Lookit! I’m on TV!
I had the wonderful fortune to be interviewed by WCNC /
Channel 36,reporter, Bobby Sisk, for my support group called “The Bucket Brigade ” for people who are unemployed or in some type of transition.The article was also featured in 5/23 Charlotte
Observer Business section.
It was a little scary to do and of course when I saw myself on t.v. , I was surprised at how I looked .But it was also fun and exciting and I hope that it will help some of the folks who are stressed and need some support.
It’s the part of being laid off many people don’t expect: the emotional toll it takes to lose one job and then look for another.
That’s where Dr. Jeannie Fennell of tries to help. A psychologist, she started a job support group last November called the Bucket Brigade.
“I realized there was a lot of help for resume writing, but not a lot for what is the stress part and the toll it takes on you physically and emotionally,” she said.
The group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at Julia’s Coffee in the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Wendover Road. At this week’s meeting, six job seekers showed up and talked openly about the emotional process of figuring out what’s next.
“I worked in nonprofit for 12 years,” said 63-year-old Cindy Thomson.
Laid off last April, Thomson says she understood why her agency had to make cuts, but she still felt like she’d been rejected.
“I’m not that far from retirement age, so I say if you’re my age and you get laid off, you might be retired,” she said, laughing.
Thomson has attended the meetings since they started and finds the candid discussions helpful.
“I don’t do well at home by myself. My batteries will run down. I like to be around people so this group really helps,” she said.
Fennell said, “I hope that eventually this group goes away and that we don’t really need this anymore.”
But with more layoffs — this time in county government and schools — she expects the need to increase.
People with Great Courage
“I’m just very, very, very fortunate to be able to do this and be with these people and hear their stories. They are people with great courage,” Fennell said.
Fennell knows the pain of a pink slip firsthand. Before going back to school to get her doctorate in psychology, she worked as a recruiter and in human resources. She has hired and been fired.
“I often say I’ve been the person on both sides of the desk – the person looking for work and the person employed. In fact, when I moved to Charlotte, within about two months of being relocated by a company, I got laid off. I didn’t know anybody and it was really a tough time,” she said.
At each meeting a bucket is placed in the center of the table. Thomson says the message it sends is two-fold.
“One thing is you put doubts and fears and impatience in the bucket and leave it. And with the Bucket Brigade, there’s the analogy of throwing water on a fire and it takes a lot of people to pass the bucket, so we can all communicate with each other and understand what we’re all going through,” she said.
Holiday Tips to Save Time, Money & Sanity
Holiday Gifts can be challenging but all of these are easily “doable” & take little Time & Money.
1.Use an “assembly line” to create ready-to-use dry mixes (think: cookies, multi-bean soups, or muffins) and package in attractive containers from art or dollar stores. These are great time savers and easy to create.
2. Plant paperwhite narcissus bulbs in pebbles in pots, water weekly and put in window. They will bloom in Jan. and be a fragrant gift during the winter.( I do this every year for clients, neighbors etc. and they tell me they appreciate them).
3. Make “Gifts Certificates” for your time/expertise. Here are some possibilities:
• Certificate for a favorite/special dish
• Certicate for some hours of “ grunt work” …cleaning garage,painting,raking leaves,etc.
• Certificate for helping with a project that could use your painting, sewing, organizing skills
4. A “PASS” coupon for your kids for chores that kids are usually do; lets them “opt out “ of chore when they use their coupon.
5. “Happy New Year” gifts given in January gifts may more noticed and appreciated and a good way to reconnect after the rush of the holidays.
6. For business customers, give a percentage “off” on your client’s bill or order with a thank you holiday note. Many will appreciate money more than a present.
7.Give a donation in the clients name to a favorite charity, especially if you know of your client’s interests. Often a magazine/newsletter also will be sent & your client is reminded of you all year.
8. Consider a donation where client can “adopt” an animal or land. Rescue/rehab groups or environmental organizations will often send client a picture or certificate and progress reports.
9.Give yourself a present. You deserve it!
