August 2020 Burn Bulletin

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August 2020 Burn Bulletin

AARBF’s Path to Reopening

We never could have imagined that when our cities, counties and state were placed under “Stay-at-Home” orders back in March, that we would continue to be in a similar situation in the month of July. People are growing restless, going stir crazy and are wondering “when can we return to normal???”

As COVID-19 continues to be a serious threat to the health and safety of the staff, volunteers, burn survivors and communities that we serve, the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation continues to provide innovative and unique ways to keep burn survivors, and our entire AARBF community, engaged and connected through virtual opportunities.

Throughout the past few months, we have offered, and will continue to offer, online support groups, virtual camps and programs, hospital e-visits and online burn prevention education resources and materials. We remain committed to our mission of significantly reducing the number of burn injuries through prevention education and enhancing the quality of life of those affected by burn injuries, in California- even during these uncertain times.

As we look ahead at our upcoming AARBF programs and events in 2020 and 2021, we continue to monitor the Centers for Disease Control website for updates on the spread of the coronavirus and recommendations we need to consider as a community, organization and as individuals to keep ourselves healthy and safe. We are also closely monitoring California’s Resilience Roadmap on how the state plans to reopen businesses and activities.

AARBF’s Path to Reopening is Based on California’s 4-Stage Resilience Roadmap

California Stage 1 – AARBF offices are closed to the public and AARBF staff are required to work from home. Where possible, In-Person events (survivor services, prevention, fundraising, administration) will be modified to virtual opportunities. No In-Person events will be held.

California Stage 2 – AARBF offices are closed to the public and AARBF staff may return to the office in accordance to CDC and state health and safety guidelines. Where possible, In-Person events (survivor services, prevention, fundraising, administration) will be modified to virtual opportunities. No In-Person events will be held.

California Stage 3 – AARBF offices are open to the public in accordance to CDC and state health and safety guidelines. Daytime AARBF events will resume (i.e. Day at the Park, Holiday Parties, Support Groups, etc.) with adherence to CDC, state and local public health guidelines. No hospital visits. No support groups in hospitals. No overnight events.

California Stage 4 – AARBF offices are open to the public in accordance to CDC and state health and safety guidelines. All AARBF events (daytime and overnight) will resume as scheduled, with adherence to CDC, state and local public health guidelines.

As of July 7, 2020, California remains in Stage 2 of its 4-Stage Plan. As such, AARBF offices remain closed to the public, and AARBF staff may return to the office in accordance to CDC and state health and safety guidelines. Where possible, In-Person events (survivor services, prevention, fundraising, administration) will be modified to virtual opportunities, and no in-person events will be held until California moves into Stage 3 and/or Stage 4 of its reopening plan.

We hope that by sharing AARBF’s Reopening Plan you will have a better understanding of the thought and care that have been put into ensuring that your health and safety remain our top priority. We miss our handshakes, high-fives, hugs and gatherings, and look forward to brighter days ahead of us.

Until then, take care of yourselves…and each other.

For more information about AARBF’s Path to Reopening contact Jennifer Radics-Johnson at jradics@aarbf.org or 818-848-0223 ext. 12.

To find this on our website, please visit: https://www.aarbf.org/news/aarbfs-path-to-reopening/

The Annual Hell of a Half Marathon is Sold Out!

Congratulations to the organizers of the Hell of a Half Marathon for selling out your race! This annual event was converted to a virtual race allowing the participants to complete their run any time from July 4 – August 16. Participants download tracking software and submit their scores electronically. Although many runners have completed their race, we won’t know the final results until the official run weekend of August 15-16.

We are very excited to see the results of this year’s race and hope the participants have had a great time even though they could not make the run together.

Hell of a Half Marathon has been donating a portion of their proceeds to benefit AARBF for the last four years. Thank you for your support!

AARBF’s "What Now?" Booklet Available in Spanish

We are excited to announce our booklet, “What Now? Going Home: A Guide for Burn Survivors and Loved Ones” is now in Spanish! This valuable resource is available for download from our website at: https://www.aarbf.org/get-support/y-ahora-que-regreso-a-casa-una-guia-para-sobrevivientes-de-quemaduras-y-sus-seres-queridos/.

The “What Now?” booklet was written by burn survivors who have been through the process themselves and want others to know that, although the recovery may be difficult, there is a full life to be lived after a burn injury. This booklet is a starting point for finding resources and support.

If you missed the recent webinar we held to meet the authors of this resource booklet, a recording is available on our website at: https://www.aarbf.org/get-support/what-now-booklet-meet-the-authors-webinar/

We will also have Chinese and Tagalog translations available soon!

A Limited Supply of Bio-Oil Available Now!

Recently Bio-Oil decided to change their packaging. As a result, they had product left over with the old logo. This product is not expired but rather than let it go to waste, they donated it to burn survivor foundations for distribution to those in need! We received a very generous donation of 3600 bottles of Bio-Oil. We have received many requests for bottles, and have filled them all, but we still have some product remaining! If you need Bio-Oil, please contact the office today at 818-848-0223.

Our Annual Outdoor Trip Went Virtual in July

Every summer, AARBF hosts an Outdoor Trip in the mountains. With current conditions, it was not possible to safely host this trip but we did not want to disappoint our young burn survivors so we took it virtual!

On Friday, July 24, we had 18 children participate in a fun evening which included bingo, charades and a lot of excited conversation! While it may not be the trip they are used to, it was great to get the children together to share what is happening in their lives and play games reminiscent of previous trips. Thanks to Jasper Ridge Farms, we did not miss out on the wildlife either! It was super fun to see the video of their goats and horse!

This experience would not have been possible without our fabulous volunteers: Dash, Barbie, Casper, Chop-Suey, Funshine, Grizzy, Patch, Tumtum, and Viper. We also had two CITS helping us: Pretzel and Squid! Thank you for helping us make this a memorable experience for our young burn survivors!

The Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation is working diligently to modify our in-person activities so we may continue to provide support to our burn survivor community during these challenging times.

New Videos Available in August

We hope you have been enjoying the Multimedia Resource Library available our website. This new section has been growing since its launch in May. The library includes tip sheets, videos, stories, audio files and so much more.

Our videos fall under five different categories. They include “Get Active”, “Get Connected”, “Get Creative”, “Get Focused” and “Get Support”. Within each category, there are interactive videos about fun activities you can follow along with such as yoga, painting, and gardening. You can also find informational videos that will give you tips and tricks on various topics such as productivity, money management, and nutrition!

We will be adding the following videos for August:

Get Active:
• Cross Fit at Home
• Belly Dancing
Get Focused:
• Gratitude Journals
• Breathing
Get Creative:
• Jam Session with Tum Tum

Keep watching for new videos released each month!

New Burn Prevention Program Launching Soon!

On July 27, AARBF held an exclusive Lunch & Learn for AARBF insiders and burn prevention specialists providing a sneak peek of AARBF’s newest burn prevention program Senior Prevention and Risk Conversations (SPARC). SPARC is an interactive and customized program designed to engage older adults, ages 55 years and older, in conversations about fire and burn safety, in a comfortable and casual environment. The program is provided at no charge by the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation. Stay tuned as AARBF launches this program publicly during Fire Prevention Week 2020!

Upcoming Events:

July 4 – August 16, 2020: Virtual 2020 Hell of a Half Marathon, contact Erika “Kika” Mendoza at emendoza@aarbf.org or 559-286-0710 ext. 17 for more details.

August 19: Women’s Empowerment Webinar, contact McKenzie “Bubbles” Dern at mdern@aarbf.org or 559-286-0710 ext. 15 for more details.

August 29: 23rd Annual Charity Golf Tournament (Sprinkler Fitters Local 483), contact Erika “Kika” Mendoza at emendoza@aarbf.org or 559-286-0710 ext. 17 for more details.

September 1: (7:00pm – 8:30pm), Santa Clara Valley Medical Online Support Group, contact Scott “Scooter” Wertz at swertz@aarbf.org or 415-495-7223 x19 to receive log-in information.

September 2: (6:30pm – 8:00pm), East Bay Burn Online Support Group, contact Scott “Scooter” Wertz at swertz@aarbf.org or 415-495-7223 x19 to receive log-in information.

September 3: (7:00pm – 8:30pm), Family and Caregiver Online Support Group, contact Daniel “Apollo” Chacon at 415-495-7223 x 18 or dchacon@aarbf.org to receive log-in information.

September 7: Labor Day Holiday, all AARBF offices will be closed.

September 8: Alisa Ann Ruch’s Birthday

September 8: (6:00pm-7:30pm), Fresno Community Regional Medical Center Online Support Group, contact McKenzie “Bubbles” Dern at mdern@aarbf.org or 559-286-0710 ext. 15 to receive log-in information.

September 9: (6:30pm – 8:00pm), Santa Rosa Online Support Group, contact Scott “Scooter” Wertz at swertz@aarbf.org or 415-495-7223 x19 to receive log-in information.

September 10: (7:00pm – 8:30pm), Burn Care Professionals Support Group, contact Daniel “Apollo” Chacon at 415-495-7223 x 18 or dchacon@aarbf.org to receive log-in information.

September 13: (1:30pm – 3:30pm), SoCal Survivors Online Support Group, contact Margarita “Cubby” Rodriguez at mrodriguez@aarbf.org or 818-848-0223 Ext. 16 to receive log-in information.

September 15: Spanish-Speaking Online Burn Survivor Support Group, contact Margarita “Cubby” Rodriguez at mrodriguez@aarbf.org or 818-848-0223 Ext. 16 to receive log-in information.

September 17: (7:00pm – 8:30pm), Online Video Burn Survivor Support Group, contact Daniel “Apollo” Chacon at 415-495-7223 x 18 or dchacon@aarbf.org to receive log-in information.

September 18: (5:00pm – 6:00pm), Virtual Beach Adventure, registration form is online at https://www.aarbf.org/project/surf-trip-aarbf/. Contact McKenzie “Bubbles” Dern at mdern@aarbf.org or 559-286-0710 ext. 15 for more details.

September 24: (11:30am – 1:00pm), Saint Francis Online Support Group, contact Scott “Scooter” Wertz at swertz@aarbf.org or 415-495-7223 x19 to receive log-in information.

If you missed any of our past Burn Bulletins, please check out our archives.

Just a reminder to go to www.aarbf.org; click on Upcoming Events, for the latest AARBF events and activities that need your support.