EHP FYI
Newsletter from Employee Health Promotions
May Edition 2021
May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Resources are available to support all employees of Mankato Area Public Schools and your dependents through our employee assistance program provider, VITAL Worklife. Crisis response is available through National Alliance on Mental Illness or calling their Helpline at 800-950-NAMI or in a crisis text "NAMI" to 741741
Remarks by President Biden on the Anniversary of the COVID-19 Shutdown
Good evening, my fellow Americans.
Tonight, I’d like to talk to you about where we are as we mark one year since everything stopped because of this pandemic.
A year ago, we were hit with a virus that was met with silence and spread unchecked.
Denials for days, weeks, then months that led to more deaths, more infections, more stress, and more loneliness.
Photos and videos from 2019 feel like they were taken in another era. The last vacation. The last birthday with friends. The last holiday with the extended family.
While it was different for everyone, we all lost something.
A collective suffering. A collective sacrifice. A year filled with the loss of life — and the loss of living for all of us.
But, in the loss, we saw how much there was to gain in appreciation, respect, and gratitude.
Finding light in the darkness is a very American thing to do. In fact, it may be the most American thing we do.
And that’s what we’ve done.
We’ve seen frontline and essential workers risking their lives — sometimes losing them — to save and help others. Researchers and scientists racing for a vaccine. And so many of you, as Hemingway wrote, being strong in all the broken places.
I know it’s been hard. I truly know.
March Winners / May Shake It Up Rules
2021 March 10K-A-Day competition saw a 32% participation across the district, with an average of 290,379 steps and a total of 129,413,521 steps taken.
The Top Three Sites: Central High School (401,642), Bridges Elementary (397,636), and Eagle Lake Elementary (377,879) were awarded site gifts and the site representative chose a gift from a list of local vendors.
Top steppers: Pam Fink (1,139,760), Mary Nelson (969,947), Jen Fraze (963,630), Katie Wheelock (903,742), and Deb Peterson (823,584).
Random winners - YES, you can win just by participating!
Kassie Blaschko
Dawn Miller
Angie Potts
Brittany Ward
Mark Gewerth
Angela Bowder
Tammy Fienen
Becky Talle
Stephanie Reeves
Danielle Backes
Lynell Senden
Sarah Payne
Mike Knudson
Laura Blasing
Brook New
Lisa Jackson
Bretta Hansen
Steve Knuth
Becky Hebeisen
Sarah Doll
Meghan Burmeister
Jodi Buettner
It's not too late to join May Shake It Up Challenge. Track your participation and report your results to your EHP site representative. All who complete at least 15 days of participation will be entered to win prizes. Prizes will be randomly awarded to participants at the end of the month. Prize winners will be contacted via email with details on their prizes.