An Out-of-Office Message from the WCS Team

Dear Friends,

Our society’s growing focus on the importance of mental health — especially in the context of racial stigma and historic barriers to mental health services — could not have come at a more critical time. The once-in-a-lifetime stressors we’ve survived these past 15 months have proven that when a disaster hits, its ripple effects wear away at our financial grounding, our social connections, our physical health, and, most of all, our mental wellness. 

With more people getting vaccinated against COVID-19, and communities beginning to steer their way towards a new kind of normal, some of us may feel like we’re finally moving out of the darkness of those initial months under the novel coronavirus. 

But for residents of neighborhoods like Klondike and Smokey City here in Memphis — communities still bearing the pre-pandemic weight of systemic racism and disinvestment along with deepened unemployment, threats of eviction, utility cutoffs, and food insecurity because of the pandemic — well, for those communities, the darkness of COVID is still very real.

That’s why since the onset of the pandemic, our “small but mighty” team has worked nonstop to bring the principles behind our mission to life: providing on-the-ground support to our friends, neighbors, and partners in the Klondike and Smokey City communities and working to alleviate the trauma that has rocked their very grounding and sense of safety. And our team has done this work while being affected by the pandemic themselves; like many of you, members of our staff have grappled with isolation and concerns over their own health and safety, as well as that of their families, while they continued to do this work. 

I couldn’t be more proud of how we as a team have met this moment. But I also know — and our board of directors agrees — that when people don’t have the space to take care of their mental and emotional needs, the damage can be deep and devastating.

So, we have an announcement to make: from June 7 to July 5, our entire organization will be going on our first-ever sabbatical. Everyone on our staff will be expected to take a full month off to rest, recover, and refresh their minds and bodies. 

I’ve been clear with my team: I want them to step away from their emails, I want them to take a break from any big thinking or planning for the benefit of the organization. Speaking on behalf of myself and the board, I want the Whole Child Strategies staff to experience the full benefit of this well-deserved rest. 

This isn’t a new concept, but a focus on equity may help us yield unprecedented results.

The concept of a sabbatical certainly isn’t new in the nonprofit community. But I believe we may be among the first here in Memphis to apply this concept in this way. I say this for a couple of reasons:

Typically a sabbatical policy is tied to a certain status or position within the organizational hierarchy. Taking time to rest and reflect is a privilege afforded to those who already enjoy the combined privileges of employment status, power, and perceived job value. If we applied a sabbatical policy in the traditional way, those on our team who do the daily, essential, and emotionally wrenching work of supporting families through incredible trauma, reflection, and transformation would never have time to rest. And certainly not everyone could do it at once. 

That brings me to another key component of this policy. We are taking a rest at the same time, as a team. I don’t think anyone should be stressed about the number of emails they’ve missed, the meetings that happened in their absence, or missed opportunities to support their colleagues or advocate for their own careers. That’s a major relief made possible because, over the past three years, Whole Child Strategies has built strong organizational partnerships and capacities among the people closest to this work. They’re ready to step up and step in.

What can you expect while we’re away?

The Neighborhood Champions will continue to be the boots on the ground in the community, supporting residents, handling neighborhood concerns, and connecting people to resources as they need them. One important new resource is our partnership with MATA to connect KSC residents to local sources of fresh food and groceries. Our organizational partner Cathedral Of Faith will support that project, answer questions that people may have for the WCS Outreach Team, and handle any immediate community needs; they can be reached at 901-327-1616 or 901-949-8226.

Prioritizing mental health has to be part of our organizational fabric. 

Finally, because we want this policy to become part of our organizational culture, we’re committed to measuring its efficacy and adjusting based on what we discover. One week before our staff-wide sabbatical commences, I will ask all members of our team to take a pre-survey to talk more about how they plan to use this time, what they want to accomplish, and how they think it will help them to grow personally and professionally. After the sabbatical ends, we will revisit those same survey questions, asking how they actually used the time, whether the break was useful, and what they feel prepared to do that they simply didn’t have the bandwidth to handle before.

I’m excited to hear stories from our staff about how they use this time. And beyond that, I will be excited to share with the broader community what we learn from this effort. Hopefully, it can help the conversations already happening in the nonprofit world on how to support mental health in ways that truly resonate with and serve all members of an organization. I hope that what we see — or don’t see — over the next four weeks can help others to plan effective, supportive ways to help their teams prioritize and protect mental wellness.

We’ll miss you all. And we’re looking forward to returning next month stronger, sharpened, and ready to serve.

Thanks for all you do.

NJM