My name is McKenzie Dern and I am the Regional Manager for Central California. Below is my message to you for the month of March 2022.

Happy Spring! I don’t know about you but springtime is my favorite time of the year. At the foundation, we have some amazing events coming your way for the month of March. I am so excited for our first ever Women’s Empowerment Weekend. Make sure you get those applications in early if you are interested in attending!! I hope you all have a wonderful month!

If you are a burn survivor and family member and wish to be added to our monthly email, please email info@aarbf.org and indicate your region.

March 24, 2022

Join us for Writing Expression featuring guest host Andrew “Monkey” Mersmann.  Writing Expression will be held on Thursday, March 24, 2022, at 7:00pm PT via Zoom.

Andrew will be focusing this session on “Writing to Inspire Others.” He’ll discuss how you can create uplifting content through many forms of writing including blogging, books, letters, notes and even your social media posts!

All burn survivors, family members and supporters are welcome to attend this session. Reservations are due by March 22, 2022.

Click here to register.

April 9, 2022

Join us for an adventure at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on April 9, 2022. Activities will include visiting the aquarium, playing in the park and meals.

Don’t delay – registration is due by Friday, March 25, 2022.

Click here to learn more about this event and to register.

Women’s Empowerment Weekend – March 19-20 (registration closes March 4, 2022)

Fresno Community Regional Medical Center – March 8, 2022 from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. This is an in-person regional support group open to both survivors and their family members. Currently this group is meeting virtually, but will convert back to an in-person group as soon as it is safe to do so. Contact me at mdern@aarbf.org to register.

Caregiver – March 3, 2022 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm. This is an online state-wide support group for family members, care givers and loved ones of burn survivors. This group is closed to burn survivors. To register, please contact Daniel Chacon at dchacon@aarbf.org.

Spanish Speaking – March 15, 2022 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm. This is an online support group specifically designed for Spanish-speaking burn survivors. To register, please contact Margarita Rodriguez at mrodriguez@aarbf.org.

Statewide – March 17, 2022 from 7:00pm – 8:30pm. This is an online support group open to both burn survivors and their loved ones throughout California. To register, please contact Daniel Chacon at dchacon@aarbf.org.

Peer Support – Not everyone is comfortable in a group setting, which is why the Alisa Ann Ruch Burn Foundation offers one-on-one Peer Support. Peer Support is a power tool for healing from a burn trauma. There is something magical that happens when one survivor sits and shares their experience and healing process with another. Peer support can relieve the feeling of being all alone in your experience. Peer support can come in many forms; a burn survivor talking to another burn survivor, a parent talking to another parent or loved one. This service is not limited to burn survivors. A burn injury can affect the entire family, caregivers and other loved ones. Contact me at mdern@aarbf.org to get started today.

Back to School Support (available upon request) – Contact me at mdern@aarbf.org to learn more about this program.

AARBF’s Multimedia Resource Library includes tip sheets, videos, stories, and so much more. Video content within the library has been developed by the AARBF Community; including our staff, volunteers, burn survivors and community partners! Below are our featured videos for March!

Body Image
Body image is such a difficult topic for burn survivors who have visual differences as a result of their trauma. This video will talk about the issue of body image and some new ways to look at it.

Vision Board
A great way to re-center yourself and refocus is to create a vision board. A vision board is a sheet of paper with your goals, dreams and aspirations laid out.

Creating Fiction with Monkey
Get prepped for this month’s Writing Expression by watching what Andrew shared when he last hosted the Writing Expression session.