - 4 pmLangus Riverfront Park400 Smith Island Rd., Everett, WA
Fred Meyer Rewards ProgramSo many Changes members and others have connected theirFred Meyer Rewards cards to benefit Changes when they makepurchases, that it has become a nice stream of funding forChanges.If you are a Fred Meyer shopper, get a rewards card, linkChanges as your choice for nonprofit donations – Changes getsa check from Fred Meyer each quarter at no expense to you. Ifyou need more information or help enrolling, please contact theChanges office at office@cpsn.orgSign in and enroll your FredMeyer card to donate toChanges nity-rewardsSupport Changes as You ShopAmazon will donate 0.5% of the price of your eligible AmazonSmile purchases to Changes Parent Support Network whenyou shop at smile.amazon.comSame prices and selection.No cost to you.Use your current Amazon account OR create a freeaccount with an email and password.Amazon Smile eligible purchases will be noted on theproduct detail page.2020 Events CalendarAmazon Smile purchasesprovide funds for Changesprogram and services. For moreinformation,visit smile.amazon.com/about2nd Monday every month:Board meetingMay 6: GiveBigJuly 18: Annual Changes Picnic September 27: Changes Social andAuction
This annual awards program brings BECU’s principle of people helping people to life. Every year, BECU recognizes and honors both members and organizations that devote their time to helping others. Last year Changes was a semi-finalist for a BECU People Helping People Award. We
