No one has had the back of the Latino community in Philadelphia longer than Concilio.

Whether it’s organizing a big event that celebrates Latino culture and history, or providing critical social services to families and individuals in need, the Council of Spanish Speaking Organizations of Philadelphia, Inc. (Concilio) has been there for more than 60 years.

Indeed, founded in 1962, Concilio is the oldest Latino organization in Philadelphia and has a well-established reputation for providing family service to the community.

“Our mission is to continue to be a pillar of strength and courage,” said Concilio’s Olivia Villarruel during a virtual presentation about the nonprofit to ASI employees.

ASI’s Diversity & Inclusion Council organized Villarruel’s talk – the kick-off event for several happenings aimed at celebrating the rich culture of the Latino community during Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15.

Villarruel explained that Concilio provides important human service programming like foster care, adoption services, youth development, after-school enrichment, victim witness services, parental development guidance, and more.

In responding to attendee questions, Villarruel shared insights into what it’s like to work with populations that can be in vulnerable places. “Violence and poverty are the biggest challenges facing the community,” she said. “People coming in don’t know what the next day will look like for them. Bringing comfort (and help) to them is huge for us.”

With the holidays and winter just around the corner, Villarruel said some of the biggest current needs are for coats and items for children. “Toys, crayons and coloring books for foster children – they’re really needed,” she said.

While Concilio is there in the hard times, it’s also a catalyst for celebrating the myriad good that grows from Philadelphia area Latino culture.

For instance, Concilio organizes Hispanic Fiesta, which features musical entertainment and local vendors offering Latino flair in food, clothing, and much more. Then there’s the Celebration of the Three Kings, or “El Dia de Los Reyes.” Occurring on the Twelfth Day of Christmas, January 6, the celebration marks the visit of the Three Wise Men to baby Jesus and centers on storytelling, gift-giving, food and more.

Perhaps Concilio’s most visible event, though, is its long-running annual Puerto Rican Parade. It typically draws 1,500 marchers and more than 5,000 attendees, while enjoying live television coverage on 6ABC. Despite persistent rain and cool temperatures during parade day this year (Sept. 24), crowds were still strong and the mood was high, Villarruel said.

“The rain didn’t stop people from coming out,” she shared.

There’s a resilience in that show-out – a love of culture and community – that’s indicative of the spirit of the people that Concilio serves.

Employees Connect Through Dance

ASI also invited employees to grab their dancing shoes and welcome Michael Andino of La Luna Dance Studio, who offered a Latin dance demonstration for employees.

“You’ll easily get in your 10,000 steps a day with dancing,” said Andino, who was born in Manhattan and grew up in Ecuador before coming back to the U.S. “People finish up at work and come to the studio in the evening. It’s a great way to get in shape and meet people.”

Michael Andino (far right) of La Luna Dance Studio in Philadelphia taught basic salsa and bachata dance steps to employees.

Andino taught about 25 employees a few basic salsa and bachata dance steps, which he says are the two most popular on the Latin dance scene at the moment. Attendees also enjoyed adult beverages and Latin foods.

Salsa, Andino told attendees, originated in Cuba – originally, it was a way for Afro-Cuban slaves in the 19th century to pray during oppression. Soon, it spread to private homes and then to entertainment venues. Visitors to Cuba brought salsa back to their home countries and added their own “spice” to it, said Andino.

“Salsa means ‘sauce,’ which you make to your own individual taste,” said Andino. “In the U.S., jazz elements were added. Europeans added piano and Puerto Ricans added brass, for example. If you listen to it enough, you can tell where the music is from.”

Whereas salsa is a vertical dance (front to back), bachata is more horizontal (side to side). Andino called bachata “the new kid on the block” of Latin dance. It originated in the Dominican Republic, where it was frowned upon and deemed “lower-class.” But in recent decades, it arrived in the U.S. – particularly in places like Washington Heights in New York City, home to a significant Dominican population. There, its popularity soared beginning in the early 2000s and it’s been adapted by a number of artists.

“I went into the demo knowing nothing and left knowing a few basic moves, as well as some history of the origins of the music and dances,” said Emma O’Sullivan, senior manager of content marketing. “I also got to meet some new colleagues I hadn’t had a chance to speak with (or dance with!) before.”

Sharing Culture Through Food

To mark the final week of Hispanic Heritage Month, ASI welcomed guest chef Jorge Barillas, senior chef manager with CulinArt and a native of Guatemala. He prepared a full menu of Latin food inspired by recipes and practices from Central America.

Jorge Barillas, senior chef manager with CulinArt, prepared a Central America-inspired menu for Bucks County Tech Park employees.

Among the offerings were birria (beef) and gobernador (shrimp and cheese) tacos; hilachas de pollo; chicken tamales; empanadas; black bean tostadas; corn tortilla nachos; and four different salsas: Salsa Taquera (green salsa), Salsa Campechana (made with dried chilis), Salsa Roja (red salsa) and Avocado.

“When people in the U.S. think of Spanish food, they mostly think of Mexican,” said Barillas. “But Central American food shares the same spices and some of the same recipes.”

Just outside the cafeteria, local hot sauce maker Radhi Fernández, owner of Philadelphia-based Faiya, brought sauces to taste and purchase – including Sweet Summer Heat (his first offering, made with pineapple), Salsa Verde and Purple Flame (made with blueberries).

Radhi Fernández, owner of Faiya, with his homemade hot sauces.

Fernández tended (grudgingly, he admits) the community garden at his previous job at Johnson & Johnson and found he had a knack for it. What started as a surplus of peppers turned into his Philadelphia-based production business and a new full-time gig he never expected.

“I wanted to plant the hottest peppers I could find, just to be annoying,” he told ASI University Education Director Joe Haley. “I planted Carolina reapers and started making sauce at the end of the season. I gave it to my coworkers at J&J and everyone liked it. Once the pandemic started, I started making it at home and selling it online and the rest is history.”

For every bottle purchased, a meal is donated to people need through a partnership with Philabundance.

ASI University Education Director Joe Haley speaks with Radhi Fernández about the story behind his hot sauce business.

It’s important to take the time to learn about different cultures from diverse representatives, says Carol Albright, senior vice president of human resources. “Hispanic Heritage Month is a special time for all of us at ASI to come together and celebrate the vibrant cultural contributions of our Hispanic community,” she says. “Thanks to the incredible efforts of the ASI Diversity and Inclusion Council, they’ve made it possible for us to engage in wonderful local community initiatives, activities and learning opportunities.”

The post ASI Diversity Council Hosts Events to Commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month appeared first on ASI.

*Writer Sara Lavenduski and Photographer Sean Bolton contributed to this report.

The summer afternoon air was thick and muggy, but Jessica Boccardo was breathing easy.

The ASI data coordinator was feeling good as she walked around company headquarters with many others in the Diversity & Inclusion Council’s Pride Month Fun Walk. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, Boccardo felt the Pride Parade-inspired event demonstrated that ASI is a company where values like inclusivity are lived, not just spoken about.

Employee participants show their enthusiasm at the start of the Fun Walk.

“It lets me know it’s okay to be myself and express myself at work,” Boccardo said. “There’s support and acceptance here.”

The Fun Walk was one of several Pride Month initiatives that ASI’s Diversity & Inclusion Council spearheaded during June. There was also a virtual tour of the William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia, a cause-supporting donation drive, and an everyone’s-invited happy hour after the Walk.

Of the Pride Fun Walk, Jessica Boccardo said, “It lets me know it’s okay to be myself.”

“ASI’s participation in Pride events, including support of Williams Way in Philadelphia, the Fun Walk and happy hour employee mixer, reflects our commitment to an inclusive and diverse workplace,” said Carol Albright, ASI’s senior vice president of human resources. “By celebrating Pride, we are building a culture of acceptance, respect and understanding, making it a place where everyone can thrive and feel valued.”

The Fun Walk

The Fun Walk occurred the afternoon of June 14. Employees, some colorfully dressed and carrying rainbow Pride flags to help enliven the event, did an easy lap around the building and then gathered for a happy hour where they were joined by others showing their support. The crowd included many LGBTQ+ allies.

In stride on the Fun Walk.

Rick Angeloni was among them. The executive design director of ASI Creative Labs made the walk waving a flag. It was personal for him: He was walking not only to show support for LGBTQ+ colleagues and the community more broadly, but also for his son.

ASI’s Rick Angeloni and Becky Young take part in the Walk.

“Even before my son came out, I was supportive of equal rights and genuine inclusion for everyone, but my son being gay adds something extra to it,” Angeloni said. “It’s important that we work to create a world where everyone feels accepted. It makes me feel good that we have events like this at ASI that show support for that.”

Rachel Barlow expressed similar sentiments. The electronic editor here at ASI was participating in the Walk, carrying in mind her friends in the LGBTQ+ community. “I think it’s important that we show that who you love doesn’t matter; being a good person does,” said Barlow. “I like that we have events like this because it shows inclusivity and acceptance really matters at ASI.’

The Fun Walk and happy hour included merch that bore Pride Month and D&I Council branding.

Naturally, promotional products were part of the event. Before the Walk and during the happy hour, attendees could pick up D&I Council-branded merch that included sunglasses, wristbands and can coolers.

It was a festive atmosphere at the happy hour.

“No one should suffer oppression because of who they love,” said Premier Accounts Lead Gillian Thomas, who took part in the Pride Fun Walk and happy hour. “Allyship and support are important. I hope events like this send the message, ‘You are fine the way you are.’”

Keeping things colorful during the happy hour.

William Way Tour: ‘Hope For A Better Future’

ASI kicked off its Pride Month festivities with a virtual tour of William Way LGBT Community Center in Philadelphia.

Staff of the nearly 50-year-old organization gave ASI employees an overview of the services provided, including the city’s largest LGBTQ+ cultural archive that houses historical artifacts like paintings, personal scrapbooks, AV materials and campaign signage; live and virtual educational programming; support for those in recovery from substance abuse. In addition, there are apartments for LGBTQ+ seniors, who were often on the frontlines fighting for change in the early years of the gay liberation movement and have experienced discrimination and isolation.

“Philly grows when the LGBTQ+ community grows,” said Executive Director Chris Bartlett, who’s worked at the Center for 13 years. “We want to help people overcome COVID isolation, especially when they sometimes had to stay with family who weren’t always supportive. We want everyone to live longer, healthier lives. We want to offer support for youth, adults and the elderly, and we want to be a central hub of community organizing in the city.”

John Anderies (left), director of the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives at William Way, with visitors.

ASI staff heard powerful testimonies from John Anderies, director of the John J. Wilcox, Jr. Archives; Toree, a member of the Sober & Gay group that offers addiction recovery support; Mary Gross, a senior who lives with her partner in the John C. Anderson Apartments; and Kendall Stephens, a trans support group facilitator at the Center and a student at Temple University who experienced a number of personal challenges, including employment and food insecurity, before attending social programming and peer counseling at William Way.

“The Center changed my life,” Stephens said. “Lots of doors had been closed in my face and dreams deferred. Now I’m at Temple thanks to William Way. I found my voice here and now I’m able to empower others.”

The presentation had a profound impact on employees. “I was impressed by the range of services provided by the Center,” said Theodore Young, a credit specialist in ASI’s Finance department. “They’re truly committed to supporting the wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community. The presenters had a lot of energy and enthusiasm for the work they do, which was refreshing to see.”

Dee Iavecchia, team lead for Advertising/Marketing Services and a coordinator for Production & Advertising Operations, was personally touched by the testimonies. As a teenager, she had a closeted friend who suffered for it.

“‘John’ endured terrible teasing because of the way he carried himself,” Iavecchia said. “Sadly, in his late 20s, he committed suicide, and he finally came out in the letter he left behind with his last words. If times had been different and there were places of acceptance like William Way, he and so many others could have been free to be who they were and love who they loved, rather than their lives ending in tragic loneliness. Places like William Way, and those who support it, give us hope for a better future.”

“We need to do more to come to the aid of the most vulnerable among us, and I am so inspired that places like William Way are leading the way.”

Katie Haberek, senior operations manager for ASI Show, said the presentation demonstrated that the Center’s services are critical for the LGBTQ+ community in Philadelphia.

“The staff has a reverence for preserving queer history and prioritizing underserved individuals at the intersection of identity and sexuality who also face homelessness, inequitable access to education, or addiction,” Haberek said. “It reinforced my belief that striving for the minimum of broad cultural acceptance and defense of basic human rights isn’t acceptable. We need to do more to come to the aid of the most vulnerable among us, and I am so inspired that places like William Way are leading the way.”

The post Inclusion & Support: ASI Celebrates Pride With Special Events appeared first on ASI.

As he did so, Jeffries felt grooves and undulations in the bricks. He soon realized that the ridges were the handprints of enslaved children who had made the bricks.

The irony and sadness of it all hit him like an uppercut.

Hasan Kwame Jeffries is an associate professor at The Ohio State University.

In the home where America’s fourth president had pondered the Bill of Rights in the library upstairs, the bricks that formed the backbone of the building were built by enslaved African Americans. Madison was an owner of some 100 people, never freeing any, Jeffries said.

“This is the type of hard history we tend to ignore,” Jeffries stated. However, it’s exactly the kind of history that the United States needs to confront and learn from in order to eradicate the ongoing inequalities that continue to plague communities of color, he asserted.

“My concern is that if we don’t remember the past, we will continue it,” Jeffries said. “We will continue to do the things that created inequality in the first place. We must disrupt the continuum of hard history. We must do the things that bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice.”

Jeffries discusses “hard history” in this TED Talk.

The historian delivered the poignant speech during a TED Talk – “Why We Must Confront the Painful Parts of American History” – that ASI’s Diversity & Inclusion Council showed during an employee education session. The session was part of the recognition and celebration by ASI of Black History Month.

Other D&I Council Black History Month initiatives, which you can read more about below, included compiling a soul food cookbook, hosting a virtual presentation by the W.E.B Du Bois Scholars Institute, and holding an on-site live concert focused on Black music in the 20th century.

Becoming ‘Ripples of Hope’

At the session on Feb. 22, attendees viewed the speech from Jeffries as well as another TED Talk entitled “How Racism Makes Us Sick.” It was delivered by David R. Williams, a public health and sociology professor at Harvard University whose research focuses on how social factors like education, income and race affect physical and mental health.

In his talk, Williams presented anecdotes and research that emphasized that embedded racism in American society is contributing to profound deleterious impacts on the health of the Black community.

Factors such as major experiences of discrimination, what Williams described as everyday discrimination, and even pervasive poorer medical care resulting from discrimination – whether intended or subconscious – are all contributing to a spectrum of health problems for Black people. These issues often result in them dying earlier than other groups, Williams said.

“Racism is producing a rigged system,” Williams asserted.

David R. Williams discusses how “racism makes us sick” in this TED Talk.

Even so, Williams shared examples of encouraging initiatives that aim to counteract racism and the subsequent health effects of discrimination in the Black community.

These include, he said, a freshman-year health assessment as part of freshman orientation at Oakwood University – something that, with related supports and tools, can lead to a healthier adulthood. He also pointed to psychologist Patricia Devine’s work on implicit bias. He called these and other examples “ripples of hope.”

“Each one of us,” Williams said, “can be a ripple of hope.”

After watching videos of each talk, employees engaged in discussion about things they learned, poignant points that struck them, and even personal experiences of racism and its repercussions – all of which dovetailed off themes Jeffries and Williams emphasized.

“Each one of us can be a ripple of hope.” – David R. Williams

Some comments centered on the disparity between what might often be taught in schools about American history and what is left out – the hard history that Jeffries mentions. Others said their eyes were opened regarding the “subtler” or more “everyday” types of discrimination and implicit bias.

Caitlyn Macikanycz, a supplier specialist in supplier services, said it’s important to keep self-examining and exposing biases you may not know you have – to keep having conversations and to “get outside your circle” to grow in understanding.

ASI Employee of the Year Stephanie Turner-Scott, executive director of ASI Show Operations, shared about incidents of racism she has endured and how she feels they’ve weighed on her physical and mental health. “It still continues to happen,” Turner-Scott said of discrimination. There was one somewhat recent incident “so profound that it almost sent me to therapy,” she said.

Reflecting on Jeffries’ talk about historical practices of racism continuing to shape the Black experience today, Supplier Sales Manager Brian White shared how his prior career in the mortgage business showed him that redlining is sadly alive and well today. Commenting on Williams’ speech, White said one of the solutions to the health inequity crisis in the Black community is greater diversity in the medical field.

“We need more Black and Brown doctors and nurses,” White said.

Creating Opportunities for Youth to Thrive

To kick off the Black History Month observance, ASI hosted a virtual presentation with administrators from the W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Institute at Princeton University. Dr. Sherle Boone, founder and CEO of the 35-year-old program, told attendees that it was established in reaction to the ongoing debate about affirmative action that had reached a fever pitch in the mid to late 1980s.

The annual summer program, which includes multiple academies that provide college-level courses to participants, caters to high-performing middle and high school students from traditionally underrepresented groups.

The W.E.B. Du Bois Scholars Institute was established in 1988 to offer college-level coursework to ambitious younger students from underrepresented groups.

“It’s influenced by the thinking of Du Bois, who believed that the best leadership is provided by the best and brightest minds,” said Boone, of the Black historian and civil rights activist from the turn of the 20th century. “Our focus is on high achievers, those who will do the most good and who want to be of service helping victims of racial oppression. We want to develop and sustain leadership potential.”

Dr. Mark Ellis, dean of academic affairs for the Institute, and Crystal Watson, senior program manager, joined Boone to share information about the different programs.

“We offer rigorous college-level coursework,” said Watson, “plus instruction in professional development and self-development.” Ellis said they strive to transform participating students into “change agents.”

“In addition to critical reading and writing, we have them do group work,” said Ellis. “They can identify the areas where they converge and diverge in thinking and work together to solve problems collectively.”

Download the Diversity & Inclusion Council’s Soul Food cookbook. Recipes were submitted by employees.

Students must apply to the program and undergo a rigorous selection process before being invited to participate.

Theresa Pride, customer success manager in Distributor Services, appreciated that the program emphasizes both academic excellence and community leadership. “Black History must also look forward, and these students, the best and the brightest, represent our future,” she said. “They must be nurtured to use their talents for the benefit of our nation.”

The Institute gives a diverse group of students an opportunity they might not otherwise have, said Leena Patel, ESP Electronic Imaging team lead for ESP Information. “We can support our youth by supporting these types of programs,” she said. “The Institute strengthens students to become young leaders who want to make a positive change in their communities.”

Cristina Alcine, advertising/marketing services coordinator in Production & Advertising Operations, participated in a similar type of program when she was in high school, so she knows first-hand how valuable they can be to young people.

“We need to create opportunities and spaces for youth to thrive,” she said. “We need to challenge them to think and dream bigger than what is presented directly in front of them. It’s important that we all share our resources and connections, provide words of encouragement as they’re figuring things out, and show up as a reminder that we’re in their corner during their journey towards success.”

Concert Celebrates Black Music of the 20th Century

The week after the W.E.B. Scholars talk, ASI hosted an onsite jazz performance featuring two local artists: Keith Spencer, an experienced baritone singer, and accompanist Peter Hilliard, music director of Villanova University’s Graduate Theatre Program.

Spencer and Hilliard guided attendees through a survey of Black music during the 20th century, with Spencer singing a variety of pieces – from spirituals like “Let My People Go,” “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho” and “No More Auction Block for Me,” to “Ol’ Man River” from Show Boat and “That Old Black Magic” from the Great American Songbook.

Keith Spencer and Peter Hilliard perform for ASI employees.

Show Boat from 1927 in particular was “a major pivot in American musical theater,” said Spencer. It was the first time a Black character was presented as a serious one, grappling with the weighty issues of life, rather than as a minstrel or buffoon for comedic relief.

Spencer added that during the Civil Rights era, many of the freedom- and liberation-themed songs with Biblical roots from the late 19th and early 20th century, such as “Let My People Go” and “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” became popular once again as people advocated for large-scale societal change. American singer/songwriter Bob Dylan was so struck by “No More Auction Block for Me” that he took the melody and put new lyrics to it – he called it “Blowin’ in the Wind” and released it in the early 1960s.

Keith Spencer and Peter Hilliard recently joined violinist Claudia Pellegrini in the local WRTI 90.1 Performance Studio for a rendition of “Ol’ Man River.”

“They were wonderful,” Meagan Reilly, member support specialist in the Customer Service department, said of Spencer and Hilliard. “Through the singing and accompanying music, they taught us lessons of the struggles the Black community has gone through. Learning about the past is important for moving forward.”

Liz Italia, executive director of marketing content, appreciated that employees were given a unique opportunity to learn about history and culture through music. “It was a celebration of beauty that came from conflict and difficulty, but also creativity and perseverance,” she said. “I was very moved and felt like we were all connected in that room at the same time, which is what sharing culture is really about.”

*Sara Lavenduski contributed to this report.

ASI Employees Give Back to the Community
ASI also hosted an employee Community Service Day on Thursday, February 2. “Our amazing volunteers assembled 250 snack bags and created caring notes for Caring for Friends, packed 100 weekend meal kits and wrapped 100 sets of utensils for Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, removed 253.6 lbs. of invasive plants from Silver Lake Nature Center, and created floral arrangements with seniors at Horsham Center For Jewish Life,” says Shelby Kay, senior human resources manager. “In addition, we held four payroll campaigns, offering employees the opportunity to make monetary donations to one (or more) of these charities.”

The post From Poignant TED Talks to a Live Concert, ASI’s Diversity & Inclusion Council Celebrates Black History Month appeared first on ASI.

A chief sergeant in the Ukrainian Army, Dyakov was killed in action on August 14, defending his country against Russian invaders. He was a husband, a father and a grandfather. He was a hero. And, at a time before his peaceful life was upended and he was thrust into war to protect all that he loved, Dyakov was the classmate of Alex Shilman.

Shilman, a senior applications developer at ASI who immigrated to the United States from Ukraine decades ago, was remembering his lost friend this week.

Ukrainian solider stands guard at a checkpoint.

As the grim one-year anniversary of Russia’s most recent invasion of Ukraine neared, Shilman was reflecting with aching sadness but also profound pride on his war-torn home country and the people like Dyakov who have fought, and died, trying to protect it.

“Despite the challenges they have faced and continue to endure, they still stand strong and defend their country against an enemy that endlessly sends rockets on beautiful cities and towns,” says Shilman.

For this ASI Diversity and Inclusion Council article, we spoke with ASI employees and other promo products industry professionals with connections to Ukraine for their perspective on the conflict that continues to send shockwaves around the world – and that shows no signs of stopping.

‘The Destruction Is Ongoing’

Feb. 24 marks the day one year ago that Russian troops, acting on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, launched their offensive against their neighbor, igniting a war that has, by some estimates, killed or wounded approximately 280,000 Ukrainians and Russians in action, with some 30,000 civilians having died. Real numbers are hard to come by, though. The war has also instigated Europe’s largest refugee crisis (or “displaced” people, as most prefer to be called) since World War II.

Russia’s offensive is personal for Max Stepanskiy, assistant vice president of enterprise architecture and platform services for ASI. Not long after the war started, Russian forces bombarded his hometown of Bila Tserkva. While Stepanskiy has been in the U.S. for about 25 years now, his aunt and uncle still live in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Rolling blackouts, interruptions to water and heating services, and air raid sirens are common features of their lives. Bombs and rockets exploding in and around cities and towns are a constant threat and often a reality, Stepanskiy shares.

“The destruction of the country’s infrastructure is ongoing, the bombing of the civilian population is ongoing, the crimes against humanity are happening and there’s no visible end to this on the horizon,” says Stepanskiy.

Russian shelling was reportedly responsible for this destruction in Kyiv.

Still, he says, the people of Ukraine have showed a remarkably resolute spirit. They’ve adapted as best they can, keeping faith in their armed forces and clinging to the hope that they’ll make it through to the day when the bloody conflict finally concludes – and they win.

“I feel devastated and sorrowful when I think what people have to deal with,” Stepanskiy says. “At the same time, I’m extremely proud of my fellow Ukrainians; the courage they demonstrate and the struggle they put up against the enemy is absolutely epic. I’m thankful to the countries and their people who have taken the Ukrainian side and have stood with Ukraine in this fight, assisting with humanitarian efforts and military aid.”

‘Shock & Surrealism’

Caitlyn Macikanycz, a supplier specialist at ASI, is from the United States but has ancestral and current family ties to Ukraine. The Russian invasion has split up her cousins’ family, displacing some and turning one into a solider.

Mariana, her cousin, fled to Italy with her young daughter. Mariana’s parents sought safety in Poland, where they are lodged with family. Mariana’s brother Sergei remained in Ukraine, where he serves in the Army. Russian shelling destroyed the family home, and friends and neighbors have been killed.

“Sergei is rarely able to get in touch with his family, so they spend a lot of time worried about him,” says Macikanycz. “Mariana says he sees horrible things every day. There’s still shock and surrealism about where they used to live – a neighborhood in Kyiv – being gone.”

While safe in the U.S., knowledge of what her family and Ukraine are enduring weighs heavily on Macikanycz – even more so as the one-year mark of the war hits. “It’s bringing back all the feelings of when the invasion initially happened,” she says.

‘I Simply Forgot What the Sky Looks Like’

John Lynch is close to the front lines.

Counselor’s 2022 International Person of the Year, Lynch is the American-born CEO and founder of Krakow, Poland-based Lynka, one of Europe’s leading producers and suppliers of imprinted activewear, corporate clothing and accessories. Lynka, which in 2021 became part of Top 40 supplier Vantage Apparel (asi/93390), is only a couple hours from the Ukrainian border. The firm currently employs approximately 50 to 60 displaced Ukrainians and plans to up that number to nearly 100 in the coming months.

“I specifically say ‘displaced Ukrainians’ because I learned just before our company Christmas party from a few on our team that most Ukrainians living abroad abhor being described as ‘refugees,’” says Lynch. “Not long ago, these folks were teachers, florists, bookkeepers or clerks – and they were tragically forced from their homes, careers, families and lives through no fault of their own. They prefer to be called ‘displaced’ because they can’t wait to return to their homes.”

About 90% of the Ukrainians that Lynka employs are women. Lynch says they are “compartmentalizing their suffering… Their husbands, fathers and brothers are home fighting a war. To stop themselves from worrying to death, they try to keep their minds occupied. Having a job at Lynka is an antidote to anxiety overload.”

“It will take Ukraine decades to rebuild after the devastation. It’s a sad reality to live with.” John Lynch, Lynka

While it’s a harrowing time for them, those Lynka workers and their fellow Ukrainians staunchly believe that they’ll win the war and eject Putin and the Russians from their country, says Lynch.

“However,” he adds, “they’re resigned to the sad probability that this is going to take a long time and that many more innocent Ukrainians will suffer or die. Furthermore, even when they do win, it will take Ukraine decades to rebuild after the devastation. It’s a sad reality to live with.”

Lynch, like some geopolitical analysts and many in Ukraine, sees the war that erupted on Feb. 24, 2022, as a massive escalation of a conflict that had already begun in 2014 when fighting broke out in Ukraine’s Donbas region between Russia-backed pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine. Lynch brings that up, in part, to share the story of Nataliya, a 15-year-old girl from Donetsk (part of the Donbas) with whom he is familiar.

Poland, once one of the world’s most homogeneous countries, had a deep-seated mistrust of outsiders and a tangled, often painful history with Ukraine. But after Russia’s invasion, it is sheltering more Ukrainian refugees than any other nation.https://t.co/0k3DbjZ3OQ

— The New York Times (@nytimes) February 22, 2023

While the girl and her family remained in Donetsk following the eruption of fighting in 2014, they fled to Poland amid the 2022 invasion. It was a treacherous journey by car, train and foot to Poland, which is sheltering some two million Ukrainians, more than any other country.

When Nataliya started classes in the local school, she was quite shell-shocked at first, says Lynch. Much quieter than a typical teenager, her Polish classmates noticed that every chance she had, she would go outside on breaks and during lunch and just look up at the sky. Her classmates thought that maybe she was praying. As they got to know her better, the Polish kids asked, “Why do you go outside so much and look up at the sky?”

According to Lynch, she replied, “Because I have been living in a dark basement since I was 8 years old because it was too dangerous to go outside. The war was everywhere, every day. I simply forgot what the sky looks like.”

‘His Childhood Had Changed Forever’

Another Nataliya – Nataliya Royzman, senior financial business system analyst at ASI – immigrated to the U.S. in 1997 from Chernivtsi in southwestern Ukraine. While her mother and sister came with her, many family and friends remain in her native country. It’s tough going for them – and for those who have fled their land for the relative safety of other countries. Royzman has been reflecting on that as the war sparked by the most recent invasion enters its second year.

Shortly after the Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine last year, ASI employees Nataliya Royzman and Alex Shilman, both originally from Ukraine, appeared on ASI Media’s Promo Insiders podcast to discuss the conflict.

“My best friend’s son woke up on his 13th birthday to news about the Russian invasion, knowing that his childhood had changed forever,” Royzman says. “Now it would be his second birthday where he would have to stay home for the night curfew and most likely his younger three-year-old brother will be crying because there are no lights on. These people live in an area where the war hadn’t touch them directly with bombings, but the economics of living during war times has affected them. I can only imagine how the other kids’ birthdays went this year.”

Royzman shares that her husband’s classmates are patrolling the streets in Kyiv. “A lot of people have reached out personally to either me or my family members asking for personal donations of military grade clothing, gear and shoes,” says Royzman, who feels the impacts stemming from the displacement of Ukrainians – and Russians too that have fled because they don’t want to fight in a war they don’t believe in – can’t be underestimated.

“This human displacement,” she says, “creates a housing crisis.”

‘An Incredible Resilience & Commitment’

In the earlier stages of the war, Shilman’s hometown of Shepetivka, a city in western Ukraine, was not under direct attack. That has since changed, he says.

“Rockets have reached even the smallest of cities,” Shilman shares. “Shelling of residential areas and other critical infrastructure has caused extensive damage and resulted in the loss of innocent lives. This quiet city of 40,000 people is saying goodbye to its local heroes more often that it should.”

“Many teachers have gone above and beyond to support students and provide a sense of normalcy in the midst of the conflict.” Alex Shilman, ASI

Nonetheless, people are doing their best to salvage some semblance of normal life – especially for the children. For example: Another former classmate of Shilman’s is a school principal, whose work has afforded the ASI pro insight into the lives of Ukrainian educators amid the conflict.

“Teachers are experiencing difficulties with providing a stable learning environment but despite all of that, they have demonstrated incredible resilience and commitment to their students,” Shilman says. “Many teachers have gone above and beyond to support students and provide a sense of normalcy in the midst of the conflict. They continue to have extracurricular athletic and art events in order to help the students cope with the trauma of the war and support them in their educational and personal development.”

‘Please Continue to Support Ukraine’

From the immediate threat on life to economic fallout resulting from the war, Ukrainians certainly have no shortage of worries. But according to Shilman and others, one of the biggest concerns is that western nations, including the United States, will stop supporting the defense effort.

Certainly the topic of how much and what kind of support, as well as how long it should go on, has become an increasingly divisive political topic in the United States and among western nations that have bolstered Ukraine’s cause.

One year later, Kyiv stands. Ukraine stands. Democracy stands. America — and the world — stands with Ukraine.

Рік потому Київ стоїть. Україна стоїть. Демократія стоїть. Америка – і світ – стоїть з Україною. pic.twitter.com/6i02u3aFgd

— President Biden (@POTUS) February 20, 2023

The week of Feb. 20, President Joe Biden visited Ukraine and Poland in a show of his administration’s willingness to keep helping to pillar Ukraine. In the U.S., the move drew both praise and criticism, with some detractors saying the administration’s focus – and spending – should be on pressing domestic issues. In Ukraine, Biden’s visit appears to have resonated.

“Some might say that it is a political stunt and an unnecessary risk when a U.S. or European leader visits Ukraine in the middle of war, but to millions of Ukrainian people, it brings hope and promise that they are not forgotten,” says Shilman. “I’m begging people not to fall for Putin’s rhetoric and to please continue to support Ukraine and Ukrainian people. They are fighting against evil for their survival.”

American John Lynch, who lives in Poland and founded an imprinted apparel business there, was in the crowd this week when President Joe Biden visited Warsaw – Poland’s capital – to underscore America’s support of Ukraine and commitment to defending NATO territory.

Living mere hours from Ukraine, Lynch adds a boots-on-the-ground perspective.

“Almost every Ukrainian is certain they will win, but it will take time, maybe even years, and the Ukrainians are wholly dependent on western and American financial and military support,” Lynch asserts. “Strength is the only language Putin understands, and that’s why the solution will come faster if NATO, the European Union and USA provide rapid, substantial support. I know some politicians are using the language of ‘no blank checks’ but that’s just politics. Most Republicans and Democrats alike know how to recognize pure evil; they understand the consequences of letting it grow and spread.”

Says Rick Roth succinctly: “If we don’t help the Ukrainians, we’ll be there fighting ourselves.”

Promo’s Relief Efforts

Roth is acting on his beliefs.

He and the business he founded – Mirror Image, a Pawtucket, RI-based apparel decorator – have actively supported Ukraine through merch-driven fundraisers and other means. Roth was inspired to help, in part, because he’s friends with Ukrainian nationals who have had to flee their country due to the invasion – one to England, one to Germany, two to Poland.

“My friends were involved in the Maidan Revolution in 2014,” Roth says. “I was horrified by the 2022 invasion, knowing that my friends would be among the first that would be killed by the Russians. I’m angry too that such naked aggression as the invasion of a peaceful country still occurs. I also have been inspired by the resistance.”

One of the T-shirts Mirror Image is selling to raise funds in support of Ukraine.

Through its Aid for the Ukrainian People collection, Mirror Image sells pro-Ukraine graphic T-shirts; $15 from each sale goes to Vostok-SOS-Ukraine, an organization that’s providing humanitarian aid to the beleaguered nation. “We’re selling the T-shirts and will continue to sell them,” Roth says. “We’ll be adding a poster, some hats and maybe other items too.”

Mirror Image is just one of the many promo products industry companies – large and small – that has flown into action to support Ukraine.

In a spring 2022 initiative led by ASI and the Cohn family, ASI and members of the industry together raised $85,000 to help the Red Cross provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine. “I’m not surprised by our industry’s generosity, but I am very, very grateful to everyone who donated, whether it was $10 or $10,000,” said ASI President/CEO Timothy M. Andrews at the time. “Amid the darkness, good prevails.”

Gemline (asi/56070), a Lawrence, MA-based Top 40 supplier, donated $125,000 to Ukrainian humanitarian relief last year. “We did this through a variety of charities that we either knew or had done research on to make sure that they would be able to efficiently deliver support to those in need,” says Jonathan Isaacson, Gemline executive chair and a member of Counselor’s Power 50 list of promo’s most influential people. “This includes organizations such as Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders.”

Among other endeavors, Gemline also organized webinars to educate industry pros and others about the situation in Ukraine, including one featuring Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko.

In another impressive move, PromoCares, an all-volunteer organization that works to advance social and environmental responsibility in the promotional products market, teamed up with leading industry suppliers to create the #Ukraine4Good campaign.

Another example: 320 Ink (asi/100317), a Maine-based apparel decorator, raised and donated about $9,100 to Save the Children through a T-shirt fundraiser that was themed around the concept of “Maine Supports Ukraine.” A shirt featured a Ukrainian flag bearing a pine tree – the pine tree being a common symbol of Maine.

“We saw a need and wanted to help,” says Drue Nickerson, founder and owner of 320 Ink. “We don’t have any personal connections there, but heard from so many in our community who do. We had the tools and resources to help make a difference and support the innocent children in Ukraine that were being affected by the war.”

Lynka has been extensively involved in relief efforts.

Lynch and employees have driven to the Polish/Ukrainian borders to pick up displaced Ukrainians and transported them to families in Poland where they took shelter. Lynka and parent firm Vantage Apparel paid for the renovations and furniture (beds) at a small housing community in Poland that’s hosting 300 displaced Ukrainians. Lynch founded a tax-deductible charity called Corporate Aid For Ukraine, which has raised more than $1 million for humanitarian support for Ukraine. In addition to hiring and training displaced Ukrainians, Lynka has also offered them Polish lessons.

“As soon as the war ends, Lynka will open an office in Ukraine and take part in the gargantuan reconstruction process of Ukraine,” pledges Lynch. “The citizens will need clothing as will the Ukrainian businesses, and we will be there to help their nation rise from the ashes.”

The post A Grim Anniversary: ASI Employees With Ties to Ukraine Reflect on Russian Invasion One Year Later appeared first on ASI.

Ben Zhang, president and CEO of Top 40 supplier Greater Pacific Industries (asi/58135), founded his company 27 years ago. Originally from China, Zhang says promo, like many American business sectors, is white-dominated – particularly its upper echelons.

“Most Fortune 500 companies’ marketing managers and directors are white,” says Zhang, who has founded several businesses and holds degrees from the University of Washington, Cornell and Harvard. “They’re in charge of the budgets, and business is relational. They want to do business with people they know best.”

This is the self-perpetuating cycle with diversity – from ethnicity to gender to sexuality and beyond – that proponents are looking to break. “Social forces today are rippling through organizations, and it’s an unhealthy balance to keep the status quo to not include women or people of more diverse backgrounds from the C-suite – even in a small organization,” says Amy Wolf, founder and CEO of Evo3 Marketing (asi/190628).

Diversity in the workplace can take many forms, and all kinds of industries now see the benefits of bringing a wide range of voices to the table to lead, innovate and push for change. It allows for a variety of ideas and perspectives to be shared, and more opportunity for people to have input. That motivates and engages employees, which in turn reduces turnover and increases productivity, leading to better decision-making. Diversity also enhances the reputation of the company and the industry it’s a part of since leadership and staff are ostensibly more tolerant and accepting of the different communities and viewpoints represented.

Leaders from many corners of the promo industry share this view, while also expressing frustration with promo’s lack of diversity on several fronts. Kevin McCracken, director of business development and co-founder at San Francisco-based Social Imprints (asi/164607), would like to see more conversations around inclusivity taking place in educational breakout sessions at the industry shows. “There should be a diversity track,” says McCracken, whose company opened in 2009 with a mission of providing high-paying jobs to at-risk adults in need of a second chance. “It’s not anyone’s fault, but promo has been a pretty white industry. We could actually use a shot in the arm with new ideas.”

So how can promo incorporate some fresh ideas that have made a real difference with diversity? By examining the successes of high-profile companies in other industries who have made impactful, measurable strides. We take a look at what a few major organizations have achieved with successful diversity strategies that promo companies of any size can emulate.

Head to ASI Central to read the full article.

The post How to Increase Diversity With Proven Strategies From the World’s Biggest Companies appeared first on ASI.

But let me back up a bit. Here at ASI, most people know me as a senior web designer on the Creative Labs team. I’m also a softball mom, the coordinator of a youth running program, and a parent to a wonderful little boy with cerebral palsy.

My son Mickey was born 14 weeks early at just 25 weeks gestation. He weighed 1lb. 14oz. (less than a bottle of Gatorade) and spent 117 days in the NICU before he was able to come home with us. So, from the start, we knew we would have our hands full with a million unknowns.

Mickey, who is now eight years old, began receiving early intervention (home-based therapy services) shortly after we brought him home from the hospital. He was about two years old when we got the official diagnosis of cerebral palsy. At the time, all the diagnosis meant was that it would be easier for us to get him the services and equipment he needed. And that’s still all the diagnosis means to me. The diagnosis on paper doesn’t say anything about the incredibly bright, hard-working, tough little boy that he is. It doesn’t give any indication of how hard he’s had to fight and how much he’s overcome so far in his short life.

This world was not built for people with different abilities, but it is getting better. I think society as a whole has come a long way in accepting “differently abled” people. Yes, we do get stares when we’re out shopping and Mickey is walking with his gait trainer, but many smiles too. Mickey is integrated with his typically developing peers at school, and at home we hold him to the same standards and expectations as his younger sister. Of course we have to constantly adapt to accommodate his needs, but we try to give him as much of a “normal” life as possible.

It’s easy for a parent of a child with special needs to feel isolated, and there are many challenges that are unique to us. For example, I have to juggle more doctor and therapist appointments than the average mom; I’ve also added some skills to my resume including inserting a feeding tube through a sleeping baby’s nose and giving injections of seizure medication; and don’t even get me started on the stress of Individualized Educational Program (IEP) meetings. One of the most disheartening aspects of parenting a child with special needs is watching them struggle with things that come “easy” to other kids, or watching them miss one milestone after another. It’s so easy to get caught up in the comparison game. I have to constantly remind myself that every child is on their own path, and learns at their own pace, in their own way.

But one unexpected blessing of being Mickey’s mom is that I have been able to witness so much goodness in this world. It warms my heart to watch Mickey make new friends and interact with his peers; I’ve been able to connect with some incredible therapists and advocates who work tirelessly for people of all abilities; and I have learned to celebrate even the smallest achievements and not take anything for granted.

The simplest way to support someone who is raising a child with special needs is to just be there for them. Listen to their concerns, their fears and their struggles. Parenting a child with special needs can be lonely, so make sure you include them in your plans (even if they tend to frequently decline – we have to deal with the unexpected, so plans often change at the last minute). Let them know they’re doing a great job. Offer a shoulder to cry on when they’ve reached their breaking point. Get to know their children and their unique abilities and love them like your own!

Lastly, and most importantly, spread awareness and acceptance in your own home. Teach your own children to be tolerant and accepting of everyone, regardless of ability. Here are some tips for talking to children about disabilities/differences in general:

• Instead of telling kids not to stare at people with different abilities, encourage them to say hi!
• Kids will have questions and that’s okay. We usually don’t mind answering and it’s a great teaching moment for everyone.
• People with special needs want the same things as any other person: to be included, to have friends, and to be loved.
• And lastly, don’t underestimate them! People with disabilities are amazingly strong and resilient. They may do some things a little differently, but if there’s something they want, they’ll find a way to make it work.

The post What It’s Like To Raise A Child With A Disability appeared first on ASI.

Inked in 19th century cursive, the receipt documented the sale of an enslaved African-American woman and child to a white female owner. Brief, to the point, summarial, it was the unsentimental language of transaction, as if the purchaser was buying an agreed-upon amount of grain – or an animal.

Dr. Artress Bethany White, East Stroudsburg University

Only the commodities being purchased weren’t commodities at all. They were human beings. They were the ancestors of Dr. Artress Bethany White. The poet, a literary critic and professor at East Stroudsburg University, found the document while conducting research on her family. She held it in her hand. It carried the weight of history, searing into her heart the agonizing realness of her family’s enslavement.

“It was very emotional for me,” said White. “This document made it all a very stark reality.”

White shared this powerful personal confrontation with one of the darkest periods in America’s history during a frank and illuminating webinar for ASI employees on June 17. Hosted by ASI’s Diversity & Inclusion Council, White’s talk used the Juneteenth federal holiday as an entry point to discuss the broader realities and ramifications of slavery in the United States.

The approach was appropriate, for as White shared, Juneteenth isn’t just for celebration. It should also serve as a time for reflection and education on American slavery and how the legacy of that immoral institution has shaped society to this day.

“Part of celebrating Juneteenth,” said White, “is learning about the history of slavery.”

A Short History of Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the U.S. Also known as Emancipation Day or Freedom Day, Juneteenth gets its name by combining the words “June” and “Nineteenth.”

On June 19, 1865, Union troops arrived in Galveston, TX, to take control of the state and see to it that enslaved people would be free. While the Civil War had ended two months earlier with victory for the anti-slavery Union, and the Emancipation Proclamation (which freed some but not all slaves) was issued two and a half years earlier, the practice of slavery persisted in Texas. Technically, it ended that June 19 when Union General Gordon Granger stood on Texas soil and read General Order No. 3.

“Although emancipation didn’t happen overnight for everyone – in some cases, enslavers withheld the information until after harvest season – celebrations broke out among newly freed Black people, and Juneteenth was born,” reads an account from History.com. “That December, slavery in America was formally abolished with the adoption of the 13th Amendment.”

While deeply significant, the holiday has long gone overlooked. Still, as the social justice movement has gained momentum in recent years, Juneteenth is starting to get the attention it deserves. President Joe Biden, for example, declared it a federal holiday – an important step toward propelling wider-spread recognition and celebration.

The Realities of Enslavement

As awareness about Juneteenth grows, the holiday can serve as a strong foundation for educating about slavery in the U.S. and the experience of people of African descent who suffered enslavement. White’s webinar keyed in on this aspect.

She discussed, for instance, the structure of slavery. This consisted of European/European-descended American traders corralling Africans and then coercively transporting them by ship to the U.S. and Caribbean, where they were sold into enslavement. They were then forced to work on plantations, pressed into the hard labor that allowed commodities like sugar to be farmed and sold to white society in Europe and the U.S. White noted that the conditions on ships were horrific. The enslaved were packed in and restrained, left amid human waste. “A lot of people died,” White said.

Life was often grueling for those who survived. It was typical, White said, for the enslaved to receive only the bare necessities in clothing and food; doing so kept costs down for owners.

Physical means of oppression – from whippings and muzzles, to restraints and painful collars – were used to discipline and demean enslaved people. There were laws against teaching enslaved persons to read and write. Families could be separated if an owner decided to sell a particular individual – a threat that some “masters” held over the heads of the enslaved to coerce conformity to the slave system, White said. Freed men and women were sometimes re-enslaved.

Frederick Douglass was an author, social reformer, abolitionist, writer and statesman who escaped enslavement.

Through it all, however, African-Americans weren’t passively accepting their state of enslavement – a point White was keen to emphasize. “They were serving as advocates for their own freedom,” she said. “Efforts were being made to gain freedom, in the north and the south. They weren’t just waiting to see what history would bring.”

Accounts of the diverse experiences of African-Americans in enslavement, including those efforts to break free, are vividly detailed in what are sometimes called slave narratives – accounts written by people who endured enslavement. During her talk, White referenced works from authors such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Jacobs and Olaudah Equiano. She noted that narratives from enslaved people aren’t typically required reading in school. She thinks they should be, and she encouraged attendees to read the accounts.

“A reason slave narratives are not taught is because they tell the truth about the system,” White said.

According to White, part of the truth included that teenage girls as young as 14 were “bred” – meaning intentionally impregnated, often by owners or their overseers, so they would produce children that would become the property of masters, thereby offering more free labor on plantations, White said.

This practice appeared to pick up after the international slave trade became illegal and plantation owners needed to replenish their pool of free labor, according to White. It also created complicated personal dynamics, as some enslaved people were blood relatives to their oppressors, something that was true for members of White’s family.

While far from the only other important component of White’s talk, another significant point of emphasis the professor made was to distinguish between the term “slave” and “enslaved.”

“‘Slave’ makes you think they were born to be slaves – that they were a lesser form of humanity,” White explained. “‘Enslaved’ puts the onus on the people who purchased and traded in human beings.”

It’s one of many points from White’s talk to reflect on.

The post Professor Delivers Powerful Insights on Juneteenth and the History of Enslavement in the United States appeared first on ASI.

I knew I wasn’t like the other little girls in my class. They giggled when the boys walked by. They blushed and had crushes and wrote notes to boys. I just wanted to be friends with boys. But I definitely wasn’t giggling in their general direction.

I knew I was gay when I was young. Like 6 or 7. In fact, I clearly remember the day I tried to tell my mom. My borderline conservative mom. I said “Mom, I’m different. I think I’m gay” and she immediately said “What?? You don’t even know what that means! Go to bed.”

Me in 1994 at 8 years old.

She grew up in a world where being gay was labeled a mental illness. Not something you want for your oldest child. I told my mom this in 1993, when I was 7. I felt very alone after her reaction despite still being surrounded by love, family and friends. I felt like I should hide. I felt ashamed.

I didn’t know a single gay person. None in real life and there weren’t any on TV when I was little. I remember the hubbub when Ellen DeGeneres came out in 1994, less than a year after I came out (albeit to a smaller audience). I remember hearing someone call her Ellen “DeGenerate.” It hurt my little heart. But this is why it’s important to have gay celebrities “in our faces.” Sometimes that’s all a kid has.

Being different when you think you’re alone in your difference is a unique experience. It’s one that’s terrifying when you’re in it and defining when you come out of it. It wasn’t until middle school that I saw other kids living their truth. Not many, but a small few. I remember thinking they were brave. I was hiding. In plain sight, mind you, because pretty much everyone realized I was gay by then.

In high school I had my first girlfriend. And it didn’t take people long to realize the two of us were a couple. But I still wasn’t shouting my love from the mountaintops. I still felt awkward. I still felt like it changed people’s opinion of me.

Throughout my life I’ve heard all the things: “You’re going to hell. You just haven’t met the right man. You’re an abomination, a sin. You’re disgusting. God hates you. You chose this.” I’ve grown a thick skin. You can’t hurt me with your words, but I do get hurt thinking about all the kids you can hurt with what you say. Or in some cases, what you don’t say. You’d be amazed at how far a “it’s OK if you’re gay, it’s who you are” goes when you’re struggling.

I came to ASI in 2010. Since the beginning I’ve felt nothing but welcomed. ASI has become my second home. I’ve been respected, listened to and offered many opportunities. During a rough patch where my family dealt with addiction, ASI was a safe haven. I could come here and just focus on work and interact with people who really cared about me. And when you find that, you never want to leave it.

In 2020 I met the love of my life, a self-identified straight woman. She came with two kids and an entire dating history full of men. She noticed all the disapproving looks I’ve learned to tune out. She felt the awkwardness and judgment I did as a kid. I’m sorry she had to, but I’m glad she was an adult and she wasn’t alone when she did.

My family and me on Christmas Day 2020.

Not long ago a stranger on Facebook told me I was off to hell (again) for raising a family in a two-mom household. I told her to relax, I’m basically a dad: all football and bad jokes. I laughed, she didn’t. Humor has been a constant for me. It’s healing and empowering and it reminds me not to take life so seriously. It’s a short ride. You have to live it on your terms.

If you were to ask me how to be an ally, I’d tell you: just be a good person. Care about those around you. Be kind to them. Help when and where you can. Don’t treat your gay colleagues any better or worse than your straight ones. We have all the same desires at the end of the day: to be part of the group. To be loved. To be wanted. To be welcomed as we are.

The post Growing up Gay: A Personal Story appeared first on ASI.

The mental toll is hard to measure, but it’s real, and recent data bears that out. The 2022 “Stress in America” survey by the American Psychological Association found that 87% are experiencing significant stress over the rising cost of essential goods like food, energy and shelter; that’s up from 59% in August 2021. More than 80% cite the Russian invasion of Ukraine as having a negative impact on their mental well-being. The same number feel anxiety about supply chain woes.

And now, millions of people are headed back to the communal office; that adds a whole new layer of stress and anxiety as employees adjust once again to a major shift in their work environment, two years after being sent home indefinitely.

For our neighbors to the north, the situation isn’t looking much better. A recent survey by social well-being platform LifeWorks found that Canadians’ psychological health is at its lowest since March 2020. And almost half of the people there are rethinking their career goals due to pandemic challenges and workplace stress.

Bottom line: It’s OK to admit it’s been a struggle. Recognizing and affirming emotions is the first step toward addressing mental wellness, which allows us to show up intentionally for ourselves and those around us, in the face of the myriad factors that are out of our control.

In this Q&A in recognition of Mental Health Month, we bring together three professionals to answer frequently asked questions: Dr. Natalie Chaykin, a licensed clinical psychologist at Mind Body Health, LLC; Martha Munroe, a mental wellness expert and coach with a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology and Coaching Psychology; and Elaine Sanders, a certified life coach, stress consultant and co-founder of The Stress Experts. They share their expert advice on continuing to contend with long-term mental challenges in the face of the year’s many trials.

Q: What stressors and symptoms have clients been bringing up in conversation?

ES: Many of mine report being bullied for their stances on different things. It could be strangers at the grocery store or on social media, or even family members. We’re suffering from polarization, and it’s being perpetuated online and by the media.

MM: Lack of control is a common theme. We had five-year or 10-year plans that aren’t there anymore. People have also lost businesses, and their relationships with loved ones have changed. There’s inflation, war, COVID, all while we’re trying to live our lives in an intentional way. So we’re languishing – we’re not all clinically depressed, but we’re not thriving. We’re struggling. We’re burnt out from trying to be optimistic, especially here in Canada. We’d have hope…and then there was another lockdown. It was an exhausting cycle of hope and disappointment. So our nervous systems are depleted.

NC: Clients are struggling with disordered eating and body image, even if they don’t meet clinical criteria for an eating disorder. They may be engaged in binge eating, restrictive eating, binge-restrict cycles, fad/yo-yo dieting, over-exercising (or lack of activity) and/or hyper-focus on body image and dissatisfaction. People are returning to work and social events and they’re not fitting into their clothes. We’re also struggling with dusting off social skills, like office small talk, establishing boundaries and adjusting to relationship changes.

“We’re languishing – we’re not all clinically depressed, but we’re not thriving. We’re struggling. We’re burnt out from trying to be optimistic.” Martha Munroe

Q: What’s the mindset that’s important to have in the midst of a plethora of stressors?

MM: The self-compassion piece is crucial. We have to acknowledge that it’s been hard. That’s part of the Great Resignation – we’re questioning everything. It’s been a collective existential crisis. We took control for granted – it’s hard to accept that we don’t have it. So we have to figure out a new way of showing up. We have to 1) validate the struggle; 2) treat ourselves with kindness; and 3) share with others. We’re embarrassed that we’re struggling. It’s not complaining; it’s admitting this is hard. Trust that others have the space to hold it – choose people who have the space for what you have to share.

NC: Flexibility should be the foundation to any mindset. Shift away from rigid, all-or-nothing thinking and instead focus on what makes sense in each moment and context. Give yourself permission to feel your emotions, rather than trying to avoid or fix which just, ironically, lengthens the process of emotional reactivity. Pay attention to the present moment without judgment or control and observe your feelings as they rise and fall, which will enhance your ability to manage your emotions and the inevitable stressors you face.

ES: Stress is unregulated negative reactions to our perceptions, so we need to think about self-reflection exercises. Meet your own needs so you can address your triggers, and look at your perceptions. Where do they come from? Where are they fed? Why do we believe certain things? If we heal ourselves, the world won’t trigger us as much.

“Stress is unregulated negative reactions to our perceptions, so we need to think about self-reflection exercises. Meet your own needs so you can address your triggers, and take a look at your perceptions. Where do they come from?” Elaine Sanders

Q: How do we talk to our kids about what’s going on and what they’re hearing?

ES: Kids look to a leader. They look at adults to figure out the appropriate emotional response. So when adults have taken the time to heal themselves, that bodes well for the kids.

MM: Model to kids what you’ve learned in the 30-year head start you have on them. Life isn’t always easy and we have to be open and vulnerable about that. We don’t have to say “Everything’s fine” when it’s not. Kids can pick up on emotions. They can tell when you’re having a hard time. So it’s a good opportunity to model being human. Even small kids understand what “having a hard day” is. Don’t put adult struggles on them, but just let them know how you’re feeling emotionally. It helps them with their emotional vocab and intelligence.

NC: It’s helpful to give kids a sense of security while also normalizing and validating emotions they’re feeling. Discuss the fact that there’s a lot of uncertainty in the world, and we don’t have much control and there’s not always a solution, which isn’t our fault. But we can work on coping with that discomfort. Show them that emotions are safe; name what you’re feeling and show them how you cope with it. For example, “Mommy feels lonely sometimes too, and that can feel sad. So that’s when she reaches out to an old friend to chat.”

Q: What day-to-day habits can we foster (and perhaps change to our routines) to lessen stress?

ES: We do have control over our stress. Look at what’s being consumed. A makes me feel C but we forget about B: our beliefs, perceptions and worldview. A doesn’t do anything to us. A doesn’t produce C without B. So we need to address perceptions, which leads to more sustainable calm, emotional regulation and lower stress.

MM: We have to acknowledge we’re struggling. Otherwise we retreat, become more alienated and then we’re fake happy and making it worse because we’re gaslighting ourselves. Maybe in a meeting, you say, “Hey I’m feeling a little down today, so I’ll try my best not to let that impact the meeting but I just wanted to let you know.” That’s a permission slip for others to be vulnerable too.

NC: Regulating our nervous system is crucial during times of stress. It’s more than just relaxation – it’s a skill to practice in order to rewire our neural pathways and behavior patterns. Practice diaphragmatic breathing for about five minutes a day, especially before bed as it reinforces deeper sleep. At the top of each hour during the day, do a quick body scan (mentally scan your muscle groups from head to toe and release any tension). Mindfulness is hard work and doesn’t come naturally, so be patient with yourself. Try a mindfulness app or start with short meditations on YouTube.

“Regulating our nervous system is crucial during times of stress. It’s more than just relaxation – it’s a skill to practice in order to rewire our neural pathways and behavior patterns.” Natalie Chaykin

Q: When is it time to ask for professional help?

NC: It doesn’t always require an aha moment or hitting rock bottom. You may notice a change in your typical behaviors and routines, like more or less sleep, lower or higher appetite, isolating from loved ones or activities, procrastinating, or hyper-focus on work. Reach out if your mood or thoughts are impacting daily functioning, like negative or anxious thoughts, irritability, tearfulness or numbness/lack of emotion. But therapy can also help you enhance your life. Many people seek out therapy because they simply feel stuck and don’t know what to do about that.

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On the occasion of the first official National Women’s History Week in March 1980, then-President Jimmy Carter released a statement on the observance’s significance.

“Men and women have worked together to build this nation,” he wrote in a presidential proclamation. “Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.”

What has become a month-long celebration began as just seven days in 1978, first held by the Education Task Force of Sonoma County’s Commission on the Status of Women in California. They chose the week that included March 8, set aside as International Women’s Day since 1914, and it quickly led to more celebrations across the U.S. The momentum was so strong, in fact, that just two years later, the National Women’s History Project (now the National Women’s History Alliance) lobbied for national recognition and received it. President Carter declared March Women’s History Week across the nation in 1980; it became Women’s History Month in 1987 by Congressional declaration.

“The achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.” President Jimmy Carter, in honor of the first National Women’s History Week in 1980.

The annual observance continues to coincide with International Women’s Day, held on March 8, which has a long and storied history peopled by a number of ambitious and fearless personages around the world. It began in the early 1900s in reaction to the Industrial Revolution and women’s place in it; women began advocating for shorter working hours, better pay and voting rights. The first National Women’s Day in the U.S. was declared in 1909.

Then in Copenhagen in 1910, Clara Zetkin, the leader of the Women’s Office for the Social Democratic Party in Germany, proposed an international day of recognition for women. In 1911, Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland held the first International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 19. Other countries (including Russia, where women lobbied for peace at the start of World War I) soon followed, and the day was officially moved to March 8 across the world in 1914.

This month marked the 111th anniversary of the first IWD, with the theme #BreaktheBias as a unified call to do away with gender bias, discrimination and inequities.

The 2022 theme of International Women’s Day on March 8 was #BreaktheBias; supporters were encouraged to post photos of themselves with their arms crossed along with the official hashtag.

“The world has witnessed a significant change and attitudinal shift in both women’s and society’s thoughts about women’s equality and emancipation,” states the official International Women’s Day website. “The unfortunate fact is that women are still not paid equally to that of their male counterparts, women still are not present in equal numbers in business or politics, and globally women’s education, health and the violence against them is worse than that of men. However, great improvements have been made. … And so each year the world inspires women and celebrates their achievements.”

In honor of Women’s History Month, ASI hosted a special virtual panel featuring women of ASI on International Women’s Day. Michele Bell, vice president of editorial, education & special events in Editorial, facilitated a Q&A with Nancy Carmona, chief financial officer in Finance & Business Strategy; Mickee Chai, vice president of IT operations in Information Services; Shelby Kay, human resources manager in Human Resources; Virginia Lucas, user experience (UX) interactive designer in Product Management; and Caitlyn Macikanycz, sales specialist in Supplier Sales & Marketing. The panelists spoke about their professional experiences and advice they have for other women.

Stephanie Schaeffer (bottom right) from the Chairman’s Office at ASI asks a question of (clockwise from top left) Mickee Chai, Michele Bell (moderator), Caitlyn Macikanycz, Shelby Kay, Nancy Carmona and Virginia Lucas during the Q&A portion of the session.

Macikanycz started the conversation by mentioning the different generational experiences among women in the workplace. “We’re in a unique position as millennials,” she said. “We see more women in leadership positions than those who came before us.”

Lucas, another millennial on the panel, said that when she joined the UX team several years ago, she was the only woman in the department. That’s since changed, and she took the time to pursue educational opportunities, which her team has supported.

“The guys took me under their wing and made sure I had a voice on the team and in the company,” she said. “I had lots of support, but I also worked hard, was dedicated and took different courses and went to conferences and workshops, and I presented these things to my manager. I went to local Meetups to learn different skills, both personal and professional.”

But the women also said they’ve had their fair share of challenges in the workplace. At Carmona’s second job in the finance industry, which tends to be male-dominated, she was the only female finance manager, and she did experience some gender bias. At meetings, she noticed that she wasn’t asked as many questions by the CFO as her male counterparts were, and she wasn’t as readily invited into important conversations.

“They were treating me as though I was fragile and couldn’t handle tough questions,” she says. “But I decided I wasn’t going to let it get to me or stop me. I just did a really great job with my presentations so I could showcase what I could do.”

Chai said that, when she started at ASI, she had young kids and she felt the pressure (very common among women in particular) to strike a perfect equilibrium between parenting and working. She said it was her most significant challenge.

Unfortunately, the pressure to fire on all cylinders in every area of life means women often neglect to take care of themselves. Kay said she’d like to see this change. “Take your PTO and use the time you have,” she says. “In the beginning of my career, I was afraid to take time off and worked late to prove myself. But things have changed. Prioritize yourself. I find that I come back refreshed and my work is better for having taken time off.”

“I’m a proponent of hiring more African-American women in leadership. It’s hard for women to aspire to something they can’t see. Be intentional about mentoring and giving people opportunities.” Virginia Lucas, UX interactive designer

The panelists agreed that companies need to be more intentional about finding women to fill roles, especially management positions, after Bell shared the fact that only 41 of the CEOs on the Fortune 500 list are female. She also revealed stats from ASI, where 58% of staffers are female and 42% male, and 60% of managers are female while 40% are male. At the senior manager/executive level, 67% are male and 33% are female. ASI actively seeks to expand women’s presence at every level through hiring, training and promotions and will continue to make this commitment a priority.

“[Women in management] allows for continual growth and learning, and promotes more open communication about leadership opportunities,” Carmona said. “It gives other women confidence. Let women see that they can have a voice.”

Lucas said she’d also like to see more women of color as managers. “I’m a proponent of hiring more African-American women in leadership,” she said. “It’s hard for women to aspire to something they can’t see. Be intentional about mentoring and giving people opportunities.”

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