Welcome to a new series of posts. It is the last day of July and summer seems to be flying by. It has been about two months since I sat down and made a list of everything I said I was going to do over summer. Yes I am one of those people that is always creating and revising a list. Typically I have about ten to fifteen items on that list and I get a sense of accomplishment as I cross them off after I complete each one. I don't want to waste a bunch of your time but I wonder if anyone out there has the same issue that I do with my list?
I will be blogging for the next several weeks about the difference between  what I say I am going to do on my list and the things that I actually do. I promise that I will keep it real. I am also looking for several of you to carry on a dialogue with me by adding comments in response to my posts. I am not looking for advice on how to cross things off my list. I get that routinely when I share my struggles. Because while I struggle with my own challenges I can tell you very quickly what you are doing wrong and what you should do to "fix" it. What I am hoping is that we can share back and forth about our own experiences. Enough of that for now but please join in while I move forward.
We at the Demeter Foundation have our own "to do" list and that is what I want to write about. The founder and Executive Director Alice Pauser had a vision when she began this journey. While I don't want to over state this, Alice dreams big. She has been working very hard for a very long time to get us to where our foundation is today. She is a pretty remarkable woman who is on a mission. If you are new to our website read our mission statement. I will give you the short version. Care about all people and treat them with dignity so that we can make the world a better place. DUH!
No matter who you are or how you fit into the big picture you can't argue with that mission. I will wrap this up by thanking everyone who has been involved in building this foundation and helping create the momentum that is in the air today. We feel hope.
The entries and posts moving forward are going to focus on moving towards wellness. It's going to be about doing what it takes to get me to where I want to be. More than anything though this is going to be about where we at the Demeter Foundation want to go and how we will get there. To me that means the difference between what we say we want to do and actually doing it! Just filling in the gaps!!
Excuse me while I step away long enough to cross another item off my own personal list. Have a great day.
Larry

Larry Burg, President of The Demeter Foundation Board of Directors, will be starting a Blog series on SAMHSA's Eight Dimensions of Wellness. Please stay tuned for some informative and thought-provoking posts that we hope will encourage you to comment on.

The most recent report is July 1, 2016 – June 30, 2017. You can view the report here. The 2018 report is due out in July 2018.

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The women at Taycheedah Correctional can now purchase tablets that they will be able to have e-books on, some limited entertainment and possibly education opportunities, other basic features and also use the Corrlinks email system. While this is an improvement they cost $125.00. If family pays for it they have to post double the amount to the persons account because the state takes 50% of all money if they owe any restitution and if they are paid an average of 19 cents per hour if they work it would take 657 hours to pay for it. How many women do you think are going to be able to have those tablets?