Recognize Good's blog

Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place

     On the side of the highway a man is standing outside of his car, his arms are at his sides with his palms out. The man drives what looks like a new Dodge pick-up, he is wearing nice clothes, and he appears well groomed. He isn’t waving at the traffic, or shouting for help at first, but he is obviously in distress on the side of busy I-35. It also looks like he is without a phone. First, hundreds of cars pass him by, then thousands as the day begins to die. He is afraid to cross traffic, because that is the only way for him to seek help on his own. The situation turns tragic as he stands there, then finally jumps up and down, waving and shouting at traffic to help him out. The tragedy is that each and every person sees him, and all of them think that some driver behind them will help this guy. Finally, a police officer who has already passed by the man twice in the last four hours pulls over with lights flashing to perform her civic duty. Everyone on the highway slows down a little bit to see if there is an accident, but speed away annoyed when it’s just a stalled vehicle.

    We tell this story for two reasons. First, recognizing when someone needs help is just the first step. The second and infinitely more important step is taking action and doing something to help. Do you know how easy it would be if it was you stuck on the side of the highway? What’s more, what if we were to tell you that that man was the operations director for a mental health clinic where hundreds of people rely on his services every day? This is a man who has devoted his life to helping his community, operating on a shoestring budget and trying to serve the needs of Austin’s low-income families?

    In truth this man is a metaphor. He represents The Samaritan Counseling Center, and the Samaritan Counseling Center is under a huge financial strain at the moment. Our mission is to provide hope, healing and wholeness for the adult, child, family and community.   We provide professional counseling and community education to prevent and treat abuse, develop healthy life skills, and strengthen families from Georgetown all the way to San Marcos and everything else in-between. Right now we are stuck in-between a rock and a hard place. We have reached a level of stability that disqualifies us from funds from one crucial source, but because we are doing our utmost to reach out to as many veterans and mental health patients in low income situations as possible, we are not stable enough for another crucial financial source.

    Unfortunately we are having to raise fees and severely cut back on some of our pro bono services  until we find additional funds to support our work in the community.  We are praying that this will be for a very, very short time. There are so many people who need our assistance, but don’t have the resources to get the help they need, especially our veterans. In our search however we recognize that we need to enlist the greater Austin community for help! Y’all need to be aware of The Samaritan Center of Austin. We are encouraging all groups to get involved, whether you be a church organization, a community council or just a group of dedicated Austinites who want to make a difference for the mental well-being of our great city.

    We recognize how awesome you are Austin. We also recognize the need for affordable counseling in our community. We are devoted to y’all. So go forth Austin and please help us with our mission. It isn’t for us, it is for our veterans, our children and our city!

Image Source: altopower.wordpress.com

Recognize Good Ways to Fight Depression

Last week we talked about fighting against depression as a team, rather than going it alone. Just like soccer, a group of talented individuals are crucial when it comes to winning that fight. One star player, who has been the last defense for nearly 400 people in Australia is Don Ritchie. For 45 years this man has monitored The Gap, and he has managed to save hundreds of lives simply with a smile, a few kind words, a sympathetic ear and a great cup of tea. His tactics are simple, brilliant and well-executed.

If you are depressed, it’s good to be talking to a counsellor or, if you face severe depression, seeking professional medical help. However, there are some things you can do for yourself to help put yourself in a better place mentally. Some of our tips are common, but oftentimes people ignore the obvious.

If you are depressed, try...

• Talking to someone who will take the time to listen to you. Your pastor, a close friend, your spouse, a parent, etc. Tell them why you are depressed and don’t be embarrassed to admit it. You are human, and they will understand.

• Write about why you are depressed. Put it on paper and read it aloud to yourself. Then, write something different, something positive about yourself or your situation, and read it aloud to yourself.

• Pray. We debated putting this one on the list, because many people are turned off by that word. However, prayer is too powerful a tool against depression to just omit. Whether you are Christian, Jewish, Muslim or otherwise, prayer allows you an opportunity to put your depression in perspective spiritually.

• As a side note to prayer, meditation is incredibly helpful as well.

• Go for a walk, run, bike ride, kayak ride, rock climb, etc. Get outside, enjoy the day. If you can, try and do it with a friend.

• Not to be “green” or promote anyone’s dieting program but we cannot ignore how healthy eating habits help dissipate depression when coupled with exercise and proper sleeping habits. Fresh fruits and veggies and nuts and grains and less pre-packaged foods like mac and cheese. This also brings us to our next point.

• Steer away from caffeine and alcohol. Limit yourself or try eliminating these elements from your diet altogether. Alcohol is a natural depressant, and caffeine will make you feel a little more awake before you crash and feel potentially worse than you did before you consumed it.

It isn’t that we offer new and innovating tips on depression. We are simply providing another resource with this list for people that are searching for an answer to solve their depression. As a matter of fact, what do you do to fight depression in your own life? Share and help others. Go forth friends and recognize good ways to help fight against depression!

Doing Good in other languages

We write this blog in English, our website is in English and most of those recognized on our site are English speakers. It is an absolute thrill and pleasure to learn about events like Feria Para Aprender where folks looking to excel in an English-speaking country can find the necessary resources to do so.

Knowledge is perhaps the most powerful tool we have in today's digital age. No, that's the wrong word to use. This is the communication age. Facebook, twitter, youtube, myspace, google, etc. are all breaking down barriers we didn't even know existed, while simultaneously constructing knew ones. People who live thousands of miles apart from one another are falling in love, when they still haven't met their next door neighbors. Or, if you are the person who wrote the recognition on Feria Para Aprender, you have no clue as to what's going on in your own community!

That is another reason why we wanted to talk about Feria Para Aprender. It's amazing what we can do online. This blog for example, or our website even, but we still find it absolutely incredible when things like Feria Para Aprender can physically bring together more than fifteen thousand people! We love what we can do with all the communication technologies available online these days, but never neglect what is going on in your own backyard. We love seeing people talk about how their communities have come together to do good things.

So go forth Friends, and Recognize Good in your own backyards (we mean your communities, we aren't expecting good things in your literal backyard, but please share if they do happen there as well!)