Monthly Archives

May 2021

Skin Cancer Foundation Champions for Change

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE SKIN CANCER FOUNDATION

By A Note from Shelley

NEW YORK, (May 27, 2021) –  Shelley Tanner, SanovaWorks CEO/President

We Thank You.

We are so grateful to everyone who took part in The Skin Cancer Foundation’s 2021 Champions for Change Virtual Gala.

The first-ever virtual gala was an evening to remember! Thanks to your kind support, The Skin Cancer Foundation raised over $540,000 for skin cancer education, community programs, and research initiatives that save lives.

Big thanks to the Gala Committee Physician Co-Chairs, Elizabeth K. Hale, MD and Julie K. Karen, MD, Committee Co-Chairs Susan Manber, Stephanie and Adam Schweitzer, Honorary Chair Marcia Robbins-Wilf, EdD, and the wonderful committee members. Their dedication makes this event possible.

Special recognition to Gala donors whose generosity fuels The Skin Cancer Foundation’s lifesaving programs.

The annual Champions for Change Gala is The Skin Cancer Foundation’s signature fundraising event.

If you missed it, you can watch Champions for Change Virtual on YouTube.

Proceeds from the Gala support the Foundation’s lifesaving educational campaigns, community programs, and research initiatives.

About The Skin Cancer Foundation

The Skin Cancer Foundation saves and improves lives, by empowering people to take a proactive approach to daily sun protection and the early detection and treatment of skin cancer In the U.S., more than two people die every hour as a result of skin cancer. The good news is that thanks to breakthroughs in research and treatment, we can avoid 90 percent of skin cancers and cure about 99 percent of all cases if they are discovered and treated early enough.

All it takes is prevention, early detection, and you.

Fund programs and research that save lives. https://www.skincancer.org/get-involved/donate/

The Skin Cancer Foundation Social Networks

SCF Instagram (@SkinCancerOrg)

SCF Facebook https://www.facebook.com/skincancerfoundation

SCF Twitter (@SkinCancerOrg

SCF LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-skin-cancer-foundation/

Mother's Day

SANOVAWORKS CELEBRATES MOTHER’S DAY WITH DONATION TO MARSHALL PLAN FOR MOMS

By Press

NEW YORK, (May 7, 2021) –  Caroline Barrett, SanovaWorks Vice President of Operations

This past year has uprooted many unspoken and unaddressed issues in our country. The pandemic surfaced many inequities and disparities in so many facets of our lives: school, healthcare, policing, the list goes on. 

Reflecting on the upcoming Mother’s Day, it is hard not to think of the hundreds of thousands of women who left the paying workforce in the wake of the pandemic – and the pivotal role they hold in making the world go ‘round. 

As a mother who spent last Mother’s Day crying, heartbroken at how ill-equipped I felt to juggle professional work with childcare and household routines and family – and how disappointed I was with myself to consistently meet my children’s own pandemic-induced depression with stress and frustration, rather than maternal compassion – I can attest, motherhood is the hardest job in the world. 

This past year here at SanovaWorks, we rallied around our mom and parent colleagues to be part of their support system – it was a company-wide effort. As a community, we understood black-out times to accommodate childcare shifts; we trumpeted our flexible working schedule policy, both internally and externally; we kept our communications open and our schedules transparent; we listened (even if our videoconference mics were muted due to children screaming in the background), and we encouraged folks set boundaries and take care. 

Collectively we created a supportive space at a time when a lot of moms felt their lives were in free-fall.

As the labor data shows, not all womxn had such a supportive and flexible professional work culture. And so this Mother’s Day, SanovaWorks will make a donation to Marshall Plan for Moms, an organization focused on advocating for public and private sector policies to support all moms, like paid family leave, affordable childcare, equal pay protection for women, job retraining, and compensation for moms forced to give up paying jobs to do unpaid caregiving work. 

Moms are the most resilient womxn out there, but this Mother’s Day, maybe give them a break and don’t ask them to be.

Wishing you all peace, rest, and a light heart,

Caroline

Celebrate-life

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH & THE IMPORTANCE OF SELF-CARE

By A Note from Shelley

NEW YORK, (May 6, 2021) –  Shelley Tanner, SanovaWorks CEO/President

May is National Mental Health Awareness Month

Attending to our mental health is vital. Over the past year, stress and anxiety have been at all-time highs. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our lives forever. Taking the time to acknowledge the challenges, grief, and loss that we have collectively experienced is essential. SanovaWorks offered days of rest in 2020 in response to the need for Team members to engage in some much-needed self-care. This May 28 SanovaWorks will be closed for a Day of Rest once again. 

1 in 4 adults reported experiencing symptoms of an anxiety or depressive disorder in February 2021 — a significant increase from the prior year. – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1

While there is a lot of evidence that our collective mood can be described as “languishing” it doesn’t take a series of significant and positive life events to get to “flourishing”. Some tweaks in our overall outlook and how we spend our time will cause us to feel as if we are flourishing. Studies also show that adopting a gratitude practice, and the ability to savor and celebrate the little things are instrumental in bringing fulfillment to our lives. 

Some simple practices that will help in your quest to flourish are shared in a recent New York Times article. I found quite a bit of inspiration in that list. The list may seem obvious, but when added together in a dedicated effort, you are guaranteed a feeling of flourishing on the other side.2 

Cheers! 

Instead of waiting to celebrate the big life events like birthdays, graduation, marriage, having a family, or buying a new home, savor and celebrate small things. Enjoy the moment in a delicious taste, a beautiful view, or a delightful smell. Celebrate tiny victories and use celebrating to develop relationships.

Gratitude 

The article suggests instituting a gratitude dinner once a week. I am a big fan of a daily gratitude practice. However you get there, it’s guaranteed to increase your overall feeling of wellbeing.

Pay it forward

SanovaWorks is built on a foundation of goodwill, philanthropy, and a wish to help others for the greater good. We engage our Team members and collectively choose non-profit organizations that are working toward a better world. Every year Team Sanova takes a day to Volunteer. It gives us an opportunity to give back, as a group, working together, creating connection and goodwill. Last year, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were limited to volunteering at a safe distance, but that did not stop us from paying it forward.

Connect through community

SanovaWorks operates as a remote work environment. We have since 2012. Pre-pandemic we had opportunities to connect in person as a work family at conferences, and we certainly look forward to that again. In the meantime, Team Sanova is starting a virtual break room meet-up once a week where we can gather to celebrate monthly birthdays, chat about what to watch when we are streaming, favorite recipe ideas, vacation plans, and anything that inspires us. Outside of our work family, team members have spiritual communities, and groups that they are part of that inspire their hobbies and family life. 

Transform your everyday routines into meaningful activities

The way to see a purpose in your everyday life is by zooming out to see the bigger picture. Your job may include some tasks that you would rather put off than transform, I get it. We all have an exhaustive laundry list of To-Do items that never, ever go away. The trick is to see the valuable impact of doing the things that need to be done when they need to be done, and how our actions positively impact those around us. Packing lunch for the kids becomes the nourishment that they need to build strong healthy bodies

Try something new

Variety, spice, and a happy life. All that good stuff comes when we try on something new. When we engage in new activities over those that become routine, we feel joy and find a renewed sense of purpose too. Many people reported finding joy in activities, like learning a new language, trying new recipes, getting fit by becoming a yoga teacher, or writing a song, or starting a blog. Step out of the routine and explore your passions to find that inspiring hobby of a lifetime. 

READ Champions for Change | I’m asking you to support the Skin Cancer Foundation 

Immediate assistance is available for those in need of help by calling the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or by calling 1-800-662-HELP. 

Reference:

1 A Proclamation on National Mental Health Awareness Month, 2021 from the White House

2 The Other Side of Languishing is Flourishing:  Here’s How You Get There