#IAmMe Community Giving

As the sun starts to come out more consistently for some across the United States, we are thankful for those who are still practicing social distancing, and taking precautions to ensure the safety of themselves and their community members. Now is the time for us to come together as a community by staying home whenever possible to protect vulnerable neighbors and sharing necessary resources to get through this difficult time

As a cooperative, we have decided to engage in interdependence through our COVID-19 Relief Tutoring and Counseling Drive for Ladies of the Lake Community House where the COVID-19 virus has been rampant for 6 weeks. You may have seen our posts on Facebook, seen our website page, or been contacted personally by a mentor about the fundraiser. Ladies of the Lake is a Community House that hosts workshops, community gatherings, and has been used as a community space by various organizations, including I Am Me Mentors. Similarly, Ladies of the Lake empowers individuals to own their stories, and explore their passions through eco-friendly practices, networking marginalized small business owners, and facilitating gatherings for justice, equity, and community interdependence.  To learn more about the tutoring and counseling drive, click here. If you are interested in Ladies of the Lake's events, check out their Facebook page here. 

We have reached $1,100 out of our $3,000 goal! Current students can use their gift card towards an extra session, or pass it to a different friend or family member, or pass it forward. We are well on our way to having a dozen pass-it-forward hours for families who need tutoring and have been economically impacted by COVID-19! One example was a student who has started to have homework over math content that was not taught before schools were closed. The family was worried about needing extra support that they could not afford with other family expenses. Thankfully, they were given an hour gift card to support in this time! A new grad school student unable to live at home due to the virus' presence was able to learn APA formatting to start out school with a bang!

For families looking for free workshops, look no further than the Multisensory Learning for Parents and Adult Learners Workshop, facilitated by co-owner, Diverse Learning, and Mathematics specialist, Fray Patton. Here you will learn what multi-sensory learning is, examples of where to start with multi-sensory learning, and boundaries you can set to ensure the success of you or your student. Click here to register for the course and request office hours with Fray after the workshop. 

We know that this is a tough time for many families. Hana, co-owner and Medical Sciences Instructor, is working as a nurse on the front lines as we speak, directly with the elderly population. All other mentors have remained quarantined, and have contacted students to ensure their safety along with their families! Mentors have met with each other and their students online to support them through this time. We have greatly appreciated our shared time for Yoga, work blocks, and wellness  check-ins with our students and their families before and after sessions.  If you are in need of online community during this time, feel free to reach out to us here and we would be happy to support you! 

One of our mentors lives at Ladies of the Lake Community House where they are unable to grocery shop. They found an amazing food drive that has a plethora of healthy, diet specific foods from the Food Bank of the Rockies, distributed by a new local organization called, Común! We encourage those outside of Denver to look for a local food drive near them and those in Denver to visit 2300 S. Patton Ct. 3:30-5pm on Thursdays!

Finally, I Am Me Mentors is always looking for resources to support our students and encourage an enjoyable learning experience. We have a new online whiteboard tool called BitPaper, that allows both the instructor and the student to work on a whiteboard together seamlessly. Unlike Zoom where only one student could write at a time, this way both individuals can engage in the lesson. Fray and Michaela have drawing pads to improve online math tutoring. This increased online infrastructure will help us be able to support students online around the country, or local students when they can't come to in person sessions!

Throughout this time all of us at I Am Me Mentors look forward to working with you to support our communities in Denver, California, Kansas City, and all over the United States. COVID-19 has forced us to be physically apart from each other, but together we can still be present, create connections, and facilitate community giving. 

Stay safe!