by Michelle | Oct 5, 2023 | Being Well, Featured, Work Well
To promote the well-being and growth of children, access to regular physical activity is essential. Over the past three years, Tillamook County Wellness’ Health Promotions Committee has been offering fun, physical activity programs designed to introduce families to local outdoor recreational opportunities. Where participants qualify for exciting prize drawings.
Historically, we’ve collaborated with schools, local libraries, the Oregon Food Bank, and various community partners to promote these activities. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’ve been able to incentivize participation through rewarding prizes.
Tillamook County Wellness would like to encourage more family participation, especially among families with children aged 0-17 years. Since younger children might not have the means or easy access to parks and other physical activity locations on their own, they depend on older family members for transportation and motivation. This realization has led us to develop a more deliberate strategy for engaging families in 2024.
We plan to identify and acquire participation prizes that are specifically appealing to families. The Kiwanis Community Giving Award Funds will play a crucial role in enabling us to achieve this goal.
Tillamook County Wellness extends its heartfelt gratitude to be the recipients of the Kiwanis Community Giving Fund. Their support is invaluable in helping us achieve our mission of promoting health and well-being in our community to young children in Tillamook County.
Picture of: Janeane Krongos of Tillamook Family Counseling Center and Ron Rush of Tillamook Kiwanis Club
Tillamook County Wellness is a community-driven initiative with a primary focus on reducing the risk of chronic diseases by promoting healthy behaviors from an early age. We believe that by making healthy choices more accessible and enjoyable, we can cultivate thriving and vibrant communities.
by Guest | Sep 3, 2023 | Being Well, Featured, Work Well
Each year, lives are lost due to suicide. Suicide is an intentional self-inflected death. This cause
of death is complex and is typically a result of many factors in a person’s life. These factors are
often referred to as risk factors. A risk factor is a condition, characteristic, or attribute that can
increase the risk of a negative outcome. Examples of suicide risk factors include: a previous
suicide attempt, access to lethal means, social isolation, lack of access of care, problem
gambling, substance use disorder, loss of a loved one (especially by suicide), and a stigma of
discussing mental health. If you would like to learn more about risk factors, I recommend the
CDC’s Risk and Protective Factors, this resource can be accessed on the CDC’s
website(www.cdc.gov).
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States and in Oregon. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in the year 2021, suicide was the 11th leading cause
of death in the United States. The CDC’s data shows that in the year 2021 there were 48,183
suicide deaths in the United States. For more information about national suicide statistics visit
www.cdc.gov. According to the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), in the year 2021, suicide was
the 10th leading cause of death in Oregon. OHA’s Center for Health Statistics data shows that
893 Oregonians died by suicide in the year 2021. For more information the state level suicide
statistics visit www.oregon.gov.
The good news is that this cause of death is preventable. One way to prevent suicide is to
increase protective factors. Protective factors are a characteristic, attribute, or condition that
can decrease a negative health outcome. Protective factors include: a connection with others,
access to mental health care, access to basic needs, reduced access to lethal means, coping
strategies, and problem-solving skills. For more information about protective factors, I
recommend the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention’s (AFSP) Risk factors, Protective
Factors, and Warning Signs, this resource can be accessed on the AFSP website (www.afsp.org).
If you would like to learn more about suicide prevention, I recommend attending a Question,
Persuade, and Refer (QPR) Gatekeeper training. This training is an evidence-based suicide
prevention training that has been used worldwide. In this training participants learn about
suicide, suicide warning signs, conversations tips, and the three steps of QPR. After the
completion of the training participants will receive a certificate, QPR Institute booklet, and
other relevant prevention information.
Since the year 2020, the Tillamook Family Counseling Center (TFCC) has offered the QPR
Gatekeeper training to community members every other month (or as requested). From
September 2020-August 2023, TFCC prevention staff has offered 32 QPR Gatekeeper trainings
(29 in English and 3 in Spanish) and have trained close to 300 community members. This past
year, TFCC has begun to offer QPR Gatekeeper trainings in the Spanish language. If you would
like to learn more about this new offering, please contact Angelicao@tfcc.org. TFCC will present
a virtual English QPR Gatekeeper training on September 11th from 10-11:30AM. If you would
like to register for this training email me at Janeanek@tfcc.org.
If you are having thoughts about suicide, you are not alone, help is available. For local crisis
support call the Tillamook County 24/7 crisis support at (503)842-8201. For national support
call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at (800)273-
8255.
If you should have questions about this blog. Please feel free to contact Janeane at
Janeanek@tfcc.org.
AUTHOR: Janeane Krongos, Tillamook Family Counseling Center, CPS
For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
by Guest | Aug 18, 2023 | Featured, Work Well
When rushing into life-altering events, it can be hard to keep up momentum or recover when you trip, experiences that Briar and Micah Smith know all too well. Married at age 20 and having their first child within a year, they found themselves a few years later $32,000 in credit card debt and dangerously close to housing foreclosure. Even Micah’s 50-hour work week and Briar’s full-time and part-time jobs couldn’t compensate for these issues. Briar, shocked by the revelations revealed by her partner, decided they would work together and find a solution.
They would squeeze in extra jobs to keep pace with their bills and used Briar’s tip money whenever possible. Micah and Briar leaned in and shared the financial responsibilities, held each other accountable, had grace and mercy for one another, and worked harder then ever! Briar took on a second part-time job in addition to full-time and other part-time positions. Although they initially didn’t like the idea of a budget, they reframed it from being a restriction of spending to a method of directing funds to their desires. Financial classes aided them, as they became more organized.
Working within their constraints often meant making self-sacrifices and seizing on opportunities. To make sure their kids ate fruits and vegetables, they would eat simple meals of ramen and peanut butter sandwiches. Whenever invited for meals with parents, they would accept the food and take to-go boxes. They learned not every decision had to take effort. Automatic transfers into retirement funds and designated checking or savings accounts relieved them of constant worry. To achieve their financial goals, the Smiths needed to plan wisely, recognizing they wouldn’t stick to their plan if everything was manual.
Ultimately, consistent communication and working as a team was key. Micah hadn’t told Briar he had a credit card when he revealed the debt. Now they discuss their financial goals and any unusual transfers, making sure they’re on the same page. The Smith’s hit the ground running and nearly trampled, but with enough coordination and education, they were able to stay afoot. Watch their story here: https://youtu.be/pPCL_chAXeU.
Financial Beginnings, a new local source for free financial education classes, offers the same opportunities that helped Briar & Micah. Easy-to-follow and designed to meet individual needs regardless of ethnicity, age or education level, there is something for everyone. Classes are currently happening through Helping Hands and at Tillamook Bay Community College, with programming coming to area schools in the Fall. Additional classes are to be scheduled by other partners soon.
Financial education isn’t just for 20-somethings. It is for anyone seeking stability and freedom from financial stress. Find your momentum today.
AUTHOR: Andy Jenck, Urban Rural Action Volunteer
For more information, visit our website at https://tillamookcountywellness.org/work-well/financial-wellness and follow Tillamook County Wellness on social media.
by Guest | May 3, 2023 | Featured, Work Well
There are 8 dimensions of wellness and the one that people don’t like to talk about is financial wellness. Talking about money can be uncomfortable yet we all have money stories and we all have a relationship with money due to living in a capitalist society. Not only do we have our personal relationship with money, that is formed by how we grow up and our early interactions with having or not having money, but money and finances also impact our relationships with others. Especially our personal, intimate relationships. I reached out to a couple professionals to ask them for their knowledge and expertise on money and relationships. Here is what they had to say.
Question: How can finances, or our relationship to finances, impact our individual health?
Lisa Brumm, CEO of My Financial Girlfriend: Money and the lack of knowledge of how to best utilize our money is one of the Top 3 life stressors. High levels of financial stress present through physical symptoms like loss of sleep, high anxiety, headaches/migraines, compromised immune systems, digestive and colon issues, high blood pressure, muscle tension, heart arrhythmia, depression and a feeling of being overwhelmed. Our relationship with money is sadly built on anxiety, helplessness, and worry, so the lack of knowledge becomes a vicious circle with trying to better our circumstances. “Go to school, get a degree, find a job and then retire when you’re 68” has been the framework for decades and unless you are born into generational wealth this is the sad status quo.
Molly Mandelberg, Founder of Wild Hearts Rise Up: How we do anything is how we do everything. If we are avoiding our money, or ignoring it, or feeling bad about it, it’s likely not the only thing we are being that way with. When we start to tend to our finances, give them our attention, and be intentional about them, that relationship begins to heal and our experience of money can change.
Q: How might our relationship to finances impact a relationship with a partner? What challenges may couples face with finances?
Lisa: People who face money issues or are dealing with debt may feel insignificant or even worthless because they have few assets to show for their work. Many people who are stressed turn to unhealthy habits. Communication with couples in these stressful times tend to turn to blaming each other for their poor choices. This failure to recognize and accept their own responsibility is the ultimate breakdown in the relationship. Aside from infidelity, Finances is the second top reason for divorce or break ups in relationships. Money can also cause stress because of the side effects and consequences that can come from poor financial decisions or specifically from lack of confidence. In relationships, money can be a very sensitive issue too. We are not taught in America about how to handle or manage money. We usually must go through extreme crises or be even nearly bankrupt before we reach out for help due to the shame and embarrassment.
Molly: Money can be an uncomfortable topic for people, it can be even more highly charged when it comes to partnership and sharing finances with another person. Whether that be a romantic partnership or a collaboration with a peer in your profession. It’s helpful to name the discomfort, to open the communication to create clear and healthy boundaries so that it’s safe to discuss what needs to be brought up, and the ideally mutually beneficial practices can be created. The truth is valuable, and being willing to share what’s really going on can free you up for even deeper connection while co-creating a container for more money and magic to flow through.
Q: How do you start to have conversations with yourself about money and finances? What might be helpful to keep in mind when starting to have conversations with a partner about money?
Lisa: Realize that if your rent, lights, and cell phone are paid that you are probably doing better than you think. It is where we think about having hundreds of thousands of dollars because we are constantly comparing our situation to others. You overhear someone talking about a great vacation that they just had or trading in their car for something newer that we begin to think we are worthless. We must stop comparing our financial life to others. In a relationship, this becomes an even stronger bond to be supportive and talk about your goals. Be each other’s cheerleaders and see what areas you have alignment and a similar point of view around money.
Molly: Begin by asking yourself what your current stories are about money. How do you believe it works? What has been taught (or not taught) to you about money? Is your narrative supportive of you expanding your wealth or does the story hinder that expansion? Once you’re aware of the programming, you can consciously choose to rewrite your beliefs and lay in a new operating system about how you interact with money, how you care for it, and how you believe it can come to you. I am a money magnet. Money gets easier and easier for me everyday. I’m willing to become aware of how money and I interact and I’m willing to be a safe and loving place for money to come and stay.
Q: How does one start to manage their personal finances in order to have a healthy relationship with money? What are some strategies for couples when it comes to managing finances together?
Lisa: With a partner, this also helps to have conversations around shared goals and combining efforts together rather than separately. I have clients that have their checking and basic savings account to themselves, but in the household joint expenses they split based on income proportionately. They also put money into jointly held intentions such as vacations, buying a home or savings for vehicles into joint savings. One Money Hack here is to come up with a list of Goals and the purpose for each goal and begin savings small amounts towards those accounts and use timelines to help fund them. For instance, if the next possible event is a vacation at the end of the year, then know how much the vacation would cost, set up a savings account called Vacation to Italy, and divide by the months the first ticket needs to be purchased. It becomes the carrot at the end of the work together!
Molly: A great place to begin healing your relationship to money is to create a money date. You can do this once a month, or once a week, but set aside a time where you actually hang out with your money. What money needs to go out? What is coming in? What’s the difference? You can do this on your own, giving your finances some attention and care, or you can do this in partnership and make a date of it with your significant other. This attention and awareness can be frustrating sometimes if there seems to not be enough money, but the awareness is the beginning of changing the story. Once you know what you need to bring in, you can ask for that specifically, “What would it take for $1200 more to come in this month? What can I be, do, or create to receive $1200 with ease?” Money likes attention.
Q: What do you wish more couples / individuals knew about financial well-being?
Lisa: I wish that more people were “Money curious”. Since we are not getting real-life information around money in schools or our families due to generational lack of knowledge as the majority, then finding places seems impossible. Money coaches and Financial Consultants are actually more readily available than ever before! Seeking guidance is also not a failure, but rather encouraging to get hands-on techniques that can literally feel like huge strides are being taken in building savings or paying down debt faster than imagined.
Molly: I wish everyone knew that money was simply energy, when you focus on an energy, and play with it, the energy expands. This is also true of the energy of money and I’ve seen it proven through hundreds of clients that I’ve supported in my “Peace with Money” program.
Q: Where can folks go for more resources or information?
Lisa: Each State in the US has organizations for Financial Consultants or Money Coaches. These are educated and experienced financial professionals who do not sell products like, mutual funds, investments, annuities, etc. They are specifically in business to educate and strategize with average people who are seeking basic information on wealth building strategies and everything in between.
Local Community Colleges offer classes in Finance, Investments, Accounting for credit or you can take a class for no credit and “Audit” a class in most cases.
My Financial Girlfriend is also a business that promotes education, especially for Women, BIPOC and Marginalized communities to learn and gain confidence. https://myfinancialgirlfriend.com/
Molly: Two fun places to dig into this further:
1. Discover your Money Mindset Flavor and a special recipe you can try to expand your money here: http://wildheartsriseup.com/moneyquiz
2. Check out the Peace with Money Program – 4 Weeks to Radically Evolve Your Relationship with Money: http://wildheartsriseup.com/peace
Thank you Lisa and Molly! So much helpful information and a lot to think about and begin implementing as I work to improve my relationship with money. It is important to remember that when we ignore or neglect one of the 8 dimensions of wellness, the other areas and our overall well-being can suffer or pay the price. May we all have improved financial wellness, both personally and in our relationships, so that we may have improved overall health and well-being!
AUTHOR: Amanda Ferrat, Founder of Value Yourself Counseling LLC and Certified Advanced EFT Practitioner & Wellness Counselor
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
by Guest | Apr 26, 2023 | Featured, Work Well
Being intentional around how we think about and spend money is connected to living a longer, healthier and happier life. This last fall, Liz Carroll from Mindful Money Coaches LLC, partnered with Tillamook County Wellness to offer a free virtual webinar series on financial wellness – covering everything from what it means to cultivate a “money mindset” to how to budget and plan for the future. If you missed the initial series, no worries! Liz Carroll will be hosting the series again this May, each Monday from 12-1 pm through Zoom (click here for registration link). In honor of this second series, Angelica Ortiz, a previous participant and Career Education Advisor at the Tillamook Bay Community College took some time to reflect on the key takeaways of the Mindful Money series:
What I would have liked to know before, about financial wellness is that we must know our values in order to start creating financial wellness based on those values.
Some of the key takeaways were that in order to create financial wellness, we must first understand that thoughts lead to actions, but actions lead to results. Therefore, if we want to create financial wellness, we must have clear goals, create a budget and follow it, since having a budget allows us to see where the money goes. We must also have a financial well-being coach since it is easier to achieve financial well-being if you have someone to guide you.
The strategies I have found most helpful are following the principles that Coach Liz Carrol shared in the financial wellness series. For example, living without debt brings me peace, it’s okay not to have the newest car, and internal dialogue is very important. Following these strategies creates financial well-being, since having no debts allows you to have peace of mind to set new goals and give you more options, for me this is financial wellness. Do not get me wrong, having a debt is not completely bad but it is better to live debt free.
I would recommend the financial wellness series to anyone seeking financial freedom, getting out of debt or improving their lives. The financial wellness Coach Liz Carrol not only teaches strategies about finances, but she teaches principles that apply to daily life.
AUTHOR: Angelica Ortiz, Career Education Advisor at Tillamook Bay Community College
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
by Guest | Apr 11, 2023 | Work Well
You may be familiar with physical wellbeing or mental wellbeing, but what about financial wellbeing? Financial wellness focuses on our relationship with money and how we feel about the control we have over our financial future. If you’ve felt stressed about money, you’re not alone! Most of us experience a range of emotions when it comes to finances, and finding a starting point can feel overwhelming.
The connection between financial stress and mental and physical health led us at Tillamook County Wellness to focus the last few months on financial wellbeing. Thanks to a donation of time, Liz Carroll, Financial Life Coach at Mindful Money Coaches LLC, has provided insight and guidance for us to share on how to develop a healthier relationship with finances.
You may have seen some of the videos that Liz has created as part of a financial wellness mini-series that we have been sharing on the Tillamook County Wellness Facebook page. Each of the 15 videos are just a couple minutes long and cover a range of topics such as how to create goals & set guidelines, use different approaches for eliminating debt, set up “budget billing” where utility companies distribute your costs evenly over the year, and shift out of a negative mindset when it comes to organizing finances. If you missed some of these videos, don’t worry – we have all of them linked on our new Financial Wellness page at https://tillamookcountywellness.org/work-well/financial-wellness/
We are also excited to announce that we will be hosting three (free!) virtual webinars in collaboration with Liz Carroll for community members who are interested in diving deeper into their financial wellness journey. These webinars will be held on Mondays from 12 pm to 1 pm during the month of May:
- May 1st – Money Mindset: How we think about money matters
- May 8th – Building a Budget: Managing spending habits
- May 15th – Financial Planning Fundamentals: Planning for the future and staying on course
These webinars are open to all community members – join for one or join for all! You can find the registration link here or on the Tillamook County Wellness Facebook page.
If you have any questions about the upcoming webinars, please reach out to Michelle at jenckmd@ah.org. We hope to see you all there!
Other wellness questions? Email us at info@tillamookcountywellness.org. For more local health and wellness information, visit www.tillamookcountywellness.org or follow Tillamook County Wellness on Facebook and Instagram.
