Have Yourself a Sustainable Holiday Season

Mental Health and A Home for the Holidays

From all of the saints to all of the dead, the start of November kicks off holiday gatherings as the cold weather draws us indoors. We begin to get wrapped up in finding the perfect way to express how we feel through the gift thoughtfully picked out, but in our procrastination we turn to the cheap stuffed bear from the corner store. For a time when our resources become more difficult to find, we tend to over compensate and it becomes a season of waste. Bright colored packages, tied up in plastic; seem to make the children feel more depressed, more alone, and more of a burden – searching for the best dopamine hit to satisfy the feeling of not enough.

According the the National Institute for Mental Health, 36.2% of young adults aged 18-25 years struggle with a mental illness, 29.4% of adults aged 26-49 years, and 13.9% of those over 50. These increase during the winter months when days are shorter and nights are longer, limiting the amount of day light. We attempt to improve our moods through the joy of the holidays, but often in the midst of ignoring issues that really should be addressed. Putting a band-aid on a bullet hole never helped anyone.

This holiday season I encourage you to do something different. Slow down and give your family permission to focus on needs. Make the season sustainable by making your list include items that you need; give experiences, lessons, and books!! Think of ways to help open your mind to the wonders that fill the world. Try to create a list of things your family and community really needs rather than increasing the amount of wasteful junk piling up around you.

Three Easy Steps for a Sustainable Holiday Season:

1. Cold temperatures decrease kinetic energy in electrons causing them to slow down and decrease their energy. Give yourself permission to slow down rather than attempting to fit every event on the calendar.

2. The harvest is over, limiting access to fresh fruits and veggies. Frozen veggies begin to fill in gaps in nutrition, but soups and stews can stretch your food further, warm you up, and help keep your hydrated.

3. When it comes to shopping, think about making gifts, thrifting gifts, upcycled gifts, then if you are still going to make a purchase… BUY LOCAL!!!

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A Home for the Holidays – Community Support

According the 2019 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count of Persons Experiencing Homelessness in the District of Columbia by The Community Partnership For The Prevention of Homelessness released in May 2019, there were 6,521 homeless people on the streets of DC the night of that report, including 608 persons who were unsheltered, 4,679 in emergency shelters, and 1,234 in a transitional housing programs. 

Following an approach used in Finland, the Hive Social Garden is raising funding for a Housing First program in Washington, DC, providing housing immediately and without preconditions to residents in need. The underlying principle of Housing First is that having a stable and secure home is a fundamental human right and a critical foundation for tackling other issues contributing to homelessness, such as mental health issues or substance abuse.  

According to the National Alliance to End Homelessness, a chronically homeless person costs the taxpayer an average of $35,578 per year. Chronic homelessness refers to people who have chronic and complex health conditions including mental illnesses, substance use disorders, and medical conditions who experience long-term homelessness— and can be found sleeping on the street or in shelters. However, costs on average can be reduced by 49.5% when these individuals are placed in supportive housing. Supportive housing costs on average $12,800.

Our first milestone for this project is $50,000 by Christmas to provide supportive housing for four individuals.