
How can we incorporate practices of
PEACE into our lives and work?
We can all benefit. Connection is key. Empathy is the answer.
Our mission is to offer peace through education.
Why Empathy?
Today, compassion is needed more than ever. The lack of social interaction training within our current digital and success-driven world has left a gap in the skills of relationship building and empathy.
Results of this gap cause increased issues of bullying, racism, prejudice as well as compromised business reputations, effective customer service, caregiving and volunteerism.
We are a staff and advisory committee dedicated to provide resources, education, inspiration & support to all people through life's challenges.
Working with partners and professionals in health, mental and spiritual care, we are launching a menu of programs that teach every person how to identify and then incorporate individual values into their everyday lives and work. These programs are designed to be available to every person, of any spiritual or religious leaning. We offer workshops, retreats and presentations; open to the public plus custom programs for non-profit leaders, managers, volunteers and staff. Through these programs we hope to expand and enrich the community conscience of presence, service, compassionate empathy and, fully commit to provide respect and dignity for every person through all of life’s challenges.
Offering Peace
This is our "ask":
Can we each learn to become Peace Practitioners?
Peace Counselors?
Can we provide Peace to others while they face all of life's challenges?
Can we be present to every person and find connection regardless of race, nationality, personal choices,
appearance, economic means or belief?
Our Goals
We believe that empathy, compassion and peace can be taught and with knowledge and practical techniques for incorporating these values into our personal and work lives, we can not only be happier but more successful.
Through education, outreach, and meaningful connections, the Empathy in Action program empowers individuals to foster understanding, break down barriers, and create lasting positive change in their communities.

PROGRAM COMMITTEE MEMBERS
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Rev. Jana Biesanz
DIRECTOR OF MISSION OUTREACH & EDUCATION, FRANCIS HOUSE
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Nancy Light, BSN, RN, MPS
RETIRED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, FRANCIS HOUSE
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Allison Graff
MINDFULNESS COACH; DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE, SISTERS OF ST. FRANCIS
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Deborah Welch
HEALTHCARE CONSULTANT
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Rachelle Lando
HEALING ARTS PROGRAM COORDINATOR, ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH
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Allison Thomas
PSYCHIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER, HOLISTIC FAMILY MENTAL HEALTH
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Rev. Joe Colon
SPIRITUAL CARE TEAM MANAGER, ST. JOSEPH’S HEALTH
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Kristin Barrett-Anderson
MINISTER, END-OF-LIFE DOULA, REIKI GUIDE/TEACHER; EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, SAINT MARIANNE COPE MUSEUM; CREATOR, EMPATHY IN ACTION PROGRAM

Committed to expanding and enriching our community’s conscience, we are educators, leaders, and healers dedicated to developing curricula, workshops, and retreats that promote peace through life’s challenges.
Programing
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What are your basic, core values and how can you utilize them in making decisions? Our values can guide us through life's challenges by providing a roadmap. This workshop teaches how to identify your values and how to reflect on them to make decisions regarding family, education and work. Taking these values into making medical decisions and communicating those decision with loved ones can be key in finding peace.
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Our Empathy programs are a series of modules that teach us the importance of connection and compassion. Understanding “what empathy is” is the first step. Our goal is to not only share techniques to practice empathy but also teach how to react and act effectively for the benefit of your customer, client, student, patient, peer, employee or friend.
This practice leads us to share effective compassion with others while also providing self-actualization, stress management and personal success. We provide simple practices to incorporate into our everyday lives to enhance our life experience and increase gratitude.
The What, Why and How of Empathy as a Practice
What's My Story? Identifying and Unlearning Bias
Human Stories; Developing Empathy through Connection and Story
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Who's rowing your healthcare boat? This program offers resources and practices to use in understanding and making decisions about your healthcare choices. For individuals who have received a life-changing diagnosis and the people who care for them. Whole mind, body and spiritual healing begins with listening and being present to the situation. There are many ways to walk with someone and many considerations that can ease our journey. People walk away from this program with confidence in effective communication with medical personnel, patients and families.
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This workshop shares practices and resources for physical, emotional and spiritual elements of life's final journey. How can we find peace at end-of-life? How can we communicate our desires with our doctors, loved ones and families? What can we do to ensure a smooth and peaceful transition for ourselves and the people we leave behind?
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This module provides techniques for caregivers to practice to enrich and improve the care we give. Not only do we address self-care but also include many forms of healing and basic caregiving practices that we can offer to our clients or loved ones. Here, we can become aware of physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of being present to others and how to find balance for ourselves.
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We are currently providing two series programs in Music Therapy for Healing in partnership with CNY Music Therapy.
Singing Solutions for Dementia Care and
Singing Solutions for Lung Health
Created by board-certified Music Therapist Kath Fathers, these series include safe singing practices that address life-limiting conditions, encourage growth, and nurture community through music-making.
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In this program we question the traditional role of authority in the workplace. The idea of servant leadership is one that allows for team-building and mission integration. As a leader in a family, work department, business or organization, we can benefit others by incorporating the practice of servant leadership.
How can we benefit ourselves and our business by practicing empathy, listening, role-modeling, mentorship and empowering others?
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This program is for every person who is dealing with loss of any kind. Here we learn about “Moving through Grief”. Learning about the various aspects of grief, resilience, and the experience of others is a way to move through your own loss. We include a teaching about grief, some reflection time and optional sharing. It matters not how long ago your loss was.