Overview

 

12 Caring Habits helps unify and uplift your community by creating a more caring environment, improving cooperation, reducing youth problems, especially drugs and alcohol, and developing more people who care.

 

SOMERSET, PA

First Caring Habits Community

12 Caring Habits was first implemented in Somerset, PA, near where the courageous 911 flight #93 went down in 2001. In 2003 the London Institute of Social Inventions designated Caring Habits as a Social Invention.

 

How it Worked in Somerset

In Somerset, the year-round monthly reminders appeared on flyers distributed throughout the community in businesses, schools, places of worship and social service agencies.

Local radio stations aired 30-second monthly spots created by school students in the community. Students developed and led Caring Habit projects in schools such as peer mediation and working with Special Olympians.

 

Measured Outcomes in Somerset

Between 1992 and 1995 an Indiana University of Pennsylvania team of experts surveyed the Somerset community of 30,000. After 18 months of Caring Habit community exposure and activity more than 54% of the residents became aware of Caring Habits.

 

Of those who were aware, 72% reported that they felt more warmth and caring in the community and 39% said they had actually improved their behavior at least once because of seeing a Caring Habit message.

 

Criminal court docket cases were reduced 10% after a steady ten-year rise — achieving a $150,000 savings for Somerset County.

 

Starting Caring Habits in Your Community

Building Community - One "Caring Habits" Resident at a Time

To achieve community-wide influence of the monthly Caring Habit reminders many communities begin by recruiting a coalition of Caring Habit TEAM members who represent as many facets of the community as possible.

 

 If the schools in your community are Caring Habit Affiliate Partner (CHAP) schools, then they should be represented in the coalition.

 

The Caring Habits will motivate everyone daily, to be more aware of how healthy or unhealthy our relationships are. It will help us to reduce some of the "litter" of unpleasant experiences, like "road rage" from our lives.

The benefits will come instantly and personally, as well as long term; in the family, the workplace, in schools, and in reduced crime statistics throughout the community.

 

Most importantly, you will bring to life the popular but hard to do adage, "It takes a whole community to raise one child." Your community youth will feel more cared for and respected, and will see and respond to the Caring Habit messages wherever they go.

 

As a community, you will prove to yourselves that you can actually measure the improvement in crime and pathological statistics. Remember the old and still relevant "Smiley Face" we all love and still use? Perhaps more than any other symbol from the past, this simple happy face started "Caring Habits" a long time ago.

 

Building Families - One "Caring Habits" Family at a Time

Join The Golden Rule Revolution is a book by the founder of Caring Habits, Elaine Parke-Susco, that inspires individuals and families to practice the Caring Habits on a daily and monthly basis.

Many “home-schooling” families use this book as their character curriculum - a habit-forming Golden Rule reminder system, broken into the twelve months, and the twenty-eight to thirty-one days of each month.

 

One month is just about the right length of time to repeat one thought and action, enough to form or strengthen an existing habit.

 

 

This book is about forging random acts of kindness into caring habits. The 12 Caring Habits are a way to make the Golden Rule easier to act on in our daily lives. Even when we feel we already treat other people well, most of us would still like to improve.

 

Most of us certainly wish other people would improve and we believe that our families, our neighborhoods, our communities and the world would be better if we all practiced the Golden Rule more often.

 

To find out how your community can become a Caring Habits Community, please contact us by email or by calling 1-866-767-5652 today.

 

Building Senior Facilities One Senior At a Time

 

Senior Facilities Overview

 

If you are tired of having to "think up" or "find" new ideas for senior events and activities, this caring Habits Program and monthly Guidebook will solve your problem. Our Caring Habit Activity Leader's Two-Volume, 3-Ring Guidebook has over 400 exciting pages of ideas and fun activities. Fun graphics throughout help make looking up activities enjoyable.

Caring Habits for Seniors Package Provides:

4 sets of 12 Colorful Monthly Posters (11” x 17”)

2 Volume Guidebook with 400 pages of fun and involvement includes:

• ACTIVITIES Plus+ - Seniors in Action, for groups or individual time

• Fun with FACTS

• MIND Workouts for Pleasure

• Let s Be HEALTHY!

• READING BOOKS To Enjoy

• POPULAR MUSIC and its Message

• Favorite QUOTES

• STORIES, POEMS and HUMOR

• Activity Director REPRODUCIBLES to Share

Caring Habits is an energizing, year-long strategy that unifies and uplifts every unit and department in real time while providing a monthly structure for activities.

Colorful decoration and inspirational activities, quotes, stories, fun facts, large print book lists, reproducible pages and discussion topics really work to improve the atmosphere and interpersonal relationships all around.

 

From Senior Centers to Nursing Homes, seniors everywhere will enjoy celebrating a new Caring Theme each month.  Everyone in your facility can feel included as they participate in the many ideas suggested each month. For those not able to actively join in, merely listening can offer a source of amusement and comfort.

 

The 400 page Guidebook helps give any organization strategic support to achieve goals with staff and with seniors.  Pockets on the inside of the front and back covers provide a place for your own notes. For an extra bonus we have included 48 posters (4 per month) to help support and display the monthly theme.

 

If you would like to preview a few pages of this unique book, please inquire at info@caringhabits.org.

 

The cost of this two-volume set including the 48 posters is $195.00. Order online at the Caring Habits store or remit check, money order or purchase order payable to: Caring Habits, PO Box 298, Harmony, PA 16037.