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Special Events
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Staff Appreciation Lunch
Fri., Dec. 5
At Arundel Lodge.
Flashies Workshop
Sat., Dec. 6
From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
At Arundel Lodge.
The $40 workshop fee will support building a Reflection Tree at Arundel Lodge. Please contact Katerina Evans to sign up. Materials provided for each participant to make and take home two mirrored "Flashies."
Arundel Lodge Talent Show
Tues., Dec. 16
At 1 p.m.
At Arundel Lodge.
Reflections of a Community Art Show
On display through Fri., Jan. 9.
At Arundel Lodge.
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Monthly Meetings and Groups
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Open Eye Gallery Committee Meeting
Fri., Dec. 5
11 a.m.
At Arundel Lodge. Held on the first Friday of each month. All are welcome. Email Katerina Evans
or call her at (443) 433-5961 with any questions.
NAMI Family Support Group
7 to 8:30 p.m.
At Arundel Lodge.
Open Eye Gallery Committee Meeting
Fri., Jan. 9
11 a.m.
At Arundel Lodge. Held on the first Friday of each month. All are welcome. Email Katerina Evans
or call her at (443) 433-5961 with any questions.
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Miracles Along the Path to Recovery
At Arundel Lodge, miracles don't just happen around the holidays...they happen all year long. Take a look at some of the shining examples of recovery that happen at Arundel Lodge.
The miracle of obtaining employment: Our staff noticed that one of our Deaf clients often appeared sad and unmotivated. There was something missing. After Arundel Lodge Employment Specialist Amanda Fossett helped him find a job at a local retailer, he became inspired.
"I've seen a 180 degree turn-around in his energy level and spirit," says Amanda. "He's so happy to be working and fits into his new environment so nicely. His demeanor and behavior have changed. He's got a new swagger. He's made friends and his employers think he's great!"
The miracle of enjoying everyday things: We had a client who had lived in a state hospital for many years and thought he would never be able to leave the hospital. He entered our Residential Program and we'd often hear him say, "I can't believe this, I'm so blessed!" His joy at living in a warm and welcoming home, and not in a hospital, was palpable.
One day, at a restaurant, he excitedly told us how every time he used to pass a restaurant, he would look in the window and wonder what it would be like to sit inside a restaurant and eat. Now, he couldn't believe that he was finally sitting on the other side of the window. "I can't believe this, I'm so blessed!" he joyfully exclaimed.
The miracle of fulfilling a dream: After her mother died in 2004, C.J. had a dream to live on her own. "I wanted my mother to know that I could make it in life," she said. This small, soft-spoken woman set a goal for herself and asked Arundel Lodge to help her achieve it.
"I used a 'treasury map' with my name at the center and lines that extended out with my goals. It helped me gain inner strength so I wouldn't give up," she said. For 10 years, C.J. kept this dream close to her heart.
"It took a lot of hard work and prayers, faith and determination," she said, but several weeks ago, C.J.'s dream came true. "I'm enjoying setting my place up. It's my things, my house, and I've got the keys."
The miracle of appreciation: A letter we received read, "College was only a dream before, but now it's a reality for me. It is the greatest thing I've done in years and I owe it to all of you for showing me I can do it...I am writing this to tell you all that you changed my life for the better and just knowing you all [in the Fresh Start Program] gives me hope for a bright future.
"Thank you for all your support and time spent with me to help me get this far. I know I will succeed...and survive because of all of your support and guidance. You all changed my life."
These are the just some of the wonders of recovery that we never take for granted at Arundel Lodge. To feel valued and loved, to enjoy friendships, to know purpose, to have a place to call home and to experience gratitude, are miracles that should be shared by all.
Please support Arundel Lodge this holiday season, so together we can continue providing these miracles all year long for individuals in our community.
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Announcing Arundel Lodge's First Annual Reindeer Round-Up!
No one should be without a gift this holiday season! Want to help? A gift request is written on each reindeer in the Reindeer Pen, located in our lobby. You can:
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Sassy Reindeer
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Choose as many reindeer as you like and return the gifts to Arundel Lodge by Friday, Dec. 19.
OR
Make a donation that can be used to purchase a gift card for one of our 150 participants. Check may be made payable to Arundel Lodge, Inc.
Gifts will be distributed at our Holiday Gathering on Monday, Dec. 22. Light refreshments will be served. Please join us!
To donate, volunteer to bring a healthy snack, or for more information, email Cindy Garmoe or call her at 443-433-5906.
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Make the Food Mood Connection This Holiday Season!
We are officially in holiday preparation season. Although this is "the most wonderful time of the year," we are susceptible to experiencing high stress levels and bouts of emotional imbalance. Did you know you can manage the stress and emotional fluctuations the holidays bring in a healthy manner, based on what you eat?
It's called the Food Mood Connection. This theory suggests that the foods we eat influence our body's response to stress.
David Ludwig, an endocrinologist and professor of pediatrics and nutrition at Harvard University, said, "When we feel stressed we seek foods that are going to immediately comfort us; but often times those foods lead to surges and crashes in hormones and blood sugar that increases our susceptibility to new stresses."
Instead of reaching for sugary holiday cookies or highly refined carbohydrates like white breads and pastas, consider the following suggestions to help combat the mental and emotional stresses of the holiday season.
- Choose foods that will help keep your energy levels high all day long: Eat high-fiber foods, such as whole grains, oats, and nuts; try foods high in antioxidants such as dark green leafy vegetables that reduce inflammation in the body. Sweet potatoes, ranked number one in nutritional value, have lots of benefits. Not only are they high in fiber, protein, vitamins A and C, iron, and calcium, but they are a complex carbohydrate that provides long-lasting energy.
- Prepare healthier snacking options to grab and go: Try snacking on a piece of fruit, make a trail mix, or have small baggies of fresh veggies readily available to take with you when you are in a hurry.
- Plan ahead: Write out a holiday plan. Get your family involved and allow everyone to play a role in the season's preparation process. This will minimize stress and give you time to choose better eating options, making your holiday experience more enjoyable.
- Avoid too much caffeine and alcohol: The increased energy levels provided from large doses of these chemicals are artificial and very short lived. Once you come down from the high, you will be too exhausted to keep up with your holiday tasks.
- Treat yourself: After you've put in all your hard work to make a great holiday for you and your family, indulge...in moderation.
Our Residential Program staff here at Arundel Lodge works together to help residents stay healthy for the holidays and all year long. We spoke with Edra Oliver and Adrienne Taylor to discover methods they've been using to get our persons served eating healthier and staying active.
Adrienne explained that she likes to educate residents on the benefits of eating healthy foods and the dangers that processed foods pose for the body.
Edra expressed how she noticed many of our residents have a sweet tooth, so when she cooks dinner for them, she substitutes the sugar-loaded foods for sweet healthier options and they love it! She said, "Sometimes I will cook the sweet stuff they like but add less sugar and they can't tell the difference!"
Adrienne ensures our residents go for walks twice daily to help them achieve a moderate level of physical exercise every day. Adrienne also shared that she likes to make themed meals. For instance, on "Salad Fridays" residents come together and make fresh salads for dinner.
Edra and Adrienne also assist our residents in budgeting for food, helping them to plan their weekly menus and showing them how to budget for what they want.
With all the hard work it takes to stay on task, Edra and Adrienne humbly expressed, "We may bring the suggestions and ideas. And we may even get [residents] started on the right track, but the night shift enforces what we teach and we wouldn't be able to successfully do this without the entire team. This is a team effort."
Coupons are a great way to help our residents budget and purchase fresh, healthy foods. If you would like to help support healthy food for our residents, email Edra Oliver or mail your coupons to 2600 Solomons Island Rd Edgewater, MD, 21037, ATTN: Edra Oliver.
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Photos from Reflections of a Community Art Event
Good food, live jazz music and beautiful artwork from the Arundel Lodge community inspired family, friends, volunteers and staff to create "Flashies" at the Reflections art event last month. The colorful, mirrored creations will adorn the Reflection Tree which will shine in our Serenity Garden.
This Saturday, Dec. 6, is your opportunity to join in the fun! Come to Arundel Lodge from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to make your own "Flashies" to give as holiday gifts to family and friends or donate them to our Reflection Tree. Everyone loves shiny things! The workshop fee of $40 will include materials for two "Flashies," and will support the building of the base of the Reflection Tree. Please contact Katerina Evans to sign up for the Saturday workshop!
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Barbara Cantor, one of our volunteers, displays mirrored glass tiles.
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 | | Cesar Ulsano plays music at the Reflections of a Community event. |
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Artwork by Jess Clow.
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Making mirrored "Flashies."
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 | | Volunteers Caedon and Kohner Evans. |
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Artwork by Anonymous.
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Artwork by Bryan Kyhos.
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Artwork by Katerina Evans.
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Thanks to Latest Donors for Children and Adolescents Center
We are getting closer to our fundraising goal for our new Children and Adolescents Center and would like to thank our most recent donors.
Hero:
The Kincey and Bruce Potter Environmental Fund
Superhero:
Blaxall Fund for Economic Growth
To donate and help children and adolescents in Anne Arundel County, please contact Tanya St. John at 443-433-5928 or visit our website.
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Thank You to Our Thanksgiving Day Volunteers!
It's really the special people in our lives who make the holidays meaningful. This year we had a large group of volunteers who were willing to be those special people on Thanksgiving Day for the folks in our Day Program. The sharing of one's time is a gift like no other because it's from the heart.
Thank you to the Tucker, Boyer, and Sanches families, as well as others for providing the warmth of a nurturing meal on our Nation's Day of Grace to individuals who would not experience it otherwise, and thank you for being part of the Arundel Lodge family.
 | | Volunteers from the Boyer family. |
 | | Volunteers from the Tucker family. |
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Meet Our Recent Clinic Intern, Elisabeth Turner
An important component of Arundel Lodge's outreach into the community is the internship program we offer. Not only is it a great benefit to Arundel Lodge to have a continual source of new energy and fresh ideas from students interested in the field of human services, counseling, and therapy, but we also get to influence their perspectives and help in their growth process.
LaShandra Oliver was an intern at Arundel Lodge while she completed her Masters in Counseling and is now a therapist here. She said, "We're passionate about our jobs and what we do and we want to bring new people into the field that are going to share in that passion and are going to be great clinicians who believe in the Recovery Model, believe that the client comes first, believe in what Arundel Lodge believes, you know, those values that I think are important to a lot of us.
 | | Elisabeth Turner, a recent intern at Arundel Lodge. |
"Not everybody is going to get that from their schools or from other places in the county or the state, so I think that's one of the benefits of having interns here. I also think [interns] get a really great education here," LaShandra said.
"The clientele here is so [varied] that the interns are going to have an opportunity to see groups in session if they go down to the Day Program or even in the clinic.
"They can experience [working with] couples, adults, even teenagers if they want and they're going to see substance use, severe schizophrenia, people who are just here for ADHD medication...just a wide variety of everything you can imagine in the therapy field. So I think that's a huge benefit of coming to an agency like this, because we have a little bit of everything."
On that note, Arundel Lodge had a special intern back in September, all the way from "across the pond" in the United Kingdom. Elisabeth Turner lives and studies in the U.K. and is doing her Masters in Social Work at Kingston University in London. Part of her program required her to do a ten-day shadowing placement at an international organization of her choice. We asked her a few questions about her experience interning at Arundel Lodge.
Arundel Lodge: We're quite a distance from England. How did you find Arundel Lodge?
Elisabeth: I'm originally from Annapolis. I went to Annapolis High School and studied in the International Baccalaureate Program. One of my high school friends works in the MICA program at Arundel Lodge and suggested that I check it out as an option to fulfill my University program. After researching a few places, I chose Arundel Lodge because of its philosophy of approaching treatment for individuals in a holistic way.
Arundel Lodge: What have you gained from your experience?
Elisabeth: First, I was so lucky because I was exposed to every program and department at Arundel Lodge and I got an overall picture of how things work. I've learned so much. What I've gained personally? I was unsure of where my career path was headed. I had an idea of what I wanted to do, but I had never put it into action. Now I have a better idea of what I want to do when I graduate. I'm an American and I want to come back to the States. Honestly, I plan on applying for a job at Arundel Lodge.
Arundel Lodge: Will your degree transfer?
Elisabeth: Yes, because it's a general Social Work degree. I can be accredited in Maryland.
Arundel Lodge: When do you plan on returning?
Elisabeth: I have one year left. I graduate in September 2015, but I'm trying to finish before then.
Arundel Lodge: What stood out most for you at Arundel Lodge?
Elisabeth: What really stood out for me was the Art Program, classes and art therapy. At Arundel Lodge, the art is all over the walls and art is important to me. I want to be an art therapist and will specialize after I've been in the field for a while.
In a follow-up postcard Elisabeth sent after returning to the U.K. she wrote, "Thank you for having me for my two-week shadow project. My time there was truly life-changing and I felt so inspired by all of the incredible work done by each and every one of you. I hope to be a part of something as amazing as Arundel Lodge one day!"
Thank you for your kind words, Elisabeth. We are glad that Arundel Lodge is able to inspire young people like yourself to pursue a career in the service of others. We look forward to your return!
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