People have been feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic for more than a year.

These impacts include — but are not limited to — feelings of disconnection and isolation.

It is important to remember “we’re not alone in this experience,” said Jada Dixon, president of the Denver Chapter of The Links, Inc.

With this in mind, the Denver Chapter of The Links is targeting much of its 2021 programming to mental health and well-being with emphasis on the needs of the Black community.

“We wanted to make a difference,” said Gaye Woods, vice president of programming for the Denver Chapter of The Links. “That’s the focus of our existence — the service.”

The Links, Inc. is a women’s volunteer service organization “committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry,” which is stated on its website. It was founded in 1946, and numbers “16,000 professional women of African descent in 292 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and the United Kingdom.”

The Denver chapter, established in 1952, is one of two in Colorado locations, and has 45 active members.

With a focus on service, friendship, community involvement and philanthropy, The Links, Inc. have five facets. They are: Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, and Health and Human Services.

Salon Series

The Salon Series: Linking Communities in Conversation is a new program this year for the Denver Chapter of The Links, and may become part of its regular programming.

Taking place virtually for now, the Salon Series includes five curated educational sessions led by subject matter experts, community stakeholders and industry innovators.

Upcoming on April 10 is the session titled “The POWER of the ARTS to Reflect our Joys & Challenges.” Professional artists and students from the Denver School of the Arts will lead the discussion. On May 8, Nurturing Your Child’s EQ: Everyday Tools for Parent-Child Social-Emotional Wellbeing will be presented.

All sessions of the Salon Series are free and open to the public.

Girl Fierce

The Denver Chapter of The Links will virtually host its second Girl Fierce event on April 24. The first one, which had a focus on human trafficking, was presented in April 2019, and its success led to The Links scheduling another program. However, Girl Fierce had to be canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, and the 2021 Girl Fierce has been reworked to take place virtually.

The theme this year is Being Mindfully Free. All five of The Links’ facets will be featured with a focus on mental health. The event is oriented toward young girls of color, roughly in grades five through eight.

Social media and race and disparities, in addition to isolation brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, are some of the aspects in a girl’s life that can effect them, Woods said.

Girl Fierce will feature a variety of speakers who will take a “mind, body, spirit” approach for overall well being, Woods said. Participants will also get a toolkit with resources for exercise, nutrition, arts and creativity and other valuable wellness practices.

“Girls today need things to help them feel good and strengthen their self-awareness,” Woods said.

Women in The Links are influencers, both professionally and within their communities, Woods said. Such role models can pass on knowledge, tools and wisdom, she said.

“For aspiring young women, it’s important that we are visible,” Woods said.

Dixon agreed.

“This is a way to put forth our time and talent to empower young African American women,” Dixon added.