The COVID-19 Pandemic has turned our world upside down. None of this is easy for any of us. This isnât hard because weâre doing it wrong â this is hard because this is too much. Of course weâre struggling. None of this is normal!Â
If youâre reading this, we probably have something in common ââŻweâre helpers.âŻWeâre primary and secondary caregivers. Weâre clinicians, weâre case managers, weâre social workers and counselors and therapists. Weâre educators or school leaders, school clinicians and climate staff. Weâre community leaders, block captains, faith leaders, and neighborhood presidents. Weâre healing guides, space holders, circle keepers, and providers of all kinds.Â
Everyone and everything around us are impacted and reaching out for help. And most likely, theyâre reaching out to you. The list of people you support, personally and professionally, has likely grown in length, in need, or both.Â
For helpers, this pandemic isnât just about our own stress and fear. Itâs also about the many people we support who rely on us to be steady, calming, and nurturing. This can be an overwhelming time for helpers, because now more than ever, we wish we could fix the problems so many of our people are facing. But thereâs a reason weâre not able to ââŻwe canât fix grief, and thatâs exactly what all of this is.Â
We were never meant to grieve alone, and so letâs move through this journey together through a series of video trainings for all helpers, in Philadelphia and beyond. Walk with us as we put this pandemic (and its implications) into the lens and framework of what it truly is ââŻcollective grief and trauma.Â
Each video is 45 minutes or less, and all are captioned to be accessible for those who are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing, those who cannot use volume, or for those of us whose brains on trauma need a visual. (If captions do not appear on the video, click the âCCâ in the bottom right corner of the video to toggle the captions on.) Each video is accompanied by a respective Resource Guide, detailing sources and places to further explore the topic (almost all resources included are free and available online). Â
We canât undo this pandemic by helping harder. But what we can do is tell the truth. And right now, that truth is grief.Letâs face it together.Â
In solidarity & with gratitude,
The Uplift TeamÂ