December 2012 green press

ACS Green Press

Army Community Service (ACS) Fort Drum, New York December 2012

Regarding Resil-

ience: Tips, tools

and techniques for

2

Networking Through LinkedIn

3

Financial Tips for

The Holidays-a

Little Budgeting

Goes a Long Way

4

Spouse in the

Spotlight-Rachel

Lee

5

Army Family Ac-

tion Plan

6

Creating Family Traditions

7

ACS Calendar of

Events

8

ACS Contacts 9

Inside this issue:

~A tree free newsletter Direct questions / feedback To: Sarah Lynch : 772-5374 [email protected]

Recently, Eloise Kimpland of

the North Syracuse American

Legion Auxiliary unit 1297 and

Rose Garlick of the Liverpool

American Legion Auxiliary unit

188 delivered a donation of the

hand knitted baby blankets that

ACS gives away to new mothers

in our baby bundles.

While talking with the ladies, we

began to consider how far they

traveled to bring their blankets

to Fort Drum. We joked that if

we were to pull yarn from Syra-

cuse to Fort Drum, it would

take 628 skeins of yarn to travel

and reach one way! That is a lot

of yarn. Did you know, to make

one blanket, it takes a little less

than one skein (1 skein is made

up of 190 yards of yarn).

The thing is, you can’t even be-

How Far Does a Skein of Yarn Reach?

baby bundles are given to E-5

and below or to those expect-

ing the birth of multiples re-

gardless of rank.

While the ladies were here, Sgt

Jaime Rivera of 2 BCT HHC,

took a moment to say thank

you and paused for a picture

with them. Army Community

Service also wants to thank

these women and all of those

who donate their time and skill

to make the baby blankets for

our Families.

Have you ever wondered just

how far your charitable dona-

tion could reach or who it

touches? For more informa-

tion or to register for a baby

bundle, please call Army

Community Service at

772-8876 or 772-6556/6557.

gin to measure the joy so many

new Fort Drum moms have ex-

perienced from getting a baby

bundle with these finely crafted

blankets inside. So many new par-

ents have been touched by the

generosity of these ladies. It is a

warm fuzzy feeling to wrap your

new baby in the warmth of a

handmade blanket and know

there are people out there that

give their time freely to honor our

Soldiers and Families here at Fort

Drum.

The ladies use donated yarn to

knit blankets for our baby bundles

as well as lap robes for the VA

hospital. The baby blankets are

crafted by women like Kay Root

and Betty Brown who live in the

county.

The delivery on this day was quite

timely as Theresa Victor arrived to

pick up her baby bundle. Theresa

and her husband SPC Daniel Vic-

tor, of 1-71 Cav, are celebrating

the birth of their fifth child! The

“ And in the act of making things, just by living their daily lives,

they also make history. Knitting is clothing made in spare

moments, or round the fire, whenever women gathered together...

It’s something to celebrate-clothes made in love and service,

something women have always done.” Anne Bartlett, Knitting

ACS Green Press December 2012 Page 2

Regarding Resilience: Tips, tools and techniques

for practicing resilience everyday!

By Jenn Eichner, MRT 772-2848

Over the past several months each of

the Regarding Resilience articles have

focused on a particular resilience skill

and/or competency. As of last month

we have covered them all. So, time to

stop to coast right? Wrong!

Resilience is a skill and like all skills it

will become weak and obsolete if not

practiced and made a priority. Going

back to the basics often is so vitally

important. Much like a professional

soccer player takes the time to practice

her dribbling or the professional pian-

ist sits and practices his scales over

and over, resilience must be practiced.

What are the resilience basics?

Be self aware: Avoid thinking

traps, detect iceberg beliefs, and

identify areas of control.

Practice self regulation: Practice

energy management and keep

things in perspective.

Be optimistic: Hunt the good stuff

everyday!

Apply mental agility: Problem solve

and run some real time resilience.

Know your strengths and get to

know the strengths of others.

Strive for good connections through

active constructive responses, assertive

communication and effective praise.

You are worth the time and effort. But

please be conscious that your practice will

only be as beneficial as the effort you put

into it. Do not stress if you occasionally

take a step backward – maybe you over

react to a particular activating event or

maybe you jumped to the wrong conclu-

sions. Remember with practice you can

always get back on track!

The ACS MRT team wants to help you as

well. Beginning November 17 from 11:30

am – 1 pm, in ACS, we will hold a Refresh

Resilience-is There a Time To Coast? Your Resilience lunch group. This is

for anyone who has taken all or the

majority of the Master Resilience mod-

ules and would like to spend some time

practicing and refreshing your skills.

The group will meet every other month

on the last Tuesday of the month.

Have wonderful month – good luck

and good thoughts!

3 December Module 2 9:30am-2:30pm

11 February Module 3 9:30am-2:30pm

4 March Module 4 9:30am-2:30pm

All classes held at ACS Building call 772-0470/2848/0509 to make a reservation

Refrigerators are available for use if you wish to bring a lunch!

“A man is but the product of his

thoughts what he thinks, he

becomes.”

~Mahatma Ghandhi

Page 3 ACS Green Press December 2012

LinkedIn is a social business network-

ing platform currently used by 175 mil-

lion members to meet others who work

in the same industry, develop new pro-

fessional relationships, and search for

new jobs. It’s a great way for you to

connect with people in your field.

However, as with any great tool, it is

important to know how to use it prop-

erly in order to be effective.

As a professional, the first thing one

should consider is when to utilize

LinkedIn and formulate a plan to do so.

Don't wait until you need a job to begin

building your network. Start right now–

by making a few connections and your

network will begin to grow. The easiest

way to make these connections is to

find people you already know who may

be on LinkedIn. To do this, upload

your contact list from your email. The

LinkedIn site will show you which of

your friends and acquaintances have

profiles already. After uploading your con-

tacts and identifying who you know that is

already utilizing LinkedIn, you should next

determine who you should send an invita-

tion to connect with. Start by sending

them to people whom you would actually

help professionally or recommend to a

prospective employer if asked. Judge invi-

tations that are sent to you as well, don’t

just accept them blindly. Consider whether

you want to be professionally linked with

that person.

Next, consider the following points when

creating your profile and beginning to net-

work:

Do a detailed profile.

Highlight all of your skills.

Do you volunteer? Don’t forget to

include it as a work experience.

A professionally appropriate photo-

graph of yourself helps others feel

connected with you.

Begin by connecting with people

you already know.

Once you have begun your net-

work, start including professional

contacts.

Send a message introducing your-

self when you ask to connect with

someone you don’t actually know

Join groups related to your

chosen career field.

Follow the pages of compa-

nies you’re interested in

working for.

How do you turn a LinkedIn con-

nection into an actual job oppor-

tunity? Never ask directly about a

job, this puts the person you’re

asking in an awkward place and it

may taint that connection. How-

ever, asking for that person’s ad-

vice and guidance can help you

build a relationship with them that

may eventually lead to a job. Even

if you're not actively looking for a

new job, potential employers may

be checking out your profile. It's

very important that you keep your

profile up to date and well pre-

sented.

For more information on

LinkedIn or any other job seeking

resource, contact Employment

Readiness at 772-9611/2737/7987

or 1090.

Networking Through LinkedIn

Congratulations to the following Employment Readiness clients who have recently landed a job! Auzinda Mendes Memorial CDC Celina Quintero Sovie Law Firm (Watertown) Wesley Grinstead Freeman Bus If you are an Employment Readiness Client, please let us know

Look Who’s On The Payroll!!!!!

Financial Tips for the Holidays - a Little Budgeting goes a Long Way

Cut your gift list. The easiest way to

reduce spending is to exchange gifts

with fewer people. This might mean

talking to people in advance and agree-

ing not to exchange gifts, arranging

with Families to draw names or only

buy for the little ones. Some Families

agree to limit the dollar amount of the

gift exchange.

Find an alternative to purchased

gifts. Be creative, homemade gifts,

treats, photos all make wonderful and

thoughtful gifts during the holidays.

Make a budget. Once you have fig-

ured out who you are buying for, deter-

mine your overall budget and decide

what you can afford to spend on each

person and stick to it! This helps you

avoid impulse shopping.

Get started early. Good deals are usu-

ally available before the start of the

holiday shopping season. Look for

good gifts that are good buys. Research

the products you will buy and be aware

of sales people out to make commis-

sion.

Look for bargains. Studies show that

sometimes price variations can be more

than 50% in the same area for identical

products. Some stores offer price

matches.

Consumers

spend more

money dur-

ing the holi-

day season

than any

other time

of year.

Presents,

travel and

entertaining

are added

to the usual

monthly

expenses

causing financial hardships for many

Families. When the expenses out-

weigh the income, many people com-

pensate by paying with credit at high

interest rates which lead to ringing in

the new year with financial problems

that can last for months or even years

later.

The fact of the matter is, Christmas

should never put you in debt. There

are ways to participate in the spirit of

giving without overspending and put-

ting your financial wellbeing in jeop-

ardy.

If you want to save money, why not

vow to do so before the new year

rather than after? Here are a few tips

you can put to use:

Page 4 December 2012 ACS Green Press

Avoid buying unnecessary warran-

ties. Often extended warranties dupli-

cate existing product warranties.

Pay by cash, check or debit card.

The best way to avoid finance charges

is to not charge.

Pay off your credit card bill quickly.

If you use your credit card, pay off the

purchase and don't carry a balance.

Transfer balances. If you have already

used your credit cards, consider trans-

ferring balances to a card with a lower

interest rate.

If you are already in credit card debt,

don't wait until the new year to make

changes, contact Financial Readiness to

discuss ways to get out of debt.

Remember, responsible spending helps

make the holidays a little more enjoy-

able and the new year financially stable.

Financial Readiness offers one on one

budget counseling and will work with

you to get creditors off your back. To

find out more or to make an appoint-

ment, call 772-5196/2919 or 8526.

“Think ACS First!”

Start the new year with a financial plan

Let Financial Readiness show you how!

Call 772-5196/2919 or 8526 to make an appointment

Happy Holidays From Army Community Service!


Recently, the staff at ACS got the pleas-

ure of meeting Rachel Lee. She comes

from Idaho and enjoys the outside, cook-

ing and writing fantasy fiction. Rachel

and her husband arrived here in August.

Rachel’s husband is stationed with 710

BSB.

Rachel explained that Fort Drum is her

husband’s first duty station. “I like to tell

people I’m so new I’m still shiny.” If

Rachel isn’t shiny, she sure does shine!

Rachel designs clothing and costumes

from hand dyed silk. “The first time I

dyed a piece of silk in a costume class I

knew I had found my passion.” ex-

plained Rachel. Around the same time

she discovered medieval reenactment

and a whole group of people who love

hand crafted clothing.

Rachel, who is active in her FRG, came

to ACS for the Informal Funds class

taught for FRG’s. According to Ra-

chel, what she received was more than

just the class. “What I got was a bunch

of new friends and opportunities for

volunteering and learning.”

Because she plans on breaking into the

business of custom formals, she was

excited to hear about the Build Your

Own Business Workshops offered by

Employment Readiness. Rachel has

been making hand dyed costumes for

a little over 2 years and her experience

will easily transfer into the custom

formals market. It is her belief that

there is nothing more beautiful than a

woman dressed in pure silk!

Rachel wasted no time getting in-

volved here at Fort Drum. She is

making new friends in the ACS

Christmas Club and has agreed to be-

come an instructor for the sewing

classes offered through Relocation

Readiness. When she is not volun-

teering, taking classes or designing

clothes, she is working her seasonal

position at Bath and Body Works in

the mall. Stop in Bath and Body

Works and say hi to Rachel. Maybe

she will design your next ball gown!

“Think ACS First”

Building Community: In the Spotlight

ACS Introduces Rachel Lee

The Joy of Seasonal Employment ployers understand that seasonal

positions are short term; securing

seasonal employment shows you are

self-motivated and genuinely inter-

ested in working.

3. Change career paths! Seasonal em-

ployment is a great way to learn new

skills and try out different types of

jobs to see if you enjoy them.

4. Pad your wallet! You’ll be bringing

in some extra cash at a time of year

when you really need it- whether for

gifts and vacations, or simply to pay

the heating bills. If you’re working

in retail, you may be able to snag an

employee discount which will make

that salary go farther.

5. Network! By using your superior

conversational skills and making

good connections at your seasonal

job, you might find yourself a more

permanent situation. This is an op-

portunity to collect some more pro-

fessional references, as well as make

some new friends.

Restaurants and shopping malls are usu-

ally open longer hours during the holi-

day season, so it may be easier to fit a

job into your busy schedule. Many local

employers here in the Watertown area

are hiring right now, so dust off that

resume and get ready to put your best

foot forward. Happy Holidays!

The holidays are nearly upon us, and

they bring with them many temporary

jobs as local retailers get ready for an

onslaught of holiday shoppers. For

those of you still looking for work, this

is the perfect opportunity to start bring-

ing home a paycheck. Let’s count the

benefits!

1. Practice makes perfect! Applying

for a seasonal position gives you the

opportunity to work on your resume

and cover letter skills as well as your

interview skills.

2. Fatten up your resume! Every job

you have counts as work experience,

even a seasonal one. Rather than

have a gap in your resume, fill it

with a seasonal job. Potential em-

AFAP Conference 28-29 January 2013 Submit Your Issues

Volunteer to participate

ISSUE

SUBMISSION

FORM

ISSUE: What is the issue/problem?

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

SCOPE: Why is this an issue/problem?

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

RECOMMENDATION: Possible solutions?

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

______________________________________

POINT OF CONTACT: (Optional)

______________________________________

______________________________________

Return your form to an Issue Box Location:

Army Community Service, Monti Physical Fitness Center,

Magrath Sports Complex, BOSS, Education Center, Clark

Hall, The Commons, Fort Drum Inn, Hays Hall, Guthrie

Clinic, and FRSA offices (call for specific locations)

Korean AFTB Mini Level I

12-12-12

For information or to sign up to be a

delegate, call 772-6710 or 772-2933 Delegate training will be held on

16 December 2012

If it’s a program or service, an AFAP issue can improve it! If it’s a policy or regulation, an AFAP issue can change it! If it’s a law, an AFAP issue can amend it! If there’s a low-cost, creative solution, you should pursue it!

The Importance of Creating Family Traditions


As the holiday season

draws closer, one can

think back on the times

spent with friends and

Families years past.

Many of us can recall

traditions our Families

held dear and passed

down from generations.

Being part of a military

Family sometimes

means spending the holidays away

from home. Often we move away

from our Families and start Families

of our own. Unfortunately, we

sometimes abandon Family tradi-

tions.

As Families become separated, frag-

mented and bogged down by every-

day responsibilities and busy rou-

tines, there seems to be less impor-

tance placed on the observance or

establishment of Family traditions.

The Family Advocacy Program

would like to instill in everyone’s

mind the importance of establishing

Family traditions in today’s society.

Traditions create stability-Family

traditions can be a way to reconnect

and or establish a sense of belong-

ing. For military children, this can

sometimes be difficult since their

lives are often in a state of flux.

Frequent moves and dealing with

deployments can leave children feel-

ing insecure and unsure of where

they fit in. These feelings are exac-

erbated by typical changes in social,

emotional and physical worlds of

growing adolescents. By placing

importance on Family togetherness,

parents help their developing chil-

dren feel grounded and secure in

spite of the instability they feel

around them.

Creating traditions help children

form a sense of identity-Creating

traditions while children are young

will build a strong lasting Family

bonds that lead to a sense of

“Family Identity” which is part of

the puzzle of figuring out who they

are. Through traditions, they get to

see the roles, responsibilities and

valuable contribution of each Family

member. This insight leads to a

better understanding of themselves.

Family traditions pass on cultural

awareness and values- For in-

stance, holiday celebrations pass

along Family and culturally specific

belief systems. Further, if it is your

Family’s belief that serving Thanks-

giving dinner in a homeless shelter

is a holiday tradition, it conveys the

importance of charity and commu-

nity involvement to your children.

Traditions can be simple and easy to

establish. Family traditions do not

have to involve the holidays, how-

ever the holidays make traditions

easier to remember year to year.

Traditions can be as simple as bak-

ing Christmas cookies together or

having a movie and pizza night once

a month. Keep the following in

mind when establishing traditions:

Avoid anything elaborate. This will

ensure your tradition will be easy to

follow through on each year.

Keep a detailed calendar to remem-

ber events. Be sure to include lists of

supplies, special foods and things

easily forgotten.

Don’t be afraid to ditch traditions

that don’t work. If no one is having

fun, it’s time to reevaluate.

Be on the look out for spontaneous

traditions. If a particular event or

activity is exciting and fun, make it a

tradition.

Here are some ideas for simple but

meaningful traditions:

Take your child’s picture each

year on the first day of school

Have a squirt gun fight on the

last day of school each year

Have upside down night once a

month when you have breakfast

for dinner

Choose or create a birthday hat

worn by each Family member on

his or her birthday

Family Olympics- a little Family

competition with games like bean

bag toss, volleyball, swimming

etc.

Cooking together once a month

Holiday traditions such as pump-

kin carving, Easter egg coloring,

Christmas cookies, and New

Year celebrations as well as

countless others traditions.

The possibilities are endless and

should fit the values and beliefs of

your Family. The important thing is

to remember the value of setting and

observing Family traditions. Remem-

ber that establishing connections and

a sense of belonging is crucial to the

well being of the child and Family

unit as a whole.


Note: Italics indicate class is located outside of ACS ACS Contact information on page 8

Army Community Service

P4330 Conway Road

Fort Drum, New York

13602

Army Emergency Relief 772-6560, 772-8873 or 772-2855

Army Family Team Building/Army Family Action Plan http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000122037720

772-6710, 772-9229

Army Volunteer Program Coordinator http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Army-volunteer-Corps/13651504365912

772-2899

Exceptional Family Member Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-FMWR-Exceptional-Family-Member-Program /104951319542718

772-5488, 772-0819, 772-0664

Employment Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumemployment

772-9611, 772-2737, 772-1090

Family Advocacy Program (New Parent Support Program) SAPRP

772-4244, 772-6929, 772-2279

772-0596, 772-4070, 772-0748

772-5605, 772-5914

Financial Readiness Program http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-financial-Readiness-ACS/1956662120473

772-0050, 772-5196, 772-8526

Information and Referral 772-6556, 772-6557

Military & Family Life Consultants 212-6919

Mobilization and Deployment http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-Mobiliztion-and-Deployment/178420512193448?ref=ts&v=wall

772-2848, 772-0470, 772-2919

Outreach http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fort-Drum-ACS-Outreach/180373271991692

772-5374

Relocation Readiness http:// www.facebook.com/pages/Fort -Drum -Relocation -Readiness Program/171335822906429

772-5475, 772-6553, 772-6902

772-6566

Soldier Family Assistance Center http://www.facebook.com/Fort.Drum.FMWR/SFAC

772-7781

Survivor Outreach Services http://www.facebook.com/fortdrumsurvivoroutreachservices

772-6357

Documents

December 2012 green press