In recognition of Mental Health Month and the challenges facing the nonprofit sector, our features during May and June 2023 will focus on mental health. Visit our website to find a list of resources to support your mental health initiatives.

The importance of individuals attending to their self-care (i.e., wellness) needs has been a topic for years. Do a web search on “self-care” and you will find no shortage of articles on things to-do to promote one’s health through self-care. More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically brought this topic forward as a priority for businesses as organizations struggled to maintain their operations in the face of employee absences.

According to Joseph F. Duffy, retired president of Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Paterson, New Jersey, while the pandemic has been declared over, organizational leaders are now faced with the “great resignation” phenomena in which employee stress and burnout are the new challenges that demand attention. For leaders, addressing employee self-care needs has become not only the right thing to do for employees’ personal welfare, but also, it is good business.

Leaders have not widely and consistently adopted good self-care practices for their employees, according to Duffy, author of “Being a Supervisor 1.0.” Too often this topic has been referred to Human Resource Departments with the intent of addressing employee self-care needs by modifying employee benefits packages, offering programs/activities (diet, smoking cessation, exercise classes, stress management etc.).

“While this is a step in the right direction, it fails to appreciate the complexity of the problem and the need for a more systemic approach to addressing it. It fails to ask the question, ‘What should all leaders be doing to promote their employees’ wellness needs?’,” according to Duffy.

Management guru Peter Drucker once wrote, “that which gets measured gets managed.” Therefore, to engage leaders in managing their employees’ self-care needs, they need leadership plans to address employee self-care needs, where progress can be measured.

Duffy offered a prescription for creating and maintaining a comprehensive, systematic, organization-wide approach for managing their employees’ self-care needs.

The Rx is as follows:

Growing up, Matthew Desmond’s family didn’t have a lot of money. His family’s gas got shut off all the time. The bank took their house. Seeing how his family was stressed by poverty drove Desmond to understand its dynamics and consequences. He has spent much of his life reporting and researching it.

“But even after all that, I felt I didn’t have this answer for: Why? Why is there so much poverty in America?” Desmond told a crowd of nearly 500 people during a recent event presented by the United Way of Central Indiana, alongside Glick Philanthropies, Indianapolis Neighborhood Housing Partnership and The Mind Trust.

“(Poverty’s) persistence in American life means that millions of families are denied safety and security and dignity in one of the richest nations in the history of the world. Why?” Desmond asked during his talk at the Indiana State Museum.

Desmond, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Evicted,” said he sought to answer that question, which became the topic of his latest book released in March 2023, “Poverty, by America.”

United Way seeks to serve those living in or near poverty in the region. According to a new report released by United Way in April, more than 36 percent of Central Indiana households were either in poverty in 2021 or considered ALICE, an acronym for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed, ALICE households earn above the Federal Poverty Level but not enough to afford a basic household budget.

That’s more than 244,400 households — more than one of three Central Indiana households. The number of households in this category has increased 11 percent since 2018, according to United Way data.

Re-released Facing challenges recruiting employees for your nonprofit? Join Charitable Advisors' Shari Finnell and Bryan Orander in this conversation with Jim Dalton, president and CEO of Damar Services. Jim talks about Damar's innovative program Hire Today, Star Tomorrow, which has helped the organization hire more employees in spite of numerous challenges. Listen

The Parent Advisory Council, through the United Way of Central Indiana, has awarded Visually Impaired Preschool Services a $33,330 Power to the Parent grant. The funds will be used to provide early intervention and educational services to Central Indiana babies and toddlers who are blind or visually impaired and comprehensive support to their parents and caregivers. Read more

Tangram, in partnership with Intentional Coaching and Consulting, released the mid-point results of its two-year leadership coaching program. The two-year pilot, which matches their senior leaders and managers with certified professional coaches, is designed to help managers navigate a tough employee recruitment and retention landscape in their industry. Read the mid-point results

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, the City of Fishers has revamped its Stigma Free Fishers campaign through a partnership with CredibleMind, a free online well-being and mental health resource center. Learn more

The Summer Learning Lab is offering five weeks of free or low cost, high quality summer learning programs from June 12-July 14 for incoming 1st to 9th grade students. Most sites are free. Explore locations

The Indy Chamber is now accepting submissions for the 2023 Monumental Awards, which recognizes excellence in architecture, construction, engineering, innovative reuse, interior design, landscape architecture, neighborhood revitalization, public art, and real estate development. Projects eligible for submissions must have been constructed or completed between June 1, 2020-May 1, 2023. Submit

Brooke's Place is seeking committed volunteers to serve in peer-based grief support group programs. Evening volunteer opportunities throughout the city include support group facilitators (training provided), grief resource librarians, and "Buddies" who serve dinner, and set up and tear down after programs. Internships also are available. Contact Tara or visit www.brookesplace.org/grief-support-volunteer

OneAmerica Broad Ripple Art Fair is seeking volunteers to work 3-hour shifts on May 20 or 21. Opportunities include gate helpers, ticket sellers, beverage sellers, set-up and tear-down, artist assistants, and art activity helpers. Sign up

Barnes Dennig CFO transition success story

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