Fueling Your Heart to Serve

DIRECTOR’S CORNER
Honoring the Heart to Serve: Balancing Presence and Renewal

Serving with heart is more than a value. It's a way of being. Our customers feel it when you're fully present, when your care is genuine, when you bring warmth into the room. That kind of presence takes something out of you, and it's okay to refill.

Spring is a season of renewal, and that includes you too. This May, let's make space for the people who give so much. Thank you for serving with heart, and for everything you bring to our community.

Travis Toedtemeier
Founder/Director

MAY’S QUOTE
Theme: Heart to Serve

NEWS AND HAPPENINGS
We Expanded to Portland!

Connections NW is proud to announce our official launch into the Portland Metro area, expanding our mission to support individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their families right here in the community!

UPCOMING EVENTS
Spring is for Fresh Air and Friends!

Please join us as we walk, talk, and make new friends. Our Lane County walking group will meet monthly beginning on Monday, September 22nd. Location may vary. Please RSVP to [email protected] or 971-266-2866. All abilities are welcome to join the fun.

VALUES IN ACTION
Your Heart to Serve Needs Care, Too

As the days get longer and the flowers start to bloom, spring reminds us that we all need some nurturing to grow and thrive. When you're in a helping profession, it's easy to put your own needs on the back burner. But over time, neglecting your well-being can lead to burnout, making it harder to be there for others.

If your mental and emotional reserves are running low, here are some practical ideas to replenish them while still honoring your heart to serve.

1. Recognize the signs of burnout

Tip: Learn to spot your personal signals that you're feeling depleted, like irritability, fatigue, cynicism, or disengagement at work.

How-to: Consider keeping a list of your top 5 burnout warning signs. Try checking in with yourself regularly to notice when they start appearing. The earlier you can identify the signs, the more easily you can make adjustments before burnout escalates.

Catching and addressing burnout proactively helps you continue serving customers with genuine care and compassion. When you're aware of your own emotional state, you're better able to remain fully present.

2. Get sunshine and movement

Tip: Look for opportunities to take short outdoor breaks throughout your day, even just to stretch or walk around the block.

How-to: See if you can set reminders to step outside a few times during your shift, aiming for at least 10 minutes of sunshine and fresh air when possible. You might invite your customer to join you for a quick stroll or some simple stretches in the yard.

Spending a little time in nature and moving your body, even briefly, can boost your mood, clear your head, and release tension. Feeling more grounded enables you to approach customers with greater patience and presence.

3. Pay attention to nutrition and hydration

Tip: Try to maintain regular, nourishing meals and stay well-hydrated as you go about your busy days.

How-to: It can be as simple as keeping a filled water bottle with you and packing wholesome, easy snacks like fruit, nuts, or granola bars. If you can, avoid skipping meals, even when your schedule feels packed. Consider setting alarms if you need a reminder to pause for lunch.

When you fuel your body consistently with the nutrients it needs, you're helping yourself maintain the stamina, focus, and emotional balance to handle the demands of caregiving.

4. Build small self-care routines you can share

Tip: Look for brief self-care practices you can weave into your workday and invite customers to join.

How-to: You might try a simple 1-minute guided breathing exercise or a moment of quiet stretching between tasks. Or perhaps you and your customer could share something you each feel grateful for that day. Small, shared self-care rituals add up.

Modeling self-care on the job not only allows you to recharge in small ways, but also normalizes the practice for your customers. Prioritizing your own well-being shows that self-care and service can coexist.

5. Remember why you started

Tip: Take time regularly to reflect on what called you to this meaningful work, especially on challenging days.

How-to: Consider writing down three specific moments you know your support made a real difference for someone. Keep those memories somewhere you can see them often, as a source of inspiration. If you feel comfortable, share your "why" with trusted colleagues to encourage one another.

Staying connected to your deeper purpose can help reignite your motivation and commitment to serve. When you remember the meaning behind your work, it becomes easier to approach difficult days with compassion.

Making your well-being a priority isn't always easy, but it's worth it. When you take care of yourself, you're better able to keep showing up for others in the ways that matter.

SUNSHINE AWARD
Bryce

What do you like about your DSP?

“That she’s my mom.”

If you had a pet that could talk, what would you name it?

“I would love a talking snake, who I would name Pythor!”

Thank you, Bryce. You’re right, a talking snake would be so cool!🌞

DSP OF THE MONTH
Moriah

What do you like about working as a DSP?

"I genuinely enjoy showing up to work with my customer. Over the past year, we've built a strong connection and gotten to know each other really well. We've had a great time getting out into the community, going to the Oregon drive-through safari, the sunflower maze, and the golf driving range. We share a lot of the same interests and sense of humor, which makes our time together even more enjoyable, and it's been really rewarding to see how much we've grown together.”

What comfort food would you eat every day for a month?

"My favorite comfort food has to be fajita burritos, good tacos, or Olive Garden.”

Do you collect anything, and if so, what is it?

“I have gotten into the hobby Rock Hounding and have been collecting rocks over the past couple years. I want to go opal mining one day. My interest is to start investing in some lapidary equipment and learn how to make jewelry.” 

FEATURED NEW HIRE
Kyesha Farmer

What are you looking for the most about working with Connections NW?

"Building meaningful connections with both coworkers and clients while continuing to grow my skills and gain new experiences. I'm excited to be part of such a supportive and positive environment.”

What comfort food would you eat every day for a month?

"It would definitely be Mexican food because there are so many different options and it never gets boring!”

Welcome, Kyesha! We’re glad you joined us!

QUARTERLY CONTEST
Contest Theme: Gardening 

🏆 Quarterly Contest: Garden Theme Contest 🌸 

It's time to celebrate spring! We want to see how you connect with gardens. There are three ways to enter…just pick one!

1. Draw a garden (real or imagined)

2. Visit a garden and tell us your favorite part

3. Share photos of what you're planting or photos of your favorite plant

Get creative and have fun with it!

Email your entry to [email protected] by June 25. Include your full name.

 🎉🎉🎉🎉 You could win a $50 Visa gift card! 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Katie, our Referral Specialist, loves crocheting or listening to audiobooks with her dog curled up on her lap. She's going to have so much fun looking at your entries and choosing her favorites.

No purchase necessary to win.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
We Want to Hear From You

GET PAID TO CARE FOR YOUR LOVED ONE
We Are Hiring!

Get Paid to Care For Your Loved One
At Connections NW, we believe the best care comes from those who know and love your loved one best—family members or trusted friends who truly understand their needs and routines.

With our Bring Your Own Caregiver program, family members or trusted friends can be paid to provide care. Our DSPs (caregivers) start at $24 per hour, with annual raises up to $26, plus full benefits and overtime.

Join the Bring Your Own Caregiver program and start now!

Become a DSP Today
If you have a passion for serving your community, Connections NW is looking for Direct Support Professionals. All our DSPs start at $24 per hour with raises each year up to $26.

Go to: https://connections-nw.org/careers to apply.