On The + Side: Tiny Owls, Teacher Appreciation and Apple Pie

Happy early Thanksgiving! From your friendly neighborhood credit union, we would like to wish you and your loved ones the happiest of holiday seasons, no matter how you’re celebrating this year. 2020 has had its challenges, so we are excited to share the brighter moments as we bring on the holiday cheer.

Positive Focus

It’s easy to lose sight of the good in the world, but more important now than ever to find reasons to smile. Check out some of our favorite uplifting stories of individuals and organizations who are making a difference.

• A tiny owl was found in the Rockefeller Christmas Tree this year, and was nursed back to health to be released back into the wild. Cue the awwwwws.
• If you needed another reason to love Dolly Parton, here it is. Dolly Parton, famed country singer and national treasure, donated $1 million to support the Moderna vaccine, which has shown a 95% protection rate from COVID-19 in trials so far.
• Speaking of vaccines, AdventHealth will be among the first hospitals to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
• In the spirit of giving, Orlando Health has rolled out a program to help team members pay for college. Through this program, their employees can receive an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree or certificate with no out-of-pocket costs.
• This Giving Tuesday, you can join A Gift For Teaching on social media in #TellUsTuesday, sharing your appreciation for teachers during the pandemic.

Wellness Boosts

How are you maintaining your mental health in these trying times? Here are a few of our latest favorite resources to boost your emotional wellness this week.

• ‘Tis the season for gratitude! Practicing gratitude is scientifically proven to boost our overall happiness, especially in difficult times like these.
• Connection is incredibly important, but we have to be especially careful during a pandemic. Here are some ways to create healthy boundaries among friends and loved ones while still maintaining our relationships.
• Do you consider yourself an empath? Check out these self-care practices to get yourself through a particularly strange holiday season.

For the most up-to-date guidelines on taking care of yourself during this global pandemic, visit the CDC’s website.

Additional Resources

As we gear up for the holidays, here are a few added goodies to brighten your day

• If you’re still in need of some recipe inspiration for Thanksgiving, who better to learn from than Martha Stewart? Martha shares her easy apple pie recipe, sure to be a crowd pleaser.
• How can you maximize your credit card points this holiday season? Check out the latest episode of Making It Count, where we break down money management around the holidays and how to safely play the points game. You can also find the episode on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify.
• In 2021, Orlando Shakespeare Theatre will return to its roots, with outdoor performances at Lake Eola. Looks like another great social distancing activity to keep in mind for the new year!

We’ll be back next week with more positive stories and resources to make this time a little easier for everyone. To get notifications when we post a new issue, subscribe to On The + Side.

For the latest COVID-19 updates from Addition Financial, please visit our response page.