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  Thanks to Connor Murphy for this contribution! Trigger Warning: This poem briefly alludes to violent imagery.  Pb and J Lunchtime for Us A little before midday Finally, we can laugh and play! Today is special, we think it’s true. All our lunch boxes are red, white and blue! They tell us this experience is brand new, But I remember hearing about it, don’t you? Our hunger cannot be held at bay We open our bags and jump into the fray  To feast our eyes on the most glorious Pb and J! We tuck our napkins in our necks Cloth, close to our chests  A pristine Pb-proof vest. Before we take a bite We remember how to do the prayer; “If you please,  Hug your knees And bow your head Under a table or chair.” We call this the Hibernating Bear!  “Stop! Something isn’t right!” Someone yells, giving us a fright! “The J is spread too light!” Another one of us says, with not much delight; “Yeah, my J is too heavy! To lift it, takes all my might!” Sandwiches in hand, we march to the cafeteria door, Rata t

Please contact Laura Robbins with questions: Laura Robbins, CHES, CWWS | Health & Wellbeing Manager  MaineHealth | Human Resources 229 Vaughan St., Portland, ME 04102 Office: (207) 661-7552 | Fax: (207) 662-6753 Email:  lhrobbins@mainehealth.org Everyone faces challenges in their life that can impact their mental health. Like all parts of our physical health, our emotional and intellectual spheres make up our mental health and also require regular check-ups.   May is Mental Health Awareness Month   and perfect time to strengthen our efforts on prevention, awareness and taking action.  This has been a difficult and uncertain year, balancing work demands and self-care has been challenging for many. This pandemic has exceled rates of excessive stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use, now more than ever is the time to reduce mental health stigma, which is often what gets in the way of individuals seeking help. It is critical for us to normalize mental health to begin the

  Dear Care Team Members,   A short time ago the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) completed a tally of ballots and reported that a majority of MMC nurses who cast a ballot have voted to approve representation by National Nurses United and the Maine State Nurses Association. We are reviewing the election results within the guidelines and the seven-day timeframe set by the NLRB.    I want to thank our nurse colleagues who engaged in this process over the last several months and used their ballot to make their voice heard. I also want to recognize and thank our nurse leaders who worked diligently with their teams to explore and discuss the issue of unionization.   As you know, Maine Medical Center had encouraged nurses to vote against the union. We continue to believe that our care team members can have a better work environment by working directly with leaders throughout the medical center. While the vote will bring about change, particularly for our nursing colleagues, I want to ma

 Thanks to Elizabeth Campbell for this contribution! LINK to article Emily Badger and Claire Cain Miller Mon, April 26, 2021, 8:20 AM · 8 min read American mothers have always been sorted and divided — deemed worthy of aid or not — by race, by class, by marital status, by what their husbands do, by whether they have had too many children or not enough. All these fault lines, though, will be ignored by the federal government this summer when it begins delivering a monthly check of $250 to $300 per child to all but the richest families in the United States. It will go to families whether they have one parent or two, and whether their mothers have an income or not. The benefit, an expansion of the child tax credit, is in place through the end of the year. It would be locked in through 2025 as part of the American Families Plan that President Joe Biden is expected to unveil this week, the next step in what proponents hope will be a permanent expansion of the American safety net for familie

  April 26, 2021 | Volume 4, Issue 31 MESSAGE FROM THE DEAN Dear GSBS Community, After a long and challenging winter, I feel we are beginning to see seeds of hope take root. Last week was an eventful one. On Monday, all Americans 16 and older became eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, a move toward ending the pandemic and beginning our return to a new normal. In our own school, we are moving toward safely decreasing social distancing requirements as more of our community members are vaccinated. On Tuesday, we saw Derek Chauvin convicted for the murder of George Floyd. It was an emotionally challenging day, but one where accountability was, finally, in evidence. While we have much work to do for social justice, we can hope this serves as the beginning of a new era. Thursday was Earth Day, and it warms my heart to see our president convene world leaders to combat climate change. Again, this is just a beginning, but action toward reducing human impact on the environment is critical.