Welcome to the NWSA’s FIRST Caregiver DEI & Well-Being centered Newsletter!

 

Thank you for being a part of the positive change and implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to all who walk our halls here at Providence. We have heard your voices and requests for access to upcoming DEI events and information to aid you in implementing some of these celebrations and resources within your departments. One way we have provided easier access to this information is by creating a DEI newsletter that will be sent you each month We hope this newsletter and calendar helps in taking the burden off of each of you to come up with a plan to create a more inclusive environment and support you in any way we can.

Purpose of Newsletter: To Equip you! Empower you! To Embrace the Full You!

Our goal is to aid you and your team with resources, activities, and opportunities to shine a light on different DEI celebrations throughout each month. We hope this newsletter and calendar helps in taking the burden off of each of you to come up with a plan to create a more inclusive environment and support you in any way we can. Resources you will find within the newsletter include:

• • Leadership DEI Updates: Local caregiver spotlights and Diversity and Wellbeing updates
  • Multicultural Calendar: interactive monthly multi-cultural calendar where you and your team can easily sign up to participate in different holidays/traditions we will be celebrating – LEADERS PLEASE PRINT A COPY OF THIS CALENDAR TO POST AROUND YOUR DEPARTMENT!! If you want to participate in any DEI activities, please submit a request ASAP. Note – Lunar New Year & Black History participation deadline is 1/17/22
  • DEI Learning Board theme: Gain access to learning boards on the topic of the month as well as pertinent videos, articles, and links
  • Grants to fund Caregiver Equity and Well-being: Easy access to DEI & Well-Being Grant applications to fund projects and serve your departments DEI and wellbeing needs.

Monthly Multicultural Calendar

To open the clickable calendar, click on the image above. The calendar is also located here: DEI Calendar.

Our monthly Multicultural Calendar is a guide to the holidays of the month as well as events/celebrations that the DEI has planned. Each calendar has QR codes that will send you to flyers with more details about each event. If you need assistance in the implementation of any of these projects, have questions about the event, or if you would like to share pictures of how your department celebrated, please email [email protected].

Ideas for Implementation of January’s Events:

• • Reference the Multicultural Calendar to see monthly holidays and celebrations. For example, in January one celebration is World Religion Day on January 16th. The DEI team has created a flyer with resources to various prayers of peace throughout difference religions. Perhaps invite your team to bring in a prayer or poem that speaks to them (regardless of the denomination) and share it at the start of work that day.
  • Appoint a DEI Champion/Ambassador for your department who is responsible for checking Multicultural calendar and implementation of events your team would like to participate in.
  • If you would like help to start a champion/ambassador role: contact DEI Manager [email protected]
  • Decorate your office to reflect culturally diverse holidays for that month.
  • If you have any questions regarding this month’s theme or would like further training opportunities for your team, please reach out to DEI Manager Kaila Alvarez at [email protected] or DEI Project Manager Brooke Chhina at [email protected].

Looking Ahead: February Event Opportunities for you and your team! email [email protected] to participate in any of the following!

• • Lunar New Year: A Lunar New Year Themed Meal will be available in the Colby Cafeteria or for those outside of Colby, you can submit your name to DEI Project Manager, Brooke Chhina to be entered into a drawing to have a Lunar New Year Tea Box ordered for your team. You can also submit a request to have an order of Lunar New Year lanterns be ordered for your office. All requests must be submitted by 1/17 so that supplies can be ordered in time. All orders can be picked up from Kaila’s office in the Colby Admin department on 1/30.
  • Black History Month: In February we will be celebrating Black and African American History Month, if you or someone on your team has a story, or personal experience that they would like to share regarding this celebration please send us an email no later than 1/17/2021. Participates will receive a gift for their time and energy.

Monthly Learning Board Theme & Content Resources

Check out January Learning Board theme of REPRESENTATION here.

Summary of Content:

• • Intro into the importance of diverse representation
  • Team ideas for DEI opportunities around representation
  • Tips for increase diverse representation
  • Resources

Caregiver DEI Resources, Opportunities, & More:

• • APPLY FOR A DEI & WELL-BEING GRANT. As mentioned above, another way the DEI team hopes to support you in DEI efforts is to offer a grant program to help pay for some of your creative ideas. From buying books for a book club, to funding decorations for celebrating an important tradition, to purchasing items to create a “Zen Den” where caregivers can go to relax during breaks, and more, the grant program is here as a resource to you! For more information, or to apply for a grant, please email [email protected]
  • Diversity & Well-Being Committee: Monthly meetings to participate in leading many of the various DEI efforts being taken around the NWSA. Contact [email protected]. for more details
  • Caregiver Resource HUB: there is a new Intranet link to take you to many of the other resources, reports, activities around DEI & Caregiver Well-Being: Caregiver Resources: Equity and Well-Being Hub | PIHC (pihcsnohomish.org)
  • Sharing YOUR STORY: We know that Providence has employees from a vast array of different background, cultures, belief systems, circumstance, and more. It is a privilege to work for a place where we can all learn so much from one another if given the chance. This section of our newsletter is one of those chances.
  • Below is a list of some of our upcoming holidays, celebrations, and monthly themes. If you have a personal connection to any of these topics (or if you have another DEI/Wellness story unrelated to these topics) and feel comfortable sharing, we would love to hear from you. Please reach out to [email protected]. for more details. Those who participate will receive a gift for your time and energy 😊
    • February- Lunar New Year
    • February- Black and African American History Month
    • March- Women’s Equality Month
    • March- National Deaf History Month
    • March- Holi
    • And more, check out the link above to our annual multicultural calendar!

Quote Corner: Print and post them around your department!

• • “When we listen and celebrate what is both common and different, we become wiser, more inclusive, and better as an organization.” — Pat Wadors
  • “Inclusion is not a matter of political correctness. It is the key to growth.” — Jesse Jackson
  • “A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone.” — Sundar Pichai
  • “A lot of different flowers make a bouquet.” — Islamic Proverb

 

Diversity Cooking Class – A monthly recipe highlighting the cuisine of culture’s from around the world.

January: Romanian Fried Cheese Doughnuts –Papanasi

Ingredients:

• • 2 ¼ cups cottage cheese
  • 2 eggs
  • A few drops rum aroma
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 sachet vanilla sugar
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Cooking oil for frying
  • 1 cup crème fraiche
  • Whole fruit jam

Instructions:

• • Drain excess water from cottage cheese
  • Place cottage cheese into a bowl. Add the eggs, rum aroma, granulated and vanilla sugar. With an immersion blender, blend the ingredients until you obtain a rough paste. (The cottage cheese should not be turned into a smooth paste, just blended enough to make the cheese balls a little more delicate.)
  • Mix about 8.1 ounces of flour and the baking soda, then add them to the cheese mixture. Mix with a spoon. Flour the working surface and knead it lightly to form a ball. Add the remaining flour only if absolutely necessary.
  • Divide the dough into 9 balls. Roll 8 of the balls into thick sausages and unite the sausage ends to get a circle with a hole in the middle. Use the last ball to make 8 little balls, which will be used to top the papanasi. In the meantime, heat the oil in the pot. Use enough oil to have about 4 inches of it in the pot. To check if the oil has reached the right temperature, insert a toothpick in the oil; if there are blisters forming around the toothpick, you can start frying the papanasi.
  • Only fry 2 or 3 papanasi at a time, depending on the size of your pan, do not overcrowd.
  • Turn the heat down to medium-low. Turn the doughnuts with a slotted spoon a few times in between and fry until golden brown.
  • Place the papanasi on plates lined with paper towels and dry them to absorb excess oil. Place the little balls on top and top it all with some smetana and jam.
  • Enjoy!

Hosted By:

• • Kaila Alvarez- Diversity Equity & Inclusion Manager [email protected]
  • Brooke Chhina- Diversity Equity & Inclusion Committee Member [email protected]
  • Jessica Burt- PIHC Program Ops Manager, Community Health and Caregiver Equity & Well-Being [email protected]