Women’s Equality Centennial Celebration will open an online panel discussion at noon on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 2021 to continue our celebration of the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote, but also to say “It’s Your Turn.”
The panel discussions will lead up to the annual Women’s Equality Day luncheon on August 26, featuring Astronaut Mae Jemison.
The series, It’s Our Turn: Stepping Up Together, will open with the first panel discussion Holding It Together: Boosting Your Emotional and Mental Health from noon to 1 p.m. January 27. It is free and available on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/steppinguptoequality.
It is geared toward all women in our community who must not only care for themselves but also shepherd their families, businesses and non-profits through life-changing challenges from pandemics and economic upheavals to drug addictions and career choices. The panel discussions will enlist the help of experts in our community to guide us and give us tools for success.
For Jan. 27’s Holding it Together, panelists include psychotherapist Lisa Seif, Alcohol and Drug Probation Services officer and pastor Warren Hale, chaplain and pastor Veltri Taylor, and Janie Chappell, manager of community services for Deaconess Cross Pointe behavioral health hospital. Shelley Kirk, WEHT/WTVW anchor will moderate.
Lisa Seif is a psychotherapist, consultant and adjunct professor who strongly advocates to STOP the stigma associated with alcoholism, addiction, and mental health issues. Most of her career has been working with adolescents, families, and individuals with alcoholism and addictive disorders. Presently, her focus is on helping families and siblings understand and treat themselves to a better fulfilling lifestyle.
Warren Hale is an officer with the Vanderburgh County Circuit and Superior Court Drug and Alcohol Probation Services, specializing in court-ordered supervision of those dealing with mental health issues and chemical dependency. In addition, Hale is an Associate Minister of the Fresh Air Community of Faith, working with head pastor Ange Humphrey Relyea.
Veltri Taylor is a Chaplain for Deaconess Gateway Hospital and pastor of First Ebenezer Baptist Church. She was the first African American woman to be ordained in the National Baptist Convention. She is also ordained in the Presbyterian Church USA. She also created and operates the Harvest Time Inner City Ministries, which has served hot meals to the hungry for 25 years. Rev. Taylor is a breast cancer survivor.
Janie Chappell is the Manager of Community Services & Business Development for Deaconess Cross Pointe and Deaconess CONCERN Employee Assistance Program. She has over 36 years of experience in the field of chemical dependency and mental health. She is the Chairperson of the Southwestern Indiana Suicide Prevention Coalition and co-chairperson of the Vanderburgh County Crisis Intervention Team Committee. She has been providing suicide awareness and prevention programming for over 17 years.
Shelley Kirk is an Eyewitness News anchor for WEHT/WTVW.
Upcoming panel discussions will be on the last Wednesday every other month.
In March, Keeping Your Plates Spinning: First Take Care of Yourself.
In May, panelists will suggest SuperMom Tools to help women take on increasing roles with their children’s education.
In July the focus will be on your jobs with Owning the Workplace: Reaching Your Potential.
In September, after hearing from STEM-focused Mae Jemison at the Women’s Equality Day luncheon, the topic is Engineering Opportunities in Math and Science
In November, we will look back and prepare ourselves for the future with Ready Next Time: Lessons Learned from a Pandemic.
Women’s Equality Day will be Thursday, August 26, and will feature Astronaut and leader Mae Jemison. Dr. Jemison is an engineer and physician who became the first African American woman to be admitted into NASA’s astronaut training program and travel in space. She served as a mission specialist on the Space Shuttle Endeavour and orbited the earth for almost eight days in 1992. Jemison is now focused on encouraging young people to consider careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects to help solve the challenges of the future. Tickets and sponsorships are available. Tickets and sponsorships are available by following the links at SteppingUpEvv.comts