I found a manila envelope on my desk this morning. Inside was a heartfelt letter wrapped around a small stack of pamphlets.
I can't remember the last time I held a paper resource guide in my hand, and there is something quite satisfying in this small, tangible resource. As I thumb through the pages, I feel myself drawn into a simple, relate-able story. I'm eager to keep turning pages and to discover how those of us with similar stories can find resources and support. "The pamphlet is something like a Reader's Digest version of a book about ACEs and Resiliency," writes Kate in her introductory letter.
My reaction is exactly what my dear friend Kate Jenkins intended when she dreamed up the concept of this handy guide. "I believe we are in the perfect position to take compassionate action," scribes my friend Kate. She single handedly developed the layout, drafted and redrafted content, and then found two community groups to give her the funding to print the materials. When the pamphlet was hot off the press, Kate was ready with copies of a personalized letter introducing the tool and envelopes addressed to community partners to help disseminate the resource. Last Friday, Kate drove around our community dropping the envelopes on desks. Now it's our turn as her partners to get these brochures into the hands of the community and to begin deepening our community connections.
While paper resources can go out of date quickly and may have recently been overshadowed by electronic files, Kate is on to something with her project. Her paper tool is tangible. She can place it in a client or friend's hand and begin a conversation. Understanding ACEs and identifying resiliency is a task that starts with one introduction or revelation, but then becomes a life long journey. Kate's in person hand-off and discussion becomes an invitation to a relationship - to work together and support each other in a path of personal discovery.
Check it out and pass it on: attached here and downloadable from our resources section.
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