Wellness is a big deal here at AAOP. One of our main missions as an organization is to cultivate wellness in our Minnesota Asian communities, especially among our Asian youth. That’s why this year, we were so excited to launch a wellness initiative that gave all of our AAOP youth leaders $150 to spend on any wellness activity(s) of their choice.
Our wellness fund initiative is thanks to generous funding from the Women’s Foundation’s COVID-19 Transformative Fund. When AAOP staff members applied for this grant, they did so after carefully considering as a community what wellness looks like and feels like to them, and how these funds could be applied to increase wellness in our AAOP community. This wellness fund program is the result of that community-based discussion.
Clara, AAOP’s Youth Program Manager and a key staff member who led these wellness discussions, explains: “when we were brainstorming what we should propose in the grant application, we had a number of ideas, but thought it would be most critical to offer tangible benefits for employees.”
“Workplaces can talk all they want about wellness, but if there isn’t anything tangible that they are offering to employees, then it’s not genuine and just becomes all talk. While personal development funding doesn’t change the reality that we are living within capitalism and must sell our labor to survive, it does allow for people to step away from their work and have the resources available to do something that they personally find fun, healing, or meaningful.”
As 2021 draws to a close, we circled back with some of our AAOP community to ask what they used their wellness funds for, how that had impacted their year, and why it’s so important to prioritize wellness in work and organizing spaces.
Marianna: Summer Youth Program Participant, Canvasser, Reproductive Justice Intern
“I used the funds for self care items. I ended up getting a weighted blanket and workout bands to help combat my anxiety. I chose those items because I have severe anxiety, and I wanted something I would use everyday and that will last. I think it’s important that employers offer personal wellness funds because it shows employees that you care for them and prevents burnout.”
Siena: Former Gender Justice Research Cohort Participant, Content Creator Intern
“I used the personal development funds to get a membership to an online fitness website. They have lots of different types of classes so I’m able to try new things which is really fun; who knew I’d get into yoga this year! Fitness is an important part of my mental health wellness practice, so it means a lot to have a resource that allows me to continue exercising regardless of the constantly shifting pandemic situation. I see this wellness fund as a strong sign of AAOP’s commitment to its team members’ wellness; AAOP puts their principles into action and that means a lot.”
Clara: Youth Program Manager
“I used my personal development funding to take a ceramics class. Ceramics is something that I’ve always loved doing, but the courses are expensive, and I probably wouldn’t have spent the money on it had it not been for AAOP’s funding. The funding incentivized me to actually develop myself in a realm outside of my work and that was really meaningful to me!”
Looking ahead: We’re delighted to announce that wellness funds will be available to our youth leaders in 2022 as well! This is for sure a tradition worth fostering and celebrating, and we’re looking forward to bringing it from 2021 directly into 2022.