Just like that! – another Summer is gone and we are well into another Autumn.
Who would have thought that COVID19 would have disrupted our normal lives for so long! It was almost 2 years ago that the word Coronavirus became part of our daily vocabulary. It was almost 2 years ago that the way we deal with everyday life changed.
COVID19 also meant that the way we come together at APSGO has changed. Parents in need continue to call our 1-800 number looking for help. APSGO understands that this need does not end even in the face of a pandemic and – ZOOM!! APSGO meetings are now online to meet that demand and keep support consistent.
We are now into the 4th wave (another new household phrase and concept). It is not clear when things will go back to normal or when we will see a ‘new normal’ (yet another new concept) or what that new normal will look like.
Although it is not clear what our future holds, APSGO remains stable. We continue to provide weekly meetings, workshops, and other resources to provide any parent with the skills to help themselves and their children. The tireless commitment and dedication of APSGO members has made that a reality. APSGO continues to help parents build better relationships.
Going forward, the APSGO Board has been proactive in discussions about what future APSGO will look like. The Board held our first (of many) Group Leaders meeting to get ideas and input from all Chapters about how to keep APSGO strong and current. We brainstormed about things like continuing online meetings after COVID, about compiling existing teaching materials, and about training more members in Choice Theory and coaching.
Zoom has been the silver lining to COVID. It has made it easier to get together with all APSGO Chapter members. It is a great way to keep us all connected. The Board is looking forward to future across-Chapter meetings. New ideas and suggestions will help the Board make decisions that are effective and good for all members.
COVID has changed our lives but it has not changed APSGO’s devotion to a parent in need. The support and assistance of all APSGO members makes it possible to continue to reach out and provide the desperately needed tools to anyone who wants to be closer to a person who is important to them.
APSGO can and will continue to help!
Jeannette
2 Responses
Hello,
I am a former recipient of APSGO support, when I went back to teaching French to adults at night, I stopped attending the weekly meetings, as they fell on the same night. During my 7 years as an active member, I became quite a strong leader and still use the skills I learned and taught in my daily life. After changing my own controlling approach, my own troubled child turned her life around and is now an active social worker getting high praise and recognition for her leadership and administration skills in a challenging shelter situation in Hamilton. As I am now a retiree, I would like to volunteer as a telephone support person.
Thank you Mary Jean! We’ll be in touch!