September Issue

Lets take a moment to say hello to a new face to The AAVSB team!

All Month of September

National Suicide Prevention Month

September is National Suicide Prevention Month. All month, mental health advocates, prevention organizations, survivors, allies, and community members unite to promote suicide prevention awareness.

There are an average of 123 suicides each day in the U.S.. It’s the tenth leading cause of death in America (second leading for ages 25-34, and third leading for ages 15-24). In order to create awareness and strengthen the fight against suicide, the entire month of September is Suicide Prevention Month.

On top of the month log observance, there is also Suicide Prevention Week and Suicide prevention day all in the month of September. 

5 NO-NONSENSE TIPS TO HELP SOMEONE IN CRISIS

Ask direct questions

Even though it's hard, ask a person directly if they’re thinking about suicide.

Listen to their answers

People with suicidal thoughts often feel alone, so be sure to let them know that you care deeply about what they have to say.

Do a safety check

If you're concerned for their well-being, try removing anything they could use to harm themselves, such as alcohol, drugs, medications, weapons, and even access to a car.

Don't keep this a secret

Let them know you’ll help come up with a plan that involves telling a professional who can utilize the many services and resources available to help.

Ensure they seek professional help

Unless you work in the mental health industry, it's important to suggest they seek additional help from other people, such as a doctor, counselor, psychologist or social worker.

Source: https://nationaltoday.com/national-suicide-prevention-month/

All Month of September

National Sickle Cell Awareness Month

Every September, people living with sickle cell disease, their caregivers, advocates, healthcare providers, and others come together to bring awareness to the disease and dispel the myths and stigmas surrounding it. The month also brings attention to the ongoing need for research, better care practices, new treatments, and an eventual cure.

Facts about sickle cell disease:

• Most common inherited blood disorder in U.S.

• Affects approximately 100,000 Americans.

• 1 out of every 365 Black or African American babies are born with sickle cell disease.

• 1 out of every 16,300 Hispanic-American babies are born with sickle cell disease.

• About 1 in 13 Black or African American babies are born with sickle cell trait.



Source:https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/education/sickle-cell-month

September 5, 2022

Labor Day

AAVSB Day off

Why do we celebrate Labor Day?

In the late 1800s, the average American worked 12-hour days and seven-day weeks to eke out a basic living. People of all ages often faced extremely unsafe working conditions, with insufficient access to fresh air, sanitary facilities, and breaks.

Labor unions began organizing strikes and rallies to protest poor conditions and compel employers to renegotiate hours and pay. On September 5, 1882, 10,000 workers took unpaid time off to march from City Hall to Union Square in New York City, holding the first Labor Day parade in U.S. history.

While many states caught on to the idea of a “workingmen’s holiday,” Congress would not legalize Labor Day until 12 years later, when a watershed moment in American labor history brought workers’ rights squarely into the public’s view.

On May 11, 1894, employees of the Pullman Palace Car Company in Chicago went on strike to protest wage cuts and the firing of union representatives. Then, on June 26, the American Railroad Union called for a boycott of all Pullman railway cars, crippling railroad traffic nationwide. To break the Pullman strike, the federal government dispatched troops to Chicago, unleashing a wave of riots that resulted in the deaths of more than 30 workers.

In the wake of this massive unrest and to repair ties with American workers, Congress passed an act making Labor Day a legal holiday. Then, on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed it into law.

Source: https://www.dvnf.org/national-purple-heart-day/

September 8, 2022

Native Women's Equal Pay Day

Native Women’s Equal Pay Day is observed on September 8 every year. This day marks the day that Native women need to work until they made what white men made in the previous year. In other words, it takes Native women 21 months to earn what white men earn in 12 months due to the disparity in pay.

This is an important issue to highlight and this day brings it to light by spreading awareness about the inequality of pay for women. This holiday encourages us to raise awareness on such a topic and recognize the numerous struggles that women face.

5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE WAGE GAP

It adds up

If it wasn’t for the gap, native women would be able to afford 32 more months of childcare every year.

It’s everywhere

All countries have some form of a wage gap where men are paid more than women.

It gets worse

The gap widens for native women who have more advanced degrees.

It doesn’t show the entire picture

The gender pay gap doesn’t describe discrimination, which is also an area of concern.

It’s getting better

Over the last decade, there has been an increase in awareness, as well as in measures taken to address the issue.

Source: https://nationaltoday.com/native-womens-equal-pay-day/

September 10, 2022

World Suicide Prevention Day

World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) was established in 2003 in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) and is a significant advocacy and communication based event aimed at reaching national organizations, governments and the general public, giving a singular message that suicide can be prevented.

WSPD continues to grow year on year, with recent years seeing the day observed in more than 60 countries with hundreds of events ranging from educational and commemorative events to press briefings and public conferences.

The Internet and Social Media coverage has ensured millions of people around the world are linked to WSPD on September 10th and in 2020 the IASP produced Step Closer film was viewed over 30 million times.

WSPD RIBBON

In 2016, a universal suicide prevention awareness ribbon was created in the hope that the suicide prevention awareness ribbon would become globally recognizable much like other ribbons for other worthwhile causes are.

The colors of the Ribbon, yellow and orange is indicative of the light of a candle flame which ties in nicely with the IASP “Light a Candle” campaign as well as the candlelit walks that many arranged around the globe for WSPD. It also works well with the “Out of the Darkness into the Light” arranged by partner organizations for WSPD and other activities.

Source: https://www.iasp.info/WSPD/about/

September 11, 2022

Hug Your Hound DAy

On the second Sunday in September, National Hug Your Hound Day dedicates a furry hug to your canine family member. All day long, be sure to give your pooch your full attention. You can even spend the day much the way your dog spends it.

The idea of Hug Your Hound Day is about observing your dog (from his point of view). That means, explore your dog’s world from his perspective. Investigate his environment and habits. You may discover some hazards as you roam around the house or yard. For example, you might find broken chew toys that have become choking risks. Perhaps your fur baby leads you to realize he has access to toxic chemicals.

Look for items or places that put your forever friend in danger. Place childproof locks on cabinets. Discard or repair any broken items. Our yards can be surprisingly risky, too. Check for toxic plants or holes in the fencing. 

Not only will your pup enjoy the companionship, but he will also be safer for all your exploring, too.

Post a picture or video of you and your dog on teams on September 11 so we can all see!

Source: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-hug-your-hound-day/

September 22, 2022

Fall Equinox

In 2022, the autumnal equinox—also called the September equinox or fall equinox—arrives on Thursday, September 22. This date marks the start of fall in the Northern Hemisphere and spring in the Southern Hemisphere

During an equinox, the Sun crosses what we call the “celestial equator”—an imaginary extension of Earth’s equator line into space. The equinox occurs precisely when the Sun’s center passes through this line.

After the autumnal equinox, days become shorter than nights as the Sun continues to rise later and nightfall arrives earlier. This ends with the winter solstice, after which days start to grow longer once again. 

The Harvest Moon & the Equinox

A fun piece of trivia surrounding the autumnal equinox involves its relationship with the full Moon. Curiously, the full Moon that occurs nearest to the autumnal equinox is always called the ”Harvest Moon!” Why is that?

Surprise, surprise: it has to do with farming! Around the fall equinox, the full Moon rises around sunset for several nights in a row, which traditionally provided farmers with just enough extra light for them to finish their harvests before the killing frosts of fall set in. Normally, the Moon rises about an hour later each night, but around the time of the fall equinox, the angle of the Moon’s orbit and the tilt of the Earth line up just right and cause the Moon to rise only about 20 to 30 minutes later each night for several nights in a row. 

Source: https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-fall-autumnal-equinox

Thank you,

Your DEI committee with the AAVSB

deicommittee@aavsb.org

Adri

Aurelia

Elliott

Erin

Jonathan

Lindsey