We’re still here, and grateful to generous members that the PACEs Connection social networking site is still up!
Generous donations by 22 PACES Connection members — including one large gift from the Jacob and Valeria Langeloth Foundation as directed by long-time supporter Lori Dorfman, DrPH — means PACEs Connection met the deadline to stay afloat for another couple of months before one of its important assets, the Resource Center, and its carefully curated database of journal articles, personal and community supports, videos, free handouts, and more, could be lost due to nonpayment.
This news comes amidst the addition of member number 61,000 to the PACEs Connection family.
“We’re grateful to be up and running and heading toward ways to become more self-sustaining,” said Dana Brown, one of the two former staffers who, as volunteers, are working to revitalize the site.
“It’s great news, too, that we are now at 61,000 members, which is impressive, and will be more so as we revitalize the site and hopefully help members get back in the rhythm of sharing their successes,” said Carey Sipp, the second former staffer working as a volunteer to keep the site going and to find and create secure funding for PACEs Connection’s sustainability.
“We’re far from safe as we have a $3500 payment due to the platform for the Resource Center in about 45 days,” adds Brown.
“We hope that before the big bill of about $40,000 for the learning management system — Crowdstack — comes due in March, 2025, our work to secure funding and monetize the site will not only keep it afloat, but be the step toward revitalizing it to become the vibrant center of updates on preventing and healing trauma, and reporting on outstanding community efforts worldwide to create the positive childhood and community experiences that science shows to be so effective in preventing adult mental illness,” said Sipp.
Sipp and Brown rehomed PACEs Connection to the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives (NPSC) in August.
“We need member support to sustain this social networking site and help energize members — longtime and brand new — to share the work being done and to report the stories and successes of the PACEs movement,” said Brown.
“If every member of PACEs Connection just donated $5 a month, the social network could be back in full swing again soon, offering learning opportunities, and new ways to support and connect members and communities," Brown added.
Tax-deductible donations to support PACEs Connection can be made to its fiscal sponsor, NPSC, here, You may also mail a check, made out to the National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives – with “PACEs Connection” on the memo line – in care of Dana Brown, 4364 Bonita Road, PMB322, Bonita, CA 91902. To make a wire transfer or other type of gift, please email Carey Sipp at carey.pacescommunities@gmail.com to receive NPSC’s wire transfer or other electronic funds transfer information. No amount is too small!
Dorfman, who helped make possible the sizable gift toward meeting the Crowdstack payment, is director of the Berkeley Media Studies Group, (BMSG) a project of the Public Health Institute.
Saying she is delighted to hear news of PACEs Connection meeting the funding deadline to maintain the site, Dorfman encourages other members to join her in donating personally, as well as, if they are in a position to do so, to direct foundation or corporate gifts.
“BMSG has conducted research on media portrayals of ACEs science for many years. BMSG found that the number of (ACEs) stories increased dramatically after 2012 – the year science journalist Jane Stevens founded the social network comprising ACEs Too High and ACEs Connection – especially in local and regional news outlets, even though the number of stories was low compared to other topics. We need to see more stories about ACEs, and how communities are addressing them,” Dorfman said.
"It is so important that policymakers, community leaders, medical schools, parents, communities of faith -- all sectors -- understand the consequences of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), and that we can buffer ACEs with positive childhood experiences (PCEs), which enable children to feel and express empathy," said Dorfman. “We need widespread community attention, and the 61,000 members of this network can make it happen,” she said.
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