The holiday season is often portrayed as a time of joy, connection, and celebration. But for sexual assault survivors, the season can be emotionally challenging. Memories of past trauma, gatherings with unfamiliar people, or even festive traditions can unexpectedly trigger feelings of anxiety, sadness, or distress. For those who love and support family members who live with trauma, it’s important to recognize these struggles and respond with compassion and care.
Understanding the Impact Holidays can be overwhelming for many reasons—busy schedules, family dynamics, and the pressure to feel “merry.” For survivors, these stressors may be compounded by painful reminders of their experiences. A seemingly harmless hug from a relative, a song on the radio, or even an unfamiliar environment can unexpectedly bring trauma to the surface.
How to Be a Source of Comfort If you notice a loved one withdrawing, becoming emotional, or seeming unlike themselves, consider these supportive actions:
Listen Without Judgment If they open up about their feelings, listen actively and without interrupting. Avoid minimizing their emotions or rushing to “fix” things. Sometimes, just being heard is profoundly healing.
Respect Their Boundaries Survivors often need to set personal boundaries to feel safe. If they decline invitations, limit physical contact, or step away from gatherings, respect their decisions without questioning or pressuring them.
Create a Safe Space Let them know they are not alone. A quiet corner, a warm conversation, or the reassurance that they can leave an event at any time can make a significant difference.
Offer Support, Not Solutions Phrases like “I’m here for you,” “You’re safe with me,” or “It’s okay to feel this way” can be more comforting than advice or attempts to cheer them up.
Educate Yourself Understanding trauma and its impact can help you better support your loved one. Familiarize yourself with resources and strategies for providing trauma-informed care. Lafasa.org/
Shifting the Narrative While holidays can be difficult for survivors, they can also be an opportunity to build stronger, more understanding relationships. By showing patience, empathy, and love, you can help your loved one navigate the season with a sense of safety and belonging.
This holiday season, let’s all commit to being mindful of the diverse experiences within our circles and approach each person with kindness. Sometimes, the greatest gift we can give is our unwavering support.
If you can use extra emotional support during the holidays or any time, contact the statewide helpline via text: 225-351-7233, chat: lafasa.org or phone: 888-995-7273.
I have a couple of friends that carry on a Sicilian tradition every Christmas. Their families have gathered together to make cuccidati cookies since they were young, and I’m sure their parents did the same. They gather with siblings and children, and undoubtedly the latest generation will continue this tradition their parents have upheld. This got me thinking, baking, especially during the holidays, offers a unique way to unwind and find joy amidst the seasonal chaos. It also creates an opportunity to craft heartfelt, personal gifts. I vividly recall a Christmas when a classmate brought galletas con chochitos, a delightful Mexican cookie, to our school party as a gift for my class. There’s something profoundly special about baking a recipe tied to your heritage or personal memories—it adds an immeasurable layer of meaning.
With so many traditional cookies from cultures around the world, I thought it would be pretty nifty to share a couple recipes and a resource with a link to many more. Whether you’re baking to create lasting memories, relieve stress, give meaningful gifts, or simply for the love of it, these recipes can offer something special for everyone, no matter your cultural background.
Traditional Scicilian cuccidati fig cookies: Dough: 2 cups of flour, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 2 eggs, 2 sticks of butter, 1 tspn of salt, 1 tblspn of baking power. Mix these ingredients ahead of making your filling. Mix in a food processor until they form a ball. Take the ball and split in two. Wrap each dough ball and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, and up to three days. Filling: Large bag of dried figs, 1 cup of walnuts or pistachios (or both), 1 cup of raisins, 1/2 cup of honey, 1 tblspn of cinnamon, 1 tblspn of ground clove or nutmeg, 1/2 cup of bourbon or brandy or rum or orange juice for a non-alcoholic version. Place all ingredients into a food processor and chop into a mixture that is sticky, but pliable.
When ready, take out the dough and roll flat. Take the filling and roll into the shape of a log. Then, place the filling onto the flattened dough and proceed to roll the dough over the filling like a blanket. Trim the dough so that it only rolls over the filling once. Cut the log into one inch slices with a sharp knife. Bake in a preheated over at 350° for 15 minutes. Take them out and let them cool. When room temperature, place on a rack and drizzle with a mixture of confectioners sugar and cream. Let that harden, and your cookies are done.
My mom’s family is from Larose, La. My great-grandmother made pralines with condensed milk and this tradition has been passed on to us. Pralines from Larose: Before starting, make sure you have a cookie sheet covered with wax paper prepared. Ingredients: 1 cup of pecans halfs, 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, 2 tblspns of butter, 1/2 tspn salt, and 1 tspn of vanilla extract Cook the ingredients over a low heat. A double boiler works best for this recipe, but isn’t necessary if you make sure not to burn the sugar. When the mixture is a viscous liquid, it’s ready to be poured. Pour into two to three inch puddles and let harden.
For a list of great cookies for any occasion whether your heritage is Pakistani, South African, Japanese, or other regions around the world, click this link.
If you are in need of emotional support we encourage you to seek assistance from the statewide helpline by text (225-351-7233), chat (lafasa.org) or phone (888-995-7273). If you are having suicidal thoughts call 988 or 911.
Studies show that almost six million people in the US don’t receive health-related care every year due to transportation issues. Research also shows that even one missed appointment can lead to significantly increased rates of patients ceasing health related care.1
As a means to tackle this issue, Uber Health aims to reduce barriers to healthcare access by providing a simple and effective transportation solution tailored to the needs of patients and healthcare providers for Non-emergency Medical Treatment (NEMT).
Uber Health is a platform designed to help healthcare organizations arrange transportation for their clientele, ensuring that individuals have reliable access to medical appointments and other health-related services. There are very few restrictions as to who qualifies to use this service. Among those who have benefited from the program are seniors, children with sickle-cell anemia, maternity patients, cancer patients, and those transitioning from mental health facilities back to their communities. Uber Health is a HIPAA-compliant platform that allows care organizations to connect to ride options that help improve their level of care and services. Here’s how it works:
For Healthcare Organizations:
Sign Up: Healthcare organizations (e.g., hospitals, clinics, service centers, senior care facilities) sign up for Uber Health to manage transportation needs for individuals.
Dashboard Access: They gain access to a centralized dashboard to book and manage rides for those in need.
Booking Rides: Organizations can schedule rides immediately or in advance, even if the person does not have the Uber app or a smartphone. They just need the person’s basic contact information.
Patient Communication: Ride recipients receive notifications about their rides via text message or phone call, including details about the vehicle and driver.
Billing: Uber Health offers flexible billing options, allowing organizations to pay for rides through various payment methods, including medicaid. Some health insurance providers may cover these rides. Detailed trip reports and invoices are provided for record-keeping and compliance. In addition riders can pay out of pocket or utilize medicare (which can be used by those who are disabled and senior citizens). One thing for victim service providers to consider is that VOCA grants will cover transportation, as per page 22 of the most recent tool kit: “Direct costs of implementing the core eligible services – for example, transportation costs for victims to receive services.”
For Riders:
No App Required: Riders do not need to have the Uber app or a smartphone. They can receive ride details via text message or a call. This is especially comforting to those in stalking situations or domestic violence recovery programs.
Scheduled Rides: If preferred, riders can have rides scheduled by their healthcare provider to ensure they get to and from their appointments on time.
Ride Details: Riders are informed about their driver’s name, car type, and estimated arrival time.
Safe and Reliable: Uber Health ensures that all rides adhere to the safety and quality standards set by Uber, offering a reliable transportation option for those in need.
Key Benefits:
Accessibility: Ensures patients who may not have reliable transportation or a smartphone can still get to their medical appointments.
Efficiency: Streamlines the process of arranging transportation, reducing missed appointments and improving patient care.
Confidential: Uber Health is a HIPAA-supported technology solution that has helped hundreds of thousands of patients and caregivers get to and from care. Providers can also use Uber Health to help get crucial staff to work.
Compliance: Provides detailed reporting and documentation to help healthcare and healthcare-related organizations comply with regulations and manage transportation budgets.
Included in Uber Health services are prescription medicine pick-up and grocery pick-up. Uber is doing everything possible to make these rides safe and comfortable. Drivers differ by service within Uber Health, but all are screened before being matched to a request and re-screened at various intervals after that. For rides and grocery/OTC delivery on the Uber platform, Uber Health leverages Uber’s existing driver network.
NEMT rides are powered by a third party that specializes in healthcare transportation. Those riders will be connected to full-time employees of transportation companies who are specifically trained to assist with physical, visual, or mobility needs.
Prescription delivery through Uber Health is powered by ScriptDrop, which manages a network of couriers who include but are not limited to delivery people who use the Uber platform.2
INCREASED AVAILABILITY, EVEN IN RURAL LOUISIANA AREAS Considering that our state has much more rural areas than metropolitan areas, it’s easy to see that the program is expansive. There are 198 towns/cities in Louisiana that have NEMT services in place:
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE PROGRAM The Uber Health program is primarily operated by both patient and provider, however starting this month Uber has expanded this program to accommodate those who are patient caretakers. Uber Caregiver is a new initiative toward innovating caregiving support and addressing the needs of millions of caregivers across the United States. The program is tailored specifically for caregivers and their loved ones, aiming to tackle challenges head on and enhance the overall care experience. While Uber Caregiver is particularly beneficial for seniors who face transportation challenges, and it is anticipated they will make the bulk of passengers, it is designed to be inclusive. Anyone who has a caregiver or needs assistance getting to medical appointments can utilize the program.
LaFASA News 