Nourishing Resilience # 11 – Homework

Session 11 – Homework

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1. Bookmark Handout & Resource Websites

New marks a handout you have not seen before; Shared earlier means it appeared in an earlier session.

Throughout the Nourishing Resilience series, you have received many handouts and resources, and there are many more that exist. You don’t need to keep track of all of them – just bookmark a few sites, unless you want to save some essential docs locally in case of no internet (recommended).

Remember –
You can always revisit the recordings of this training series, or reach out to us at 828-809-3301 or safe@infantfeeding.org to discuss your training & support needs.

2. Consider Your Policy Advocacy Path

Remember, as Tina Sherman said: “Your goal is not to lead emergency response, your goal is to ensure infant feeding is part of it.”

Consider both the highest needs in your area and what you feel comfortable doing. You can:

• Connect partners across systems
• Contribute subject matter expertise
• Center the voices of families

Questions to ask yourself to help determine action steps:

• What relationship(s) can I build?
• What gap can I help close?
• What conversation can I start?

If you are not sure what to do or want additional support, stay in touch with the SAFE Team through the S3C Meetings or USBC IYCF-E Constellation (links later).

3. Decide On Your Next Steps

When deciding on next steps, there are multiple categories to consider in addition to policy (previous item), including: personal readiness, IYCF-E response support, and local preparedness.

Personal Readiness: 

• What habits do you want to implement to help you be ready to help respond to support babies and families when an emergency arises?
• What habits do you want to implement to help your family be ready for an emergency?

IYCF-E Response Support: 

• How would you ensure you have access to some clean water in an emergency?
• Consider keeping plain (“regular”) bleach and some black permanent markers on hand. Watch bleach expiration date.
• Periodically practice the RNA so you are ready to use it when needed.
• See also other planning docs and resources!

Local Preparedness: 

• How much time can you commit?
• Are you connected with your local and state:
  • Champions — Who has already stepped up for this work?
  • Partners — Diaper banks, housing authorities, other organizations local families trust.
  • Emergency managers & responders — The ones who hold general emergency preparedness in every community.
• Plan for connecting and follow-up. 
  • What is the best way for you to stay connected? Email, phone calls, attending regular meetings, etc? 
  • Can you spend some time once every 3 months to reconnect by phone/email? Once a year in person? Consider getting involved in emergency planning meetings and exercises that are open to the public.
  • What do they need? Do they need support, information, volunteers, or something else? Can you feed them when there is an emergency?

4. Complete the Evaluation

5. Connect to at Least One Ongoing Support Resource

While we have done our best to make the Nourishing Resilience series comprehensive, emergency preparedness and policy work can be challenging. We all need support, even the SAFE Team. 

We encourage you to stay connected with us and others doing this work using one or more of the methods below.

Handouts, Links & Resources

Thanks to our sponsors

This work is free because these people and organizations paid for it.

These materials are shared under the SAFE Team Open Source Use Agreement — please reuse and adapt them, with attribution.