Live on WICC: Melissa in the Morning interview's Community Mindfulness Project ED, Ella Crivello
As we prepare for Giving Tuesday tomorrow, we want to thank Melissa Sheketoff of Melissa in the Morning for bringing our Executive Director, Ella Crivello onto this morning’s WICC 600. We were able to share more about what we do, and expand awareness for listeners on the benefits of mindfulness at no cost to them.
Check out the full segment and the transcript from the interview below.
“As a nonprofit, our mission is to reach people who have the highest unmet mental and physical health needs.
So that’s why we’re partnering with these direct service nonprofits, because we know that they are reaching people who really are looking for help.
It’s really important to us to prioritize that work. ”
Full transcript
News and talk for Connecticut for over 97 years, WICC 600 AM and 107.3 FM, Back to Melissa in the Morning.
Melissa Sheketoff, WICC: With Giving Tuesday and just the gift giving season, a lot of nonprofits across Connecticut are going to be asking for money. But we wanted to highlight one in particular because what they're doing is really helping so many people in our own backyard. Joining us to talk a little bit about what is called the Community Mindfulness Project here in Connecticut, we have Ella Crivello here and she is the Executive Director of Community Mindfulness Project on WICC. Ella, thank you for your time. How are you?
Ella Crivello, Community Mindfulness Project: Hi Melissa. How are you? Thank you so much for having us.
Melissa, WICC: Yes, please start if you don't mind by just telling us the mission of Community Mindfulness Project and what got you started?
Ella, CMP: Yeah, of course. So the vast majority of Americans have not historically had access to mindfulness tools for many, many reasons. And so our mission is to expand access to mindfulness on a personal level. I found it because I was very isolated and struggling with a lot of anxiety being pregnant and a first time mom in 2020. And it was an opportunity for me to really look inside myself and really kind of have trial and error of what worked for me to work through that, work through those mental health issues. We're trying to really open up opportunities to have access for everyone for that.
Melissa, WICC: So this is a relatively new nonprofit?
Ella, CMP: Well, we actually have been around for nine years. So yes, new-ish depending on how you measure. Our board and we've worked with over 20 mindfulness facilitators have been proud to serve schools, nonprofits, and communities in Fairfield County, we've actually worked with over 37,000 participants and people across 3,500 sessions and working in partnership with organizatiins in Bridgeport and Stamford and across Fairfield County.
Melissa, WICC: Okay, so when you say equipping people for it with mindfulness tools, what do you mean by that? Like what is a mindfulness tool?
Ella, CMP: It's a great question. So mindfulness is really about just paying attention on purpose without judgment. So it's really giving yourself the tool to pay attention to each moment with real intention. And we find it important because attention is our greatest superpower. Today we have our time and our attention being highly sought after and commoditized and spread thin.
And so when we think about common practice of mindfulness and how we can really... unlock access for it. It's about how we can give ourselves the tool to build healthy habits of the mind and the brain.
And so there's no right or wrong way to do it, but it has been really, really well known to show, especially through the main tool that we help unlock, meditation, to support mental health by helping manage stress, regulating emotion, and really creating a sense of connection also with your community.
Melissa, WICC: Okay, so really dumb this down, Ella, because you're gonna probably think I'm crazy for asking this, but give me an example. Like what exactly do you do for a client, for example?
Ella, CMP: It's a great question. We work with many, many different partners because we really want to meet people where they are. So when we're thinking about how to unlock access for this because of all those benefits that I shared, we want to really make sure that we found people in their schools, in their workplace, or in their local community. So we actually work in partnership to bring sessions and workshops to schools, to libraries, to public school teachers, to non-profits serving people coping with mental illness, you know, to the elderly and those with Parkinson's. And really what that looks like is a broad array. It can be anything from our 15 minute guided mindfulness sessions for nonprofit and frontline workers. And it also could be a workshop around non-violent communications. That can be an hour or longer. And so it really depends on the needs of the community, but our most important thing is how can we really make sure that we are meeting people through their previous and daily routines to make it feel authentically like a tool for connection. So agency is really important for us. So how can we honor people’s interests and needs so that you can find the way to choose to do this for yourself.
Melissa, WICC: I mean and you insert yourself in so many different places it says on your website you'll go to public schools, maternal health clinics, hospitals, libraries, even community spaces. So who would you say is your target market? Is it anyone?
Ella, CMP: It's a great question. I mean the the broader vision is to make mindfulness as accessible as a toothbrush, something that people can use easily every day to care for themselves and we use that metaphor because the majority of us brush our teeth it's a ritual that we give ourselves every day. You don't really think much of it but it's critical for our health right and you know it's affordable, it's easy to use and for mindfulness it's the same thing. You don't need insurance, you don't need a copay, you don't need to wait months for an appointment.
We really want to make sure that we're reaching people and in plain clothes, in plain language, seated on chairs, in trusted community spaces, so that they can grow in practice. But right now, as a nonprofit, our mission is to reach people who have the highest unmet mental and physical health needs. So that's why we're partnering with these direct service nonprofits, because we know that they are reaching people who really are looking for help. And it's really important to us to prioritize that work.
*break*
Melissa, WICC: Ella Crivello, who is the executive director of Community Mindfulness Project. How often, Ella, do you guys have or host these sessions in workshops? Are they happening consistently? Is it only a few times a year since you are a nonprofit? And how do you determine what your workshop or session is going to focus on?
Ella, CMP: We're really, really proud to be able to have these sessions and workshops offered weekly. So we actually are able to have online virtual sessions for nonprofit frontline workers every week, Wednesdays at 915 [EST]. You're welcome to join us. And we also are working with our partners through different nonprofits across the state, across Fairfield County, particularly, to provide needed workshops that are based on the particular needs of their community. So that is less so a weekly basis, unless it's needed. We work with Housatonic Community College every semester, we're working with Career Resources. I can share other nonprofits that we're working with on a weekly basis as well. But that is something that is really designed with the community partners directly. And so it's really a balance of what's free and open to everyone and also what's customized and designed for the needs of our nonprofit partners.
Melissa, WICC: Take me if you don't mind, Ella, in some way. In one of your sessions, what are we doing? Are we meditating? Are we having an open conversation? Am I watching a lecture? What's going on?
Ella, CMP: So it's a range. The majority of our sessions are really focused on that accessible tool of meditation that I shared. Because the benefits really are proven. And we really want to give people that space to practice because it is something that can be different and uncomfortable and not necessarily easy to catch on right away for people. So we really want to give people that comfortable space to try it out. We have broader open sessions that can be 15 minutes that are more frequent. and beneficial when you can try weekly, week over week. And we also have trainings that, you know, for people who want to expand their learning, we have “Intro to Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” courses that are taught by facilitators over six weeks, we have mindful listening and non-violent communication courses and more. So, you know, when we're in a classroom and thinking about, you know, how we're reaching and supporting teachers and building this into the curriculum, that's gonna look a little bit different for how we're supporting them through compassion lessons in mindfulness versus students thinking about mindfulness for a better night's sleep, you know, versus recently incarcerated people re-entering the community who want to really access a way to build their confidence and build their skills. And so we'll think about mindfulness of emotions and helping people to understand their feelings and needs when they're really, you know, having a hard time with a lot of what's going on in their lives.
Melissa, WICC: And what age do you service? Is this just for adults or do you also help kids?
Ella, CMP: It's a great question. So it is primarily adults, so we do have some facilitators who focus on work with kids and we're supporting their work, not only through direct services with children, but also through supporting the adults who are reaching children. So for youth and teenage years, you know, this is a full spectrum of impact in terms of the science behind what mindfulness can do. You know, it can allow us to improve emotional regulation and resilience… for kids, that's particularly important when you're thinking about your focus and your attention and for teens, you know, thinking about sleep and immune function, impulse control, eating related behaviors. That is incredible for us to really kind of think about that impact for youth and teens, but we also do a lot of our work for adults. That's particularly important when you're thinking about your focus and your attention and for teens, you know, thinking about sleep and immune function, impulse control, eating related behaviors. That is incredible for us to really kind of think about that impact for youth and teens, but we also do a lot of our work for adults, thinking about broader ways to reduce anxiety, to create a greater sense of compassion, to lower levels of OCD and fear, to lower depression. And of course, as you get older, this is really important when we're thinking about reduced blood pressure, inflammation, chronic pain, all of that really becomes more and more important and there's the science behind how this can really help protect against those effects as well.
Melissa, WICC: And if people are listening and they want to get involved with one of your sessions or workshops, where do they go or how do they qualify? Do they, since it is a nonprofit, are they paying in any way to access your services?
Ella, CMP: We are a nonprofit because we want to make this as accessible as possible. So everyone in our sessions is able to join us for free. We are able to do all this work for free for the end participants because we have donors and partners who are paying for the cost of that facilitation.
So if you want to join us, please check out our website, communitymindfulnessproject.org or shorthand communitymind.org. We have sessions and workshops that you can join. No registration is needed for many of them, but you can also see the nonprofit partners that we work with and how you may get involved. And also just reach out to us on email, Instagram, Facebook. We really would love to hear from you and see how we can work together and how we can support you in this journey.
Melissa, WICC: And I want to remind folks that the website, communitymindfulnessproject is all spelled out. So communitymindfulnessproject.org. if you want any more information, you could certainly check that out as well online. And I want to thank you again, Ella Crivello, for the work that you do as Executive Cirector of Community Mindfulness Project and for taking the time to answer our questions and share all this information here on WICC. We really appreciate it.
Ella, CMP: Thank you so much, Melissa. Have a great rest of your day.
Melissa, WICC: Thank you so much, Melissa. Have a great rest of your day. Thank you, you too. Ella Cravello here, who is the executive director of Community Mindfulness Project. And that website again is communitymindfulnessproject .org.
