Care for Caretakers Fellowship

From one community organizer to another, we all know there are times when the weight of our dedication begins to wear on our spirits. For those who pour their hearts into the betterment of our community, the one thing we rarely can avoid are the common signs of impending burnout that become so familiar they are almost normalized. Never ending busy-ness and exhaustion, physical signs like anxiety, and headaches, a tendency to delay or cancel days off or vacations…sound familiar?

We’ve been there and watched many friends quit volunteer roles or leave the non-profit sector when these factors add up. It’s in these moments of exhaustion and uncertainty that we must extend a hand to one another.

With that in mind, we are thrilled to share a special 6-month fellowship designed specifically for the unsung heroes of our community. To the volunteers, the staff, the leaders who have tirelessly given of themselves in the non-profit and charitable sectors that sustain us, we see you. We recognize the challenges you face, and we want you to feel seen and supported in your efforts. We can’t solve the systemic barriers that compound the challenges (like chronic under-funding and challenging work environments) but we have found a few things that have made a deep and healing impact for us as individuals and we would like to share these resources with you. We can start, together, to build our healthy habits and a community of support too. 

We want to connect with volunteers and staff from non-profit/charitable organizations and projects (big or tiny!) who are working to build and support communities in Pictou/Antigonish/Guysborough. This will be a whole-person learning journey and we anticipate everyone will have very different starting points so we have listed a few helpful guidelines to help identify if this is the right program for you:

• Despite many obstacles you tend to focus on solutions and experiment with work-arounds to achieve your vision.

• You might not have taken time to move gently or invest in yourself lately but you know it is long overdue and you recognize the need for changing patterns in your life.

• You recognize that change comes from within.

• You have good and bad days but remain perpetually curious and available for new skills and awareness.

• You embrace difference and diversity of thought and experience as a valuable resource.

• You might have seen a lot of unhealthy patterns in your own life and in your work but you continue to move with curiosity rather than certainty.

All participants must be available to attend in person retreats on June 14-16 and November 15th. We will work with you to remove any barriers as they arise; we can provide assistance with transportation, accommodation, letters of support if required by an employer, and can provide financial support for childcare or eldercare if required. Please reach out to discuss options.

The primary coordinators for the Care for Caretakers Fellowship are Jennifer DeCoste and Amy Sedgwick. 

Core Facilitator:

Amy Sedgwick is a dedicated occupational therapist, educator, and advocate whose work spans diverse realms of holistic health, reproductive rights, and psychedelic therapy. With a commitment to compassionate care and innovative approaches, Amy has made significant contributions to the fields of occupational therapy and women’s health. The theme of Amy’s work has always been on addressing wellbeing from the context of health promotion, rather than sick care.

Amy is excited to be involved in the Wingspan project because she believes in the power of nature and human connection to build healthy lives and healthy communities.

Host:

Jennifer DeCoste is dedicated to work that builds strong and connected communities. She is the Founder of a non-profit network of barter-based folkschools called LifeSchoolHouse that began in Nova Scotia in 2018. This platform for grassroots skills sharing creates stronger more interconnected neighborhoods and reduces the impact of social isolation by offering nourishing spaces where neighbors can learn, connect, and thrive. This project has been recognized globally and Jennifer is the first person in Atlantic Canada to receive the prestigious Ashoka Fellowship for her work. 

Jennifer and her partner are also growing a new social enterprise in Nova Scotia called FireLoch: a space in the forest for community, care, and continuous learning. Jennifer has two children and brings lived experience with community organizing while juggling multiple caretaking responsibilities (and personal experience with tremendous burnout) and is hosting this Fellowship as a way to pay forward the support received while working through acute burnout in 2022.