Lead4Life prides itself on giving all communities the opportunity and resources to thrive and succeed. We are the village making a difference, and without true acceptance and tolerance, we would not be where we are today. June is Pride Month, and acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community is something that needs to be a priority to make our community a better place. It’s also a time to honor the history and struggles of the LGBTQ+ community, to celebrate their accomplishments, and to continue working towards a more equitable and just society.

We believe that everyone has a role to play in creating a more inclusive and accepting society. Whether it is through volunteering, donating, or simply speaking out in support of LGBTQ+ rights, we can all make a difference. By coming together during Pride Month and beyond, we can build a better future for all.

The history of Pride Month can be traced back to the Stonewall Riots of 1969, when LGBTQ+ people in New York City fought back against police brutality and discrimination. This event sparked a movement for LGBTQ+ rights and led to the first Pride marches in 1970. Today, Pride Month is celebrated in countries around the world, with parades, festivals, and other events that bring together LGBTQ+ people and their allies.

For many LGBTQ+ youth, Pride Month is a time of empowerment and affirmation. It is a time when they can see that they are not alone, that there are others like them who share their struggles and triumphs. This can be especially important for youth who are struggling with their identity or who may feel isolated or rejected by their families and communities.

One of the most important ways that we can support LGBTQ+ youth is by creating safe and inclusive spaces for them. Many LGBTQ+ youth face discrimination and harassment in their homes, schools, and communities, which can lead to feelings of isolation and despair. By creating safe spaces where LGBTQ+ youth can be themselves and connect with others who share their experiences, we can help them to feel supported and empowered.

Another important aspect of Pride Month is the opportunity to raise awareness about LGBTQ+ issues and promote education and understanding. Many people may not be aware of the challenges that LGBTQ+ people face, such as discrimination, bullying, and lack of access to healthcare. By raising awareness about these issues, we can help to create a more inclusive and accepting society. One of the most inspiring things about Pride Month is the way that it brings together people from all walks of life to celebrate diversity and promote acceptance. Pride Month is not just for LGBTQ+ people; it is a time for allies and supporters to show their solidarity and commitment to creating a more just and equitable society.

In conclusion, Pride Month is a time to celebrate the diversity and resilience of the LGBTQ+ community, to honor the struggles of those who have come before us, and to continue working towards a more just and equitable society. At our organization, we are committed to supporting LGBTQ+ youth throughout the year and promoting education and awareness about LGBTQ+ issues. We invite you to join us in this important work and to help us create a world where all youth are valued and supported, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Sources:

• https://www.history.com/topics/gay-rights/the-stonewall-riots

This year, Marylanders were given an important question on this year’s voting ballots, “Should marijuana be legal in Maryland for adults 21 and over?” In June, Maryland lawmakers are answering the question for adult use legalization for cannabis that will be going into effect July 1, 2023. The plan that’s laid out is just a framework of what’s to come, and there are still many questions to be asked and answered (This will eventually get figured out between the MMCC and other organizations.)

Aside from whether or not it’s going to be recreational doesn’t take away from the fact that cannabis provides benefits to the societies it’s legalized in. Here are some reasons why recreational cannabis is right for Maryland, and what Lead4Life wants to do about it.

Benefits of Cannabis on Physical/Mental Health: This herb has been harvested and utilized for thousands of years, and with a combination of stigma, over indulgent sweeping drug legislation, and unfruitful political battles caused marijuana to be kept in the shadows. Recently, cannabis has been in the headlines for over two decades for its incredible help in medical advancements. The chemicals it contains, THC and CBD, have both been found to help in cancer treatments, physical therapy, various mental health disorders, and much more that’s still being discovered and applied.

GoodRx provides more information and studies on the medical applications of cannabis here.

The medical benefits are obvious, but, the real change comes in social and policy reform.

Benefits to Society: Colorado’s legalization of recreational marijuana shook the world in 2012, but in hindsight, it worked out really well for the state, and now everyone is following their steps. “Today,  the once-underground endeavor is a $2 billion per year industry in Colorado, and research on its chemical makeup, health benefits and risks is flourishing at institutions around the country.”

Of course, Colorado is the prime example whenever one talks about cannabis laws, but there are many other examples of states benefiting from medical & recreational marijuana (Maryland, California, Florida, District of Columbia, to name a few.) Here are some, just to name a few:

State Tax Benefits: States that have introduced cannabis to purchase have had tremendous increases in cash flow. “Legalization of cannabis products has been a boon for state budgets, with states reporting a combined total of $10.4 billion in tax revenue from cannabis sales as of the close of 2021, not including any revenue produced by medical marijuana distribution. Local towns and cities with thriving marijuana operations have also generated millions.”

Social Justice: Legalizing marijuana for recreational use also brings benefits to the people, in terms of social justice, such as reducing arrests for possession, which would reduce stress in the overall system. Including trials, sentencing, prison capacity, etc.

Problems with Cannabis: Cannabis provides many benefits to our society and our citizens, but we must try to not promote this product as a “cure-all.” It’s healthy to understand the boundaries of every substance, and how we can apply it the best way possible. Here are some potential issues that cannabis could bring:

Need the Infrastructure: Introducing cannabis to a state brings a lot of benefits, but the most difficulty comes in when creating a solid foundation for the cannabis industry to grow from. You must keep in mind dispensary locations, keeping up to date with laws and regulations, and being responsible with the medicine, and the money that it brings in. The last thing the state needs to do with this potential fund increase is to squander it on wasteful projects.

What Lead4Life is Doing to Help:

Maryland is one of the lucky 21 states to be involved with legalizing marijuana for recreational use, but we the people, and our leaders must know what benefits and detriments it brings to Maryland.

Lead4Life is very much involved and in support of the recent cannabis legislation. So much so, that this year’s Mental Health Symposium is dedicated to how cannabis legislation will affect those with mental health challenges. If you’re interested in attending or just want to learn more, click here: Mental Health Symposium.

Do your part by learning more about what Maryland lawmakers plan to do, and how cannabis is going to change your local community.

Sources:

1. https://www.goodrx.com/well-being/substance-use/risks-benefits-of-legal-marijuana
2. https://mmcc.maryland.gov/Pages/Legalization-of-Non-Medical-Cannabis.aspx.
3. https://www.colorado.edu/today/2022/11/04/decade-after-legalizing-cannabis
4. https://www.fool.com/research/marijuana-tax-revenue-by-state/

Stress is something that we’re all sadly familiar with. We’ve been through a lot in the past few years (not even including COVID-19), and anxiety and depression have taken their toll on how we work, how we interact with our family and friends and how we feel about ourselves.  Finding healthy ways to relieve stress reduces both anxiety and depression and our hope is that this blog will provide a few easy steps that anyone can take. Here are some of the best ways to relieve stress:

Physical Activity: The easiest way to relieve stress is having more physical activity in your daily schedule. According to Harvard Health, “Exercise reduces levels of the body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators.” A fact to live by is that our bodies have developed ways to naturally decrease depression with various neuro-chemicals. Make sure to utilize what you already have.

Physical activity is great, but also leaving your home and experiencing nature is an incredible stress reliever. Just the thought of feeling a light breeze, warm rays of sunshine, and gazing at the cloud shapes brings relief to the soul. As a goal this year, try to prioritize your physical and mental health by utilizing the beautiful world around you.

Spend Time with Others: A tight, warm hug from a family member can seem to be the remedy for many ailments that we face, and it’s not far from the truth. In our digital world, we’ve underestimated the strength and impact of physical touch and replaced it with social media and instant messaging. Take the time this year and spend time with family, friends and loved ones. Additionally, “others” don’t always have to be human. Our furry friends are a great way to relieve stress and there have been numerous studies to prove that so if you can’t find a family member or friend, hug your pet.

Minimize Screen Time: Have you ever thought about the amount of time you spend on your devices? The average screen time in the U.S. is around seven hours a day, almost a third of the entire day, almost half of the waking day (Think about that number for a second). Most of the time is dedicated to watching videos and playing video games which is definitely not surprising, seeing where our general interests are.

One major way to reduce stress is to reduce the time you spend in front of a screen. Firstly, just to remove yourself from the day-to-day opens yourself up to a different perspective, seeing the world around you is breathtaking at points. Secondly, once you remove yourself from your device, you can appreciate the importance of your local community, and what impacts individuals can make. Spending more time on the people and things around you prevents “doom-scrolling”, or wasting time online.

Mindfulness/Meditation: Along with the advancements in technology, we’ve also advanced the ways in which we interact with our consciousness. We’ve all seen the push towards yoga, meditation, deep breathing (a more Eastern-style of medicine) that emphasizes the power of “mind over body.” This is an incredible alternative to the current world we live in, which is full of unneeded prescriptions and over-indulgence in our day to day lives. Some ways to get into a different mindset would be to:

• Deep breathing exercises– Deep breathing exercises like abdominal breathing, belly breathing, paced respiration or diaphragmatic breathing, can calm you, seattle your mind, and allow you to think clearly
• Get better sleep– Getting less higher quality sleep is better than more low quality sleep. When planning your sleep schedule, make sure your body gets as much REM sleep as possible
• Practice Meditation: Meditation comes in a vast variety of methods that can fit the needs of virtually anyone. The act of meditation is more about self awareness, discipline, and a focus on relaxation. Some examples would be taking walks, yoga, visualization meditation, and much more.
  • For more information on different meditation techniques, click here

Volunteer Your Time: Sometimes being sedentary can lead to increased stress. As we mentioned above, exercise is a great way to combat that.  Another way to better spend your time is volunteerism.

• Help the local community: Helping others in their time of need is an impactful stress reliever. According to Mayo Clinic, “By spending time in service to others, volunteers report feeling a sense of meaning and appreciation, both given and received, which can have a stress-reducing effect.” Helping others will always result in helping yourself.
• Help through Lead4Life: Aiding your local communities is shown to reduce stress, and increase overall happiness. Lead4Life’s doors are always open to members of the community who wish to donate their time and talent. Volunteer opportunities include hosting a party, event, or dinner for youth participants, as well as mentorship openings. Learn more by clicking this link.

We can never fully get rid of stress.  All we can do is learn to cope in healthy ways, and learn new avenues to reduce its effects in our daily lives.

At Lead4Life, we strive to empower every participant in our programs so that they may find their purpose, achieve their goals, and become poised, productive members of their community. We advocate for those in need and assist each and every individual by providing compassionate education and valuable resources and tools so that they can make the very best decisions and develop important life, social, and competency skills.

In honor of National Women’s Month, we would love to highlight some important women throughout our history who’ve contributed to women’s rights, scientific breakthroughs and real social justice. Their contributions, no matter how long ago, still affect us to this day. These women created a solid base for our humanity to lean on and learn from. Celebrate with Lead4Life this month and continue to learn more about our world which leads to real change.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Throughout her career, Ginsburg was a strong advocate for women’s rights and was a tireless champion of gender equality. She wrote numerous influential opinions, including a seminal dissent in the case of Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., in which she argued that women’s rights to equal pay under the law were being violated. Her work helped to lay the foundation for the passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act in 2009.

Ginsburg’s legacy continues to live on, and she is remembered as one of the most important women in American legal history. She inspired countless people with her commitment to justice, her unyielding spirit, and her unwavering belief in the power of the law to effect change. Today, she is widely regarded as a cultural icon and a symbol of hope and progress for women and minorities everywhere.

Anna Freud: Anna Freud was a pioneer in the field of child psychoanalysis and made many important contributions to the understanding of child development and the treatment of children with mental health problems. She is best known for her work in the Hampstead Child Therapy Course and Clinic, which she founded in London in 1952. At the clinic, she developed new techniques for working with children and helped to establish child psychoanalysis as a distinct discipline within the field of psychoanalysis.

Her contributions to our understanding of youth mental health and developing childcare techniques is still valued and used to this day.

Rosa Parks: American civil rights changed forever when Rosa Parks made her powerful decision almost 70 years ago. She was an American civil rights activist who is best known for her role in the Montgomery bus boycott. In 1955, Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white person, sparking a boycott of the city’s buses that lasted for more than a year. Her actions helped to bring about the end of segregation in public transportation and were a major catalyst for the civil rights movement in the United States. Parks’ bravery and determination inspired many other civil rights activists and helped to bring about much-needed change in American society.

Malala Yousafzai: Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani activist who campaigns for girls’ education. She gained international attention in 2012 when she was shot by the Taliban for speaking out about the importance of education for girls. Despite being seriously injured, she recovered and continued her activism, becoming a powerful voice for girls’ education around the world. In 2014, she became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, and her efforts have helped to bring about increased access to education for girls in many countries.

Harriet Tubman: Born into slavery in around 1822, Harriet Tubman emerged as one of the most important figures in American Black History to make impactful changes on the people around her. Obviously, she’s famous for her bravery in freeing enslaved people and bringing them to the North, even crossing the border to Canada frequently, but she also accomplished much more. In 1850, the Fugitive Slave Act was enacted, meaning that all captured slaves must be returned to their owner, no matter if you’re found in a free state. With this in mind, Tubman utilized the famous Underground Railroad and was able to free almost 100 people by the cloak of night, and the trail of outposts and checkpoints. When slavery was ratified in 1865, Tubman went to focus on women’s suffrage and equal rights. She was able to leave an impression and a legacy Americans will never forget.

These important women have made huge impacts on our world but these do not shadow over what people accomplish today. Even helping in your community impacts the world as a whole. You can help with Lead4Life in many different ways from donating to our cause, to sponsoring youth around Maryland.

Click here to help

At Lead4Life, we strive to empower every participant in our programs so that they may find their purpose, achieve their goals, and become poised, productive members of their community. We advocate for those in need and assist each and every individual by providing compassionate education and valuable resources and tools so that they can make the very best decisions and develop important life, social, and competency skills.

In the US, roughly 582,000 people are currently homeless. According to a HUD study published this year, this number represents a 2,000-person increase since 2020. During winter, it can be heartbreaking to see homeless individuals struggling in your community. Many people want to help the homeless, but they don’t know where to begin. Maybe you’ve served a meal or provided assistance to someone, but you’d like to get involved in a larger capacity.

It’s also worth noting that homelessness is more visible in some areas than others. 41% of people experiencing homelessness live in rural and suburban areas. In addition, 60% of homeless Americans find shelter in transitional housing programs and safe havens. You may not see homelessness in your area, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t an issue. In your community, there are likely many who are experiencing homelessness and in need of help. The good news is, you can make a difference. Here are five realistic actions you can take to promote systemic change.

5 Ways to Help the Homeless in Your Community

1. Locate Homeless Shelters in Your Area

If you want to help the homeless in your community, the first thing you should do is locate shelters in your area. Seeking out homeless individuals and offering personal assistance isn’t always the best way to help. When you locate a shelter, you can find ways to support and strengthen these services in your community. You can find a comprehensive list of shelters in Maryland on the Homeless Shelters Directory website.

2. Donate and Volunteer Locally

Once as you’ve located local homeless shelters, you can assist them by donating directly. You could donate money or used clothes and other necessities. If possible, reach out to friends and family to help. Getting others involved is a great way to spread change in your community. You can also volunteer your time. Perhaps you have a skill that you could put to work, such as grassroots organizing or event planning. The majority of shelters would likely appreciate extra support.

3. Start a Fundraiser

Do you have a social media following or any type of online platform? If so, you’re already equipped to make a difference in your community. Using a site like GoFundMe, you can encourage your followers to donate. You could also encourage them to join you in participating in a volunteer event.

4. Support Local Politicians Who Fight Homelessness

Making significant changes on a systemic level often involves politics. Political leaders shape the policies that affect housing, funding and access to resources. Thinking about getting involved in politics can be overwhelming for most people, however. One great thing to do is research local candidates and understand their perspective on homelessness. What actions do they plan to take if elected? If you want to help the homeless on a larger scale, you can support politicians with the same priorities.

5. Practice Kindness When You Encounter Homeless Individuals

Volunteering, donating and being informed are all essential in the fight against homelessness. However, sometimes the simplest gestures can be the most impactful. Without even a smile or an eye contact from passersby, unhoused people often struggle to feel hopeful. Like every human being, they want to feel acknowledged and seen. Helping the homeless can be as simple as being kind. Take a moment to talk to those you come across and offer a few kind words. It takes thoughtful and persistent action to make progress, that much is true. But the importance of compassion on a personal level is equally important.

Do You Know Someone in Need of Assistance? Partner with Our Staff at Lead4Life, Inc. Today

At Lead4Life, we strive to empower every participant in our programs so that they may find their purpose, achieve their goals, and become poised, productive members of their community. We advocate for those in need and assist each and every individual by providing compassionate education and valuable resources like mental health tips so that they can make the very best decisions and develop important life, social, and competency skills. Visit our website or contact us at 240-499-8949 to learn more about helping the homeless in your area.