My Volunteer Year

Resolution submitted!

Below is the resolution I wrote for PPMD's that has been submitted to GFWC-NC's Resolutions Committee. I am hoping that the proposal will be accepted and ultimately adopted at State Convention 2009. I never would have had the confidence to do anything like this if it were not for my participating in:

    1. LEADS

    2. this passion project

 

It really helped me focus and define where I want my energy to go. I am so proud of my resolution and give many many thanks to Helen Richie of the Charlotte Woman's Club for proofreading it for me! Hopefully this will become a part of our Home Life department and State for the next several years!

 

I sent this resolution to both my club and the Charlotte Woman's Club for their support and, of course, they graciously and enthusiastically agreed!!

 

I feel this is yet another wheel added to my dream that keeps this motor running!

 

In Federation,

Allison

 

 

 

Proposed Resolution:  Postpartum Mood Disorders

Department:  Home Life

SUBMITTED BY: Allison Yezek – GFWC Junior Woman’s Club of Charlotte

 

2009-2013 POSTPARTUM MOOD DISORDERS

 

WHEREAS, postpartum mood disorder is a mental health disorder striking women within the first year of giving birth and is the number one complication of childbirth; and

 

WHEREAS, fifteen to twenty percent of women will experience a postpartum mood disorder after the birth of a child; and

 

WHEREAS, postpartum mood disorders can affect all women regardless of race, national origin and socio-economic level; and

 

WHEREAS, the United States of America ranks among the highest countries regarding global statistics in cases of postpartum mood disorders; therefore

RESOLVED, That the GFWC of North Carolina, Inc. encourages its members to advocate and work for the creation and inception of programs promoting education and awareness of postpartum mood disorders; and further

 

RESOLVED, That the GFWC of North Carolina, Inc. encourages its members to urge cooperation with both public and private agencies serving the community to work towards postpartum screening and care for new mothers.

 

"Falling" in love with Federation

Happy Fall!!!

 

Can you believe the year is winding down!? Mason is already 6 months old and my "baby" will be 3 on Christmas Eve! Last Saturday we had our District Fall Meeting - it was so cool!!! We had a morning tea and called the meeting "Fall In Love With Federation." It was a time to hear all the information regarding our new GFWC-NC Administration and to learn about our new emphasis, which is membership, and our new special project: Girls On The Run. Our special guest was NC's Director of Junior Clubs, Georgann Sapp. It was a really fun and informative morning and we even gave our District members the opportunity to wear hats if they wanted to, in the grand tea tradition... until at the end of the meeting our District President Susie Harris showed us how we had traded in our finery for the hats, gloves and bags of a different kind. We wanted to try and tie GFWC's new campaign in and I think it was a cute way (if I do say so myself)!

 

I love our District meetings and am so honored to be Junior Director for our District. It is another great way to ramp up excitement about Federation and it is really neat to see what other clubs in our District are doing. I had the opportunity to present a workshop on membership with our District Junior Membership Chair, Angela Knight. The highlight of the meeting, however, was hearing from Amy Penwell who works for Girls On The Run. What an amazing organization. They are headquartered here in Charlotte and are an international program for girls that teaching healthy living and self esteem through running. Fortunately for us, Amy is a Charlotte Junior and our club already has two projects planned for GOTR this year.

 

Of course, membership - recruiting, rebuilding and retaining is on everyone's mind. Is your club participating in ACT in OCT?? I am THRILLED to say that our club has four new members this month! We are trying to break it down to the simplest of things... simply inviting people! I think you'll be surprised when you just extend an invitation. Most likely people know you're in a woman's club but they won't invite themselves! Give it a try and let me know what happens!!

 

Have a great week!!

Allison

 

What's On First?

Hi Everyone!! I hope you enjoyed your summers and are getting back into a fall routine. Ava started preschool this week and, personally, I love it! I have really been struggling these last few weeks with all my responsibilities along with my home life. I find that when both kids are asleep and I get the opportunity to sit down and work on something, like magic something pops up that needs immediate attention!
 
I'm sure that like most everyone in the world, you watched the Olympics a couple of weeks ago. Although I am no athlete, we watched pretty regularly. I am amazed at the gymnasts; their strength and balance! It blows me away to see how they can not only stand up on that tiny little beam but jump, flip and spin all around. I have to say that I feel my life mirrors that balance beam lately but I'm not standing, flipping or jumping on it. I am lying down and barely holding on just crawling along trying not to fall off! Well, I must say that I felt a little kinship with the gymnasts that fell off the beam. Here they are, arguably the most elite athletes and our nation's best, yet even they fall off what they normally master. Aren't we glad to know that we all have those days!?
 
I like to know that when I am doing a job (whether in my Tastefully Simple business, for my family or for the Federation) that I am doing my best. Lately, I know that I've been so stressed that I know I'm most certainly not doing my best and I am not 100% proud of the work I've been doing. It's one of those moments where you know it's time to ask for help. Once again, I turn to my mentor Beverly Lassiter and confess that I am overwhelmed. It's time for a refresher in prioritizing, she tells me. I leave lunch with her feeling much better, especially since she gave Ava some coins to throw in the fountain and ran with her around the entire landscape! She advises me to make an actual list of priorities with things to be done after each one.

I came home and immediately made one with Rob, Ava, and Mason at number one, of course, and then listed everything else by importance. I am a list person and just organizing something makes me feel better! Slowly but surely I am getting things off that list and feeling like my old self again. I am concentrating on the now and really looking forward to an incredible Fall! GFWC-NC has some exciting things going on and our local club is getting into work on our fundraiser.
 
I hope that as we venture into fall you remember to "take time for all things" and if you feel overwhelmed like I did, ask for help from a GFWC sister. We all need a refresher. Speaking of that, I need to run and get the laundry out. Never a dull moment at my home BUT I want the laundry done before the weekend because I made myself an appointment at the Spa for Saturday afternoon. Don't forget that "let us forget not to be kind" also applies to be kind to ourselves!
 
Federation Love,
Allison
 

PPD Act Fails in Senate

Good morning! Unfortunately, I don't have good news. The Mother's Act (part of Advancing America's Priorities Act) was denied by Senate on Monday, July 28. Carol Blocker called me late Monday night to give me the news.

This is very disappointing. In addition to the Melanie Blocker-Stokes Act, several key bills included in the AAP were not passed, including ALS rearching and funding for registry act, Combatting Child Exploitation Act to protect children from internet crimes, Christopher and Dana Reeve paralysis act, and the Drug Endangered Children Act.

Obviously, this is a very sad outcome, but it doesn't diminish the power we demonstrated by getting involved! For many of us, this was the first time we contacted our legislators and made ourselves heard. This legislation may have not have passed this time, but that won't deter me from continuing to work on the grassroots level. We do have a voice and the opportunity to speak out about what matters to us.

I plan to keep working to help in whatever way I can to raise awareness, and I believe that someday the Melanie Blocker-Stokes Act will pass! I have coined a phrase that will speak for me (and I even checked to make sure someone else didn't think of it first); perhaps I"ll trademark it!

"Whoever said a watched pot never boils didn't stand there long enough!"

Many thanks for your support!

Love, Allison

Let's Make It Happen!

Okay, it's time once again to put advocacy into action! This time though, it's EASIER than ever! Thanks to Dr. Thorne, I just got word that the Mother's Act could pass this week! I immediately called Carol Blocker and this is what we need to do!

Click on this link and put in your zipcode to fill in your legislators and media, from the very top--President Bush--all the way down to your local TV stations and newspapers. This form will send an e-mail right to our government. The letter is already filled in, you just put in your name and choose who you want to send it to! Simple as that! We need to flood these inboxes!

Now get to writing!

Passion in Action

Happy Summer everyone! I hope you're enjoying the warmer months. I am about to head out to the gym, as I need to work off those lingering calories from Chicago Convention and our trip to NY to see my in-laws.

I have exciting news about my Passion Project! GFWC Convention in Chicago afforded me the opportunity to meet Mrs. Carol Blocker, mother of the late Melanie Blocker-Stokes and founder of the Melanie Stokes Foundation Inc.

It dawned on me a week before Convention that Melanie was from Chicago and her family still resides there. I called Carol and had the  pleasure of sitting down with her over breakfast and having a lengthy discussion about how we can get the Mother's Act passed, and how to get the subject of postpartum mood disorders in the public eye. Meeting Carol was a very bittersweet experience--she is such an amazing, warm, and loving woman, but the reason that we were able to come together is not a happy one. Melanie was such a beautiful person--a wife, daughter, sister, friend and new mother. Her untimely death to postpartum psychosis was absolutely unneccessary and the one thing that Carol left me with was, "Please talk about my Melanie."

To that end, I have the big dream of organizing a 5K walk/run here in Charlotte. It will be called Melanie's Walk. I have to say I have NO idea what I'm doing. I know I have asked for your help before but I really need it now. If you have ideas or suggestions of how I can organize this, please let me know!

Also in the big news department, my ob/gyn Dr. Sharrol Barnes has asked me to help create a flyer about PPMD's to put in a new patient bag for all her newly pregnant patients! WOW!! I feel like everything is really happening (and FAST!)  I have a lot on my plate so a lesson in listing my priorities is probably due. I know I can do this with the right timing, planning and effort. I just need to carefully balance everything ~ something we clubwomen are pretty good at!

Celebrating Ourselves

Hi everyone! I hope you're enjoying the end of spring and the "official" countdown to Summer. Here in NC, school is out and we already consider it Summer since it's so hot!

I had a neat little moment last week in the middle of cleaning my house, oddly enough, and I wanted to share it with you. I don't know how often you get the chance celebrate special occasions that call for going out, but being a stay-at-home mom, it's not very often that my life calls for "playing dress-up" as I so often loved to do. Last Wednesday, I was in the middle of ironing my children's clothes, not a touch of makeup on and my hair in a ponytail ,smelling sweaty from the gym; nothing remotely special about it!

However, the GFWC Annual International Convention was on my mind to pass the time (as it has been lately since it's so close!) and I realized that I have a special occasion to get dressed up for! Convention is all about celebrating what we, the women of GFWC, have done and will do. We may not think of it that way, but it's a special occasion to acknowledge all the hard work that goes into what we do. We have provided for, brought hope, smiles, much-needed funding and given our time to enrich the lives of others.

We, the clubmembers of GFWC are to be celebrated and to celebrate each other! WE are the special occasion! I highly doubt I'll ever walk a real red carpet in my lifetime but I like to think of the entire Hilton Chicago as GFWC's red carpet for us all to walk at the 117th Annual International Convention. I can't wait for Illinois State Night. I will be there in my "special occasion best" and hope to see you there - please come say Hello if you see me!

State Convention Wrap-Up

Hi Everyone!

Long time - no post! I have been navigating the road to a routine with a toddler and a newborn and I have to admit it's hard to find some quiet time during my waking hours! My little one is sleeping through the night now and the last week has been smooth sailing. I had the joy of attending GFWC-NC's Convention a few weeks ago and WOW, how exciting!!! It has gotten me even more pumped up for GFWC Convention in Chicago. I hope you've all registered by now. I know my roomie, Rachel, and I are really looking forward to the tours and fitting in some time for deep dish pizza!

State Convention was such a great experience. We installed our new Board and State President (Beverly Lassiter, pictured with me at right) and seeing everyone from all over North Carolina gathered for Federation fellowship was truly like a big family reunion. The members of our Federation are what makes GFWC so special. We really are like family.

I know many of your clubs are finishing the club year and installing a new group of leaders. Our club takes a few weeks off in the Summer; I encourage you to rest and enjoy the beauty of our lives. Think about what really makes you commit to clubwork. Taking a break and then going back with a refocused attitude will bring a fresh flow of energy.

Speaking of energy, I had the opportunity to work with the 2008 NC LEADS class at our State Convention. It was an honor to share my experiences with them and see just how excited and ready they are to move up in Federation. NC LEADS is a day long training seminar modeled off of the LEADS program at Convention where we equip these members with the tools and knowledge to move up in the District, State and National level. Our state LEADS candidate for 2008 is Kim Cook of the Lumberton Woman's Club and I know she will do a fantastic job representing North Carolina! I am already looking forward to attending the LEADS Graduates breakfast this year and hearing more from past and present LEADS ladies. (Allison is pictured above with members of the Charlotte Junior Woman's Club: Angie McDuffie, Allison Yezek, Angela Knight, Naida Sergel, and Club President Robin McLaurin.)

I encourage you all to invite your state LEADS candidates to your local meetings. So many opportunites will open up to these women, you need to get them on your club calendars now! They would be more than glad to talk about a variety of leadership topics and help in growing our Federation garden of work.

Wow -  I didn't mean to really focus on LEADS today but "go where your heart leads", right? If you haven't taken the time to read all about the program, check out GFWC.org for info. and the application to this excellent program!

Have a great weekend!!

May is PPMD Awareness Month!

Hi everyone, recently New Hampshire Governor John Lynch declared May as “Postpartum Mood and Anxiety Disorders Awareness Month.” Awareness is the key to helping mothers deal with and overcome postpartum mood disorders. Various hospitals, clubs, and organizations around the state joined together with Postpartum Support International to raise awareness and their collaboration paid off.

Awareness can be raised in your area too! Postpartum Support International is a worldwide organization dedicated to providing support to families dealing with post partum mood disorders and raising awareness. In almost every state there is at least one group whose mission is to provide support for those dealing with PPMD. 

In North Carolina, we have Moms Supporting Moms. They offer peer group meetings, medical advisors, phone support from volunteers trained to answer questions, and outreach education programs. On their website they provide advice, PPMD information, names of other support groups, professional contacts, and social networks. They are committed to providing “support and encouragement for women struggling with issues related to pregnancy, delivery, and early motherhood.” Supporting organizations that promote awareness in their communities and offer assistance to victims of postpartum disorders make a difference is the availability of PPMD resources and level of awareness. I wrote before that I was disappointed to find that many North Carolina doctors and hospital staff are not checking for symptoms of postpartum mood disorders, but organizations like this are motivating change.

All women and mothers should be aware of postpartum mood disorders because chances are it will affect someone they know. By learning about them and working with the government, hospitals, and both local and international organizations to spread the word we can help families all around the world.

Also, if you haven’t contacted your representatives in support of The Mother’s Act, please do.

My passion project continues, I hope yours does too.

A Sweet Spring Arrival!

Hi Everyone, great news to share from my household. We have a brand new baby boy! Mason James Yezek was born Thursday, April 10. He weighed in at 7 lbs. 5 oz. He is just precious and a true bundle of joy!

We are getting adjusted to having two children and working on a schedule but so far, so good! Ava is such a wonderful big sister and a true Mommy's helper. She asks to hold him several times a day and gives him lots of kisses. Life is good! Mason is a great sleeper and Mommy is truly thankful!

GFWC-North Carolina state convention is next week and I am so excited to attend! Thankfully, it's in Charlotte this year so my Mom is coming to stay at my house and watch Ava & Mason during the day for us. Lots of adventure will ensue, I'm sure! I am helping with the NC LEADS seminar and I can't wait to meet this year's leaders-in-training! Also, my dear friend and mentor Beverly Lassiter will be installed as GFWC-NC President. We are all so proud of her!!

As a side note, when I was being discharged from the hospital and the nurses were going over all the home instructions with me, not one word was mentioned about postpartum depression or any of the linked mood disorders. I'm disappointed but not terribly shocked; we must change this! I want to see a handout go home with every new mother and at least possible symtoms discussed before women leave the hospital! My passion project continues!

Have a wonderful week and let me continue to hear from you and your wonderful ideas!

In Federation Friendship,
Allison