My name is Anna Mansell Karagiannis, and I am honored to introduce myself as the new president of WSRID. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to serve in this role, and I’m even more excited to meet and connect with all of you while doing so. January has passed in what feels like the blink of an eye, and so much has happened. I miss you, yes you, and you- and you too! I hope that as we welcome the new year, each of you are safe, warm, and able to connect with loved ones in a way that serves you.
Each of us has been touched by the events of 2020 in different and profound ways. As individuals and as communities, we have faced unimaginable challenges, dealt with more loss and grief than we knew we were capable of, and celebrated moments big and small in ways we never thought we would. As we enter into the new year, many of us do so with hope for what will come, while also recognizing the uncertainties that remain. Despite the difficulties we have endured and the questions still unanswered, I find myself still determined to be not only a realist, but also an optimist. Part of my optimism comes from my belief that our organization holds great potential to better serve the current and future members and stakeholders of our communities. I hope you will join me and the Board in making that a reality.
With the goal of sharing more information and helping us all feel a little more connected, I will be sending out monthly announcement emails. The content may vary, but you can expect information regarding needs for help on special projects and committees, updates on board meeting discussions and decisions, quarterly financial statements, event announcements, community news, and more. If you’d like to contribute content or if there are things you want to know more about or have questions regarding, please email me and let me know.
For this month's edition of “What’s up WSRID,” please continue scrolling. You can also use the navigation tabs on the side of this document to jump to specific topics. Happy reading!
Stay safe, healthy, and if at all possible, find a way to practice at least a little self care today. You deserve it.
With gratitude, Anna Mansell Karagiannis WSRID President 2021-2022
As we begin our work in 2021, we welcome one new board member, Claudia Kienholz, into her role as Director for 2021-2022, and congratulate Kristin Deverin on accepting the appointment of Vice President for 2021.
I would also like to give a big thank you to Caroline Allen for her service as WSRID President from 2019-2020, and to Paul Glaser for serving as our former Immediate Past President. Caroline and Paul have both served for many years and in various positions on the board, and dedicated countless hours, energy and heart to the organization. Caroline will continue to serve on the board as our Immediate Past President for 2021-2022, and Paul continues to serve our profession nationally as the Vice President of RID.
To find updated contact information for our full board of directors, please view the WSRID Board page.
Board meetings will take place on the second Wednesday of every month from 6:00pm–8:30pm, online via zoom (unless otherwise posted).
In addition to the discussion of regular business, we will have time set aside for a monthly policy review, quarterly financial summary, and 30 minutes per month dedicated to a “Community Corner” session. We envision this to be an opportunity for a guest from another organization or agency to share news and information about their work, or for members to share announcements and news. If you or someone you know is interested in participating, please let us know.
The WSRID Board met for our annual retreat January 8th–10th, virtually, via zoom. It was the first time in a long time that our plans were not impacted by the weather. Over the course of three days together we reviewed policy, revised the budget for the remainder of the current fiscal year, and spent countless hours brainstorming how to help WSRID grow into an organization that better serves the needs of our diverse communities. As a result of our discussions, we have identified four key goals for 2021:
Goal #1: Redesign WSRID’s infrastructure documents to be clear, relevant, easy to follow, and reflective of the needs of our current and potential members. Goal #2: Improve communication and transparency to members and community stakeholders regarding WSRID’s essential functions and happenings as well as the board’s focus on a DEI action plan. Goal #3: Prioritize partnerships and collaborations with organizations and individuals within our communities. Goal #4: Invest in programs and projects that help enhance the value of WSRID membership.
Goal #1: Redesign WSRID’s infrastructure documents to be clear, relevant, easy to follow, and reflective of the needs of our current and potential members.
Goal #2: Improve communication and transparency to members and community stakeholders regarding WSRID’s essential functions and happenings as well as the board’s focus on a DEI action plan.
Goal #3: Prioritize partnerships and collaborations with organizations and individuals within our communities.
Goal #4: Invest in programs and projects that help enhance the value of WSRID membership.
We have committed to prioritizing the recommendations brought to us by our consultant, Ritchie Bryant, last fall, which are focused on making WSRID a more inclusive organization. We will be gathering feedback and sharing more information about the report, as well as our plans and ideas at the virtual Town Hall meeting on February 20th. More info about this event is available on the website.
We are kicking 2021 off with two information sessions.
Saturday, January 30, 2021 10:00am–11:00am via Zoom Hosted by: Whitney Hill
This event is designed to inform members of the legislative process and to examine any upcoming bills set to be heard in the 2021 legislative session.
Saturday, February 20, 2021 10:00am–12:00pm via Zoom Hosted by the WSRID Board
The purpose of this meeting is to share details of the report received from Ritchie Bryant in October 2020 with the membership, to offer suggestions for how to accomplish this work, and gather feedback and input from interested members. We anticipate this will be the first of several meetings to address how WSRID can grow to become a more inclusive organization – better serving the diverse people in our communities.
WSRID EVENT PAGE
The board is committed to sending out regular quarterly financial reports to the membership. If you have questions or want to learn more about the organization's financials, please contact our treasurer, Paula Bazinet.
Financial Report (Q1-Q2)
Thank you to everyone who has renewed their membership for 2021! If you have not done so yet, please hop online and log in to update your account.
If you are unable to renew your membership at this time because of hardships caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, please contact the membership coordinator. We have not received any information from people regarding this being an issue, but if it is, we want to know.
We know a lot of you are still wondering how or if you can get the COVID-19 vaccine. On December 17th, RID co-signed a letter to the CDC urging that medical interpreters be considered amongst those in phase 1 to receive the vaccines. WSRID contacted the community representative for the WA State Coronavirus Response to echo that sentiment as well. The rollout thus far has been heavily state driven, with hospitals managing the bulk of the scheduling. It seems that WA is shifting gears a bit with the opening of the Phase Finder website. Needless to say, there has been information coming from many different sources, and it changes daily. Here’s what we know:
Contact the agencies you contract with – any agency with a medical contract should have a direct link to the hospitals and be able to guide you on how to get the vaccine, or share info regarding when it will be available for you.
Washington State Phase Finder is up and running. We have seen several agencies inform their contractors that if you interpret in a medical setting or a setting that puts you at high risk for contracting or spreading the virus, you qualify in the 1a group for receiving the vaccine. Things are changing daily, so check this link for more info and to register: Phase Finder
Contact your primary care physician to ask them if the COVID-19 vaccine is right for you and if they can refer you to a hospital to get one. Many clinics have been sending messages related to the vaccines to patients via “My Chart” or other electronic messaging systems – this might be a good option if you are not having any luck with the agencies or Phase Finder.
Keep doing what we have been doing. Please continue to follow the state guidelines regarding wearing masks, physical distancing, hand washing, and staying home when you are sick.
If you have more information regarding how interpreters across the state can get the COVID-19 vaccine, please let us know and we can share that through email and online.
RID Region Five consists of the following states:
Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington.
Our current RV representative is our very own, Krystal Sanders (WA State resident, CDI).
As an affiliate chapter member of Region V, you may be eligible for free or discounted registration at events being offered by other Region V affiliate chapters. Due to the constraints of COVID-19, many AC’s have moved to hosting trainings online, which make them more accessible for out of state interpreters than ever before.
To check out our AC websites and learn more, visit RID Region V's webpage.
Free Mini workshops being offered from Idaho RID.
Hawaii RID mourns the loss of beloved interpreter, Patty Sakal, to COVID-19.
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