Moving Beyond Cancer in NOLA: March 2022

Hello, First Aider family! In honor of Women’s History Month, Mental Health First Aid (MHFA), in partnership with the kate spade new york foundation, is releasing a series of Mental Health Essentials webinars designed to help women, girls and those who support them reduce stigma, build a culture of nonjudgmental listening and support community members who show signs of needing help.

The series highlights how major recent events like the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionately impacted women and provides guidance that anyone can use, from how to navigate life changes to how to recover from burnout. For more information about supporting women’s wellbeing and to learn practical, culturally sensitive, recovery-focused techniques for thriving despite a mental health or substance use challenge, view the recorded series.

To help you take care of your own mental wellbeing and support those around you, we shared information and resources via the MHFA blog all month long. Check out these posts or visit us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram!

How and Why to Practice Self-Care

Engaging in a self-care routine has been clinically proven to reduce or eliminate anxiety and depression, reduce stress, increase happiness and more. It can help you adapt to changes, build strong relationships and recover from setbacks. Read more.

Managing Your Workplace Health as the Seasons Change

The moment many of us have been eagerly awaiting, the start of Spring, has finally arrived! As humans, our overall wellbeing is intricately tied to nature – from the amount of daylight we experience to time spent in green and blue spaces like parks and meadows or lakes and rivers – the seasons are changing around us with purpose, and with these five tips from Mental Health First Aid At Work, you can follow suit. Read more.

Empowering Women’s Wellbeing in Partnership with the kate spade new york foundation

The kate spade new york foundation believes that when a woman’s mental health is supported, she is able to make positive change for herself, her family and members of her community. With this in mind, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing hosted a webinar series surrounding four domains of wellbeing – Life, Mind, Social and Body – exclusively for women, girls and those who support them in the New York City and New Jersey regions. Read more.

Interested in mental health and substance use advocacy? Register for the National Council for Mental Wellbeing’s Hill Day at Home, a free, virtual event on June 8. During Hill Day at Home, you’ll have the opportunity to hear from key leaders on the latest mental health and substance use policy developments coming from Capitol Hill and the White House, plus the chance to show your support for key programs like Mental Health First Aid.

Contact your elected official to support investment in crisis lifeline: Anyone experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis deserves a swift, comprehensive and safe response when they call for help. In July 2022, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, the nation’s main connection point to suicide prevention, mental health and substance use crisis response services, will become accessible through a new, three-digit dialing code (988). But states need more resources to establish their systems ahead of July. Lend your voice in support of much-needed investment to ensure care providers can expand their capacity ahead of July.

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the mental health struggles that were already proliferating among young people. Many schools are trying to expand their rosters of adult specialists who can provide support. Some of them are also tapping an additional source: the students themselves. Education Week explores how programs like teen Mental Health First Aid are helping ease the burden on school psychologists, social workers and counselors. Read more.

In Ohio, ABC affiliate WTVG reported on a new initiative aimed at providing Mental Health First Aid training to barbers. “In our community, often times the barber… [is] the pastor, they are the counselor, they are our best friend all at the same time,” said Michael Carter, interim director of Health Equity for the Mental Health Recovery and Services Board of Lucas County. Read more.

As we enter year three of the pandemic, employee wellness is a major topic of discussion, and many organizations are rolling out support that was never considered before. Verywell Health broke down some of the top ways companies will improve employee wellness in 2022, like by prioritizing access to emotional support services and Mental Health First Aid. Read more.

First Aiders are the heart and soul of MHFA! If you want to share how MHFA has impacted your life or that of a loved one, reach out to learn about contributing to our blog or being featured on our social media channels.

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Women’s History Month Wrap Up | March 28, 2022

FRESH & LOCAL:

Women’s History Month Wrap Up

During Women’s History Month, we have shared information about the contributions of women in agriculture and food production, bios of women in our local food sector and even book recommendations focused on women and food. As this month comes to a close, we would like to highlight the unpaid labor of women and how it relates to the food families consume.

In today’s modern family, it is not uncommon for both parents to share the responsibility of being employed. However, there is much to say about the time associated with paid and unpaid work between women and men. The Center of American Progress has conducted research to understand the different facets of this unequal distribution of labor.

For those of you who may be new to this topic, you may not have heard of “the second shift”. This concept refers to unpaid housework and caregiving labor which takes place after the work day, and is a role most often fulfilled by women. Research shows that 80% of women in two-parent, heterosexual relationships with children are the primary grocery shoppers and food preparers in their households, spending an average of 68 minutes a day on meal preparation and 45 minutes a day shopping for groceries - almost two hours a day on providing food!

Market Umbrella supports women both as vendors and also as shoppers! We offer the CCFM box for home delivery for busy working parents who may not always be able to get to a market, and offer programs like Market Match and Market Mommas Club to help support women who are preparing food for their families.

PICKS OF THE WEEK:

CCFM Sunday Market at Great Lawn
April 3rd - again!

Due to filming delays at the Tad Gormley Stadium, we will be holding the Sunday farmers market at the Great Lawn in City Park this coming Sunday April 3rd. Please view this handy map for more information!

great lawn location map

We’re Hiring!

Market Umbrella is currently accepting applications for an Administrative & Communications Manager. This position is a full-time role responsible for assisting in the daily business operations of Market Umbrella. This position provides development and communications support for the organization, and manages our social media and the Market Morsel! To learn more and apply, visit here.

pick of the week

Calling All Kids! Join the Marketeers!

Mark your calendar! Sunday April 3rd we will be hosting our monthly Marketeers Club activity at market in a temporary location at the Great Lawn in City Park. Marketeers club is a free membership for market shoppers under 12. To become a member is easy, fill out this simple membership form.

CCFM’s Spring Farmers Training Series

This series of virtual and in-person classes is targeted to support farmers and producers in creating a more robust market business. You can access our recent and Consumer Behavior at the Farmers Market webinar here. If you’re a direct to consumer seller, or know someone who is, this class has TONS of great insight into best practices for market stall setup to maximize sales. They are open to the public and either free or very low cost. Click here to learn more about the classes and RSVP, which is strongly encouraged to save yourself a space.

pick of the week

vendor of the week

VENDOR OF THE WEEK:

Too Tall Farm and Nursery

Maggie Kaiser and Jacob Ingalls started Too Tall Farm and Nursery in 2015 with the goal of supplying local growers and gardens with a variety of vegetable, herb, and edible flower starts grown in a natural way. Maggie is also a trained and experienced doula and perinatal health advocate working with Birthmark Doula Collective, where she provides physical, emotional, and informational support to pregnant people throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, including chest/breastfeeding. Because of this work, Maggie is very interested in growing medicinal herbs and especially those that support folks during pregnancy and postpartum. Some of her favorite plants are tulsi, skullcap, spilanthes, nettles, and nasturtiums as well as other crops like turmeric, hibiscus roselle, ginger, and leafy greens. Additionally, Maggie has been involved with several different organizing bodies pertaining to the local food system over the years, including supporting Margee Green with her run for Commissioner of Agriculture in 2019; working for the National Young Farmers Coalition to develop better agricultural policy for small farmers on a state and federal level; organizing with the Greater New Orleans Growers Alliance, the NOLA Food Policy Action Council, and Sprout Nola; and, most recently, working with Sprout and Cooperation New Orleans to research, write, and facilitate learning spaces for growers around agricultural cooperatives and collectivism in Louisiana. You can find Too Tall Farm and Nursery at the Thursday Mid-City and Sunday City park markets or visit them at their nursery in the 9th Ward (2817 N Roman) on Fridays from 2-6 pm or Saturdays from 8 am - 1 pm.

CHEF SPOTLIGHT:

Chef Melissa Araujo and Alma Cafe

Chef Melissa Araujo is the sole proprietor of the Araujo Restaurant Group that includes Alma Cafe - which she opened entirely on her own, with no investors. She employs many minority women in her kitchens, helping to build food service skills that are valuable anywhere in the world, creating upward career trajectory for many. As a first generation immigrant from Honduras, she grew up eating home-grown produce, and only once she was in the U.S. experienced supermarkets and heavily processed foods. Her own path back to good health involved a focus on fresh produce, which is the foundation for her local sourcing ethos. Purchasing only the highest quality fruits and vegetables from our local growers, seasonality is front and center on her menu.

What’s your favorite dish to make after visiting the Crescent City Farmers Market? Share your recipes with us on Instagram or Facebook and it might be featured in our weekly newsletter!

special of the week

INTERVIEWS WITH WOMEN LEADERS
OF THE NOLA FOOD SYSTEM:

Sara Levasseur - Jamboree Jams

Provide a brief about your organization or business:

Jamboree is a small batch jam and marmalade company that uses only local, seasonal fruit to create special jars of jam.

One thing you're passionate about in the food system?

Working with and getting to know local farmers. Each season brings something different and I enjoy my product being completely informed by what the land has offered or not been able to offer that season.

One proud accomplishment, related to your food system work?

Honoring our local farmers and their hard work with my end product. The fruit comes first! Our product is processed and priced accordingly.