#3/2021 FORUM

#3/2021
TheAmericanSocietyofSãoPaulo
EVENTS
Nov 25 ThanksgivingDinner
theFORUM
newsletter
TheReturnoftheHolidayParty
ByPatriciaCampbell&MalcolmMacdonald,President&VicePresident
Mark your calendars! Friday December 3 rd at 7:30pm we will be celebrating in
trueHolidaystyle!Ourmuch-lovedHolidayPartyisback—itwillbeamemorableone.
Our 2021 party will be at Espaço Galeria de Arte Panamericana, a beautiful,
mostly outdoor, venue located in Alto de Pinheiros: a very spacious place that can accommodate
up to 450 people. We plan to limit attendance to 150 to overachieve recommended
social distancing possibilities. This means we will have plenty of room to
socialize and at the same time keep a safe distance from others as we please. We will offer
afullChristmasdinnerwithdrinks,carolsanddancing!
How delightful it will be to enjoy the night away with friends—you may bring as many relativesandfriendsasyouwouldlike,asthiseventwillbeopenforall,ages16andup.Membersandnonmembersalike.Imaginehowniceitwillbetofinallyputafacetoanameofthe
manymemberswhocontributeonourWhatsAppgroupbygivingadviceandhelpingeach
otherout!
ChristmasisatimeforcelebrationandtraditionThoughwecelebrateDecemberwithdifferent
beliefs This year we plan on having a Traditional Christmas tree at the party. All our
guests are invited to bring an ornament that can be given away to decorate the tree as a
“group”Wewillraffleoffthefullydecoratedtreeduringtheeveningandthewinnerwilltake
ithomefordisplay.Thistreewillsymbolizethetreeofhope,aseachofusplaceourcontributiononit,makingitcometogetherbeautifullytotheluckywinner’shome.
Donations for the homeless will also be welcomed so that all of us, together, can help feed
orshelterthehungryandgivesomeofourhopetomanyfamilies.Christmasfoodtreats,or
neworgentlyusedclotheswouldbeverywelcomeandcollectedatthedoor.
Pandemic numbers in Brazil and vaccination rates are trending in a positive direction as we
write this article. São Paulo’s City hall has allowed events to move forward and larger gatherings
to happen. Therefore, we feel confident that we will have an amazing party with an
evenbiggerreasontocelebrateaftersuchalongperiodof“virtual”events.
We hope to see you there with us, celebrating life and really getting into the holiday spirit.
Toprotectyourselvesandothers,whilstrespectingpeople’srighttoachoice,wedoaskthat
allwhoplanonjoiningbefullyvaccinated.Also,incaseofanyflu-likesymptomsinthedays
priortothepartyoronthedayoftheparty,considergettingatestorifindoubtstayhome.
Pleasesupportuswhilstweensurethebestenvironmentforasafe,Covid-free,event.§
Dec 03 HolidayParty
Dec 13 AngelParty
Dec 15 WellnessVirtualEvent
Feb 13 FlagFootballTournament
GalaAuctionItemSpotlight
This year we were thrilled to be able
to include three items made by the
children at our charities. Casa Limiar
created terrific finger paintings which
depicted the famous Aesop’s Fable
The Ant & The Dove. These paintings
were made during an online art session
with AmSoc volunteer Maya
Branco. The kids were captivated by
Maya’s engaging storytelling and
lovedmakingthestorytocometolife
in art form. Programs like this are
made possible through our Helping
Handsmemberships.
The young adults at ABBA created a
wonderfulwoodenstackingtowertoy.
The woodworking program at ABBA
helps to teach young adults valuable
woodworkingskillsaswellassomeof
the critical social and emotional skills
neededfortheworkforce.
Finally,thekidsatLarTiaEdnaworked
togetherwithAmSocLiaisonandartist
Alina Fontaneau to create an outstanding
Origami Masterpiece. This
shadowbox houses over 750 Cranes.
In Japanese culture, origami cranes
representhealthandprosperity.
See page 6 for a QR Code to learn
more about how this artwork was
created. §
Coverimage:GreentunnelRS-040BalnearioPinhal,Brazil
Courtesyof:MatheusBetat

#3/2021
ProvidingHopefor2022
ByPatriciaCampbell,President
The end of the year is approaching, always faster than expected,
and I feel some excitement in the air as we start
seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. This year of 2021 has
been full of emotions, but especially we have felt hope. Hope for
that light we start to see, hope that things are getting better, hope
that we’ll be able to hug each other again. Hope that we will celebrate
with our friends and loved ones: birthdays, graduations, weddings,
promotions, births, various important dates. And it also
brings us the hope that in 2022 we will resume a full agenda of inpersoneventsatAmSoc,suchasyouthsports,AGM,4
th ofJuly,volunteeringatthecharities,socializingandnetworking.
President’sLetter
ExecutiveTeam
President
PatriciaCampbell
president@amsoc.com.br
VicePresident
MalcolmMacdonald
Malcolm.Macdonald@amsoc.com.br
Treasurer
Dr.EvelynLanka
Evelyn.Lanka@amsoc.com.br
ExecutiveSecretary
NatalieDellaRosa
Natalie.Dellarosa@amsoc.com.br
This year we were finally able to start doing a bit of in person celebrating with our Annual
Gala, in small “pocket parties”. This was definitely a breakthrough and success for us after
21 months of no in-person get togethers (more on the Gala on page 6). It was very, very
excitingforustoorganizethisandbewithfriends.WearenowreadytohaveThanksgiving
(page9)andourexcellentHolidayParty(page1),bothin-personsothatwecanbeface-toface,bumpfistsormaybeevendoasidehug–ortheNamasté,asyouplease.Iamlooking
forwardtoseeingoldfriendsandthoseofyouwhomI’venevermetinperson.(Psst!Youcan
nowreserveyourspotatourHolidayPartythroughholiday-party-2021.eventbrite.com.br.)
It’sbeenawildrideforourboardtorunanonprofitduringapandemic,managingtherevision
and improvement of our bylaws, our charities’ needs, people’s different comfort levels
withthevirus,anddecidingthebestwaytosetsailinnewdirections.Whatauniqueexperience
it has been for me personally and I am especially thankful to you, who have kept
sailing with us through this bumpy ride or joined us along the way. You probably have no
ideajusthowmuchyoumeantous.Well,youmeanalot!
JoinmeinlookingforwardtoanewyearwhenwehopethatAmSocwillnotonlyresumeall
its traditional in person activities, but will continue to thrive in celebrating American values
and traditions, promoting friendship and philanthropy and doing more for you, our members,andourcommunityatlarge.
Itakethisopportunitytowishyouandyourfamilyaterrificholidayseason.Nomatterwhere
in the world you’ll be, I hope it’s a very healthy and loving time with yourself and those
around you. A time where you can take a moment, look back at the year and reminisce
aboutallyourlearnings.Iamsuretherearemanyfromtheseatypicaltimesweareliving.
Cheers!
PatriciaC.Campbell
Committees
CommunityActionCommittee(CAC)
charity@amsoc.com.br
CorporateSponsorship
sponsorships@amsoc.com.br
StrategicPlanning
Mark.Bryant@amsoc.com.br
Wellness,Recreation&Sports
athletics@amsoc.com.br
BoardMembers
Ifyouwanttocontactanyindividual
boardmember,visitour“Meetthe
Team”pageonourwebsite.Clickon
thephotooftheboard(orstaffmember)thatyouwanttocontact.
www.amsoc.com.br/meet-the-team
OfficeStaff
OfficeManager
AndreaBerce
officemanager@amsoc.com.br
Communications&EventsCoordinator
JuliaAndreotti
communications@amsoc.com.br
AssociateAccountant
BiancaArruda
accounting@amsoc.com.br
OUR MISSION: The American Society of São Paulo (AmSoc) promotes
friendshipbyorganizingsocial,cultural,andathleticeventsforitsdiverse
membership;encouragesintegrationwiththeBraziliansociety;andsupports
the American traditions of education, philanthropy, and volunteerism.
RuadaPaz,1431,ChácaraSantoAntonio,04713-001,SãoPaulo,SP
Tel:(11)5182-2074/Fax:(11)5182-9155/www.amsoc.com.br
facebook.com/amsocsp/linkedin.com/company/amsocsp/@amsocsp
2
The American Society of São Paulo FORUM Newsletter

NewMembers
#3/2021
WelcometoOurNewMembers
Wethankallofourmembersfortheirsupport.Notamember?Jointoday!Visitamsoc.com.br/membership.
Name Partner Natl. Area Company Email
AnnHsuKaufman GerryKaufman American SantoAmaro
Rogers
YogodzinskiLLP
hsuannh@gmail.com
BillCollum American USA bluejackets1970@gmail.com
FrédéricDyèvre
MariaCecilia
Moreira
French
Altode
Pinheiros
Paradigmax
frederic.dyevre@paradigmax.
com.br
GustavoTella AdrianaOchoa Brazilian RealParque S&PGlobal detella@gmail.com
JulianaMenezes Brazilian SantoAmaro ChapelSchool jmenezes@chapelschool.com
MichelleDeleplace LoicDeleplace American VilaMariana mldeleplace@aol.fr
TracyHarrison JorgePeixoto American
Cerqueira
César
GradedThe
AmericanSchool
ofSaoPaulo
tracypeixoto@gmail.com
WhitneyQueiroz FredericoQueiroz American ItaimBibi wboughton@gmail.com
MeetMemberRafaelGiratola!
Where were you born? Born in São Paulo
butIgrewupinItaly(Milan)sinceIwas7.
How long have you lived in Brazil? I
returnedinMarch2012.
What recommendations do you have?
IrecommendtovisittheMercadãoMunicipal
de São Paulo (municipal market) and
try the wonderful Brazilian fruits and the
big mortadella sandwich. Don’t forget to
visit the greens parks as Ibirapuera Park,
Vilalobos Park and Do Povo Park. For Saturday
afternoon I suggest to go at Vila
Madalena and enjoy Live Music, you will
listen samba music and drink a delicious
caipirinha.
Surprisingfunfactaboutyourself?During
a scuba dive in Ilha Bela island, my buddy
andImettwosupercuriousturtleswhoaccompanied
us the whole time. They
weren’t afraid but kept their distance as if
they were escorting us during the dive. It
was the most emotional and fun moment I
haveeverhadinadiving.
Email: rafael.giratola@gmail.com
The American Society of São Paulo FORUM Newsletter 3

#3/2021
RediscoveringSãoPaulo
ByLeopoldoPimentel
SpecialInterest
Iam pretty sure you have been to Ibirapuera
(Ibira = tree; puera = rotten - in a
localindigenouslanguage)park.Asamatteroffact,itisthemostfamousparkintown
and,accordingtoTheGuardiannewspaper,
oneofthe10besturbanparksintheworld!
Maybeyouhaveevenvisitedits3greatmuseums:AfroAmericanMuseum,ModernArt
Museum(MAM)and,ontheothersideofthe
yellow bridge, the Contemporary Art Museum
(MAC). But what about the 34 th Bienal
(biannual) of Art? (Sept 4 th to Dec 5 th - don’t
miss out!) São Paulo’s Bienal is the second
oldest and the third most important in the
world(behindtheoneinVenice,Italyandthe
oneinKassel,Germany).Besidesitsamazing
artcollection,theBienalgivesyou(free!!)accesstoanimpressivebuildingofthepark(all
designedbythemostfamousarchitectBrazil
ever had: Oscar Niemeyer). Outside, this
huge pavilion looks like a regular shoe box
but just wait to see its internal columns and
curved ramps! Also, have you been to Ibirapuera’s
planetarium? Inaugurated in 1957, it
wasthefirstoneinBrazilandLatinAmerica.
Afteralongperiodofbeingclosedforrenovation,
it reopened in September! Tickets
aretobepurchasedinadvance.
In December 2015 a huge fire (due to a
short circuit) destroyed great part of the
Museu da Lingua Portuguesa. After almost
6 years of reconstruction (collections +
building) it reopened in August. The museumislocatedinthesamecomplexofthe
charming Luz Station (train + subway) and
right in front of the great Pinacoteca Mu-
seum.Toenhanceyourexperience,takethe
yellow subway line to its final stop (Luz) and
youcaneasilywalktotheMuseudaLingua
Portuguesa.Don’tforgettobuyyourtickets
inadvance!
Are you a foodie? A big fan of sandwiches?
Ifso,Iamsureyou’vebeentoourMunicipal
Market and tried those huge mortadella
sandwiches. This is very typical. And delicious!
But have you ever heard about the
Estadão pork sandwich? Located side by
side with the former headquarters of O
Estado de São Paulo newspaper, this bar/
restaurant was established in 1968 and runs
24 hours per day, 363 days per year. No
wonder, all sort of bohemians have always
found it a safe port to quench their middleof-the-night
hunger! The place is simple
andsmall,youcanbarelyfindaplacetosit,
no one speaks English but, when it comes
to flavor and taste, it is hard to say if the
mortadellasandwichbeatsit.
Ihopeyouenjoythesetipsandhaveablast
exploringSãoPaulo.§
The Flavia Liz tours provide special
moments and unique interactive experiences
with the culture, history and with
anything that is interesting and exclusive
inthecityofSãoPaulo.
Contact Leopoldo at (11) 98457 1964 or
visit the website for more info:
flavializ.com
Planetario
33 rd Bienal of Art
Pork sandwich (photo by Webysther on Wikipedia)
Museu da Lingua Portuguesa
4
The American Society of São Paulo FORUM Newsletter

CommunityActionCommittee
#3/2021
ChristmasDreamsReallyDoComeTrue!
BySusanBanmanSileci,AngelPartyCommittee
Just when we were getting really sad
about this year’s Angel Party – “We
can’tgettogether!Wehavetotakethe
presents to the homes and that’s not as
fun!” – we found a way to make this year’s
AngelPartyasafebutamazinglyfunevent.
OnDecember13,aMondayafternoonofall
things, we are going to meet up with the
children and helpers from the three residential
care homes for at-risk children that
AmSocsupportsinSãoPaulo.We’verented
the Pop Haus Santo Amaro for the afternoon!WhatisthePopHaus?It’sthefirstand
one of the largest event houses with inflatabletoysinBrazil.There’severythingfroma
trampolineparktoa20-meterwaterslide,a
beach volleyball area, a maze for squirt gun
action,andeverypossiblebouncyorjumpy
craziness you could think of. We’ll also plan
tohaveacalmerareawithartsandcraftsfor
whenthekidsneedtowinddownabit.
Much of the park is outdoors and the
indoors part is like a drafty garage with
great ventilation and lots of space. The Angel
Party will continue to be small, but we’ll
be able to invite the children, their helpers,
and a handful of select volunteers. We’ll
keep it safe and remember that the pandemic
is still going on, but we hope to be
able to offer much of the joy of our traditional
Angel Party, including lunch, ice
cream, lots of fun, and a few minutes with
Santa Claus as the party ends. Each child
willgohomewithabigbagofpresentsjust
for him or her – fun things like a toy and
chocolate, but also extremely necessary
items like shoes, a set of clothes, a good
coat for winter, a backpack for school, and
undergarments.
We’re so excited! If you would like to help,
we still need several key pieces to fall in
place.
Not all of the children have been sponsored.
If you’re comfortable shopping,
let us know and we’ll send you a specific
list of items along with the age and sizes
of a child. If you would prefer to let us
shop, it costs R$550 per bag. Sponsor a
childorsponsorten!Weneedsponsors.
Wealsoneedtofindfinancialsupportfor
otherpartsoftheparty:buses,T-shirtsso
we know which kids are from which
group,possiblyforsomeofthefoodand
snacks, and to help with other of the
needstopullthispartyoff.
At the traditional Angel Party, we invite
250 underprivileged children and have
nearly that same number or more volunteers.
We’ll have a much lower
number of each this year, keeping the
volunteers to a minuscule amount, the
least possible. We’ll put out a call for
fully-vaccinated volunteers if we need
them, and will let you know closer to
December how we’re doing and if we
needhelp.
Finally, in December we’ll have a
campaign to donate towards cleaning
supplies for these organizations. If
everyone contributes just a little bit at
that time, we’d be able to supply these
organizations with enough detergent,
bleach, and personal hygiene products
to last them several months. More on
thatlatertoo!
Meanwhile, help us get this exciting event
really rolling by sponsoring the remaining
kids and donating towards the party’s other
needs.Thiswillbethe22 nd AngelParty,and
we’re overjoyed to be able to offer such a
funeventforthechildrenwhowillbeableto
attend. And who knows? Next year we
might be together again, all 500 of us, to
celebrate23yearsofawhiz-bangChristmas
partyforchildrenwhohavesolittle.§
To sponsor a needy child, please
contact Sue Banman Sileci at
angelparty.sponsors@amsoc.com.br.
To help with anything else, please
contact Angel Party heads Kristy
Miranda and Natalie Della Rosa at
angelparty.chair@amsoc.com.br.
5

#3/2021
ReimagineReconnect:Our2021AnnualGalaReinvented
ByNatalieDellaRosa,CACChair
For over 20 years, The AmSoc
Annual Gala has provided memberswithabigglamorousnightout
in support of our children’s
charities.Facedwiththepandemic,
thisyear,wehadtore-thinkthewaythatwe
could safely bring together friends for our
bignightofgiving.
Fundraising
We created the idea of having intimate
Bossa Nova Pocket Parties in member’s
homes – which would all be connected
together thematically and via a livestream
production. Because the night was not at a
single physical location, we had the unique
opportunity to include members that have
moved back to the USA and other parts of
the world in our event. Thanks to Judy
Zanchi’s recruitment efforts we were able to
simultaneouslyhost6partiesintheUSA,10
inSãoPaulo,andonebigpartyinCampinas
– bringing together over 200 friends across
theworldforthisfunnightofgiving.
Our livestream event included an amazing
performance from Bossa Nova superstar,
Ana Caram, followed by three up-andcoming
artists, GIM, OTTO and Stanislaw
Tchaick finishing their canvas paintings live
andconcludedwithBrazilianmusicallegend
Otto,singingafewfinalsongsfortheparty.
GalaAuctionItemSpotlight
The parties were connected thematically,
with each home receiving similar table
décor,tropicalflowersandBrazilianfoodso
when participants looked at the individual
parties on zoom, it really felt like a collective
experience. No matter which continent
you were on, it was wonderful to
enjoy friends and be connected to somethingmuchlarger.Aftermonthsofsolitude,
it was so refreshing to be back “together”
enjoying a good show! In fact, many attendees
mentioned it was their first time
out at a social event since the start of the
pandemic. For AmSoc friends who have
moved back to the USA, it was also a
wonderful way to reconnect with our organization
and introduce American friends to
Brazilian culture and the work AmSoc does
withourcharities.
Because of the challenge of not having the
event in a single venue we needed to run
our auction online. It turns out that online
auctions can be very successful. With a
virtual format, we were able to attract a
much broader audience of bidders, the
costs for printed material was significantly
reduced and invoicing and payment
processes were more streamlined and easy
tomanage.
This year’s Bossa Nova Pocket Gala was
definitely a paradigm shifter. Now, it’s time
torollupoursleevesandstarttore-imagine
what next year’s Gala can look like and how
we incorporate some of the new processes
fromthisyearintonextyear’ssuccess.Thank
you so much to the team for making this
event come together in such a unique and
memorableway.§
6
The American Society of São Paulo FORUM Newsletter

Fundraising
#3/2021
ThankYoutoOurSponsors&Donors!
3MBrazil•AMafalda•AirysKury•AnaAltenfelder•AnadiRomão•AndreaMimassi•ArtBioGarden•Bevicora•BrunoGomesPhotography•C.KamuraSP•CamdenHouseGastropub•CarlosYamassaki•CasadiPaolo•ChocolatDuJour•ChristinaZuniga•David’sTennis
School•Dinda•Drosophyla•Estancia3IrmaosEquitationAcad.•EvoluirEducation•GinArapuru•GrandHyattSãoPaulo•GUMsunstar
•HelenaMottin•HeloisaBacellar•InTheKnow•KBADental•KevinGibson•LeenAlShareh•LilianScattone•LisaSaito•LynneLogullo
•MarcosKarlovicHairdressing•MaxLantz•MayaJohnson•MellusoCalçados•MicheleNeyret•MissionChocolate•NepressobyNestle
•Otimiza Design •Patricia Campbell •Pet Clube Jardins •Pincelando Estúdio de Arte •Polly Felix •Portuguese for Foreigners •Quintal
Animal•RestauranteCantaloup•Rosmarino•RuthHollard•SEENRestaurant(TivoliHotel)•Ser-AfimRestaurant•Shangri-LaHotelPousada
• Só.Snacks • SpaMed • Stephane Cordero • Studio Gabriela Rossi • Taluhama Colunna • Terras de São José Golfe Clube • The-
SkinnySweet•TivoliMofarrejSãoPaulo•TwinFlames•VarandaGrill•VillaJockey
Thankstoourmanygracioushosts…
…andaspecialthankstoourGalapatrons!
The American Society of São Paulo FORUM Newsletter 7

#3/2021
FormerAmbassadorspeaksonBrazil-US-ChinaRelations
ByMadeleineBlankenstein,Let’sConnectCommitteeMember
On September 29, we had the
honor of welcoming Mr.
Rubens Barbosa to our Let’s
Connect event to discuss
Brazil, US and China
Relations.
Mr. Barbosa is a Former Brazilian
Ambassador to the US & London. As
Moderator,Mr.MauricioPrazac,Presidentof
Instituto Brasileiro de Relações Empresariais
Internacionais (IBREI) introduced the
organization, which helps to strengthen
business connections between Brazil and
other countries. In addition, Mr. Landon
Loomis, VP Latin America, Caribbean &
Global Policy at Boeing, moderated the
presentation. Members of AmSoc’s Let’s
ConnectCommittee:LucyNunes,Madeleine
Blankenstein,MalcolmMacdonaldandSean
Hutchinson, assisted with the organization
oftheevent.
Let’sConnect
Mr. Barbosa talked with the group in a very
openmannerandmanagedtoanswermost
of the questions from an engaged audience.
One of the highlights of the evening
was when we split up into breakout rooms,
when everyone had a chance to meet
virtually in small groups, and some participants
managed to ask Mr. Barbosa
questionsonetoone.
The Former Ambassador reconfirmed what
weareallawareof:thattherelationshipbetween
the USA and Brazil is extremely
important, however we are facing a challengingsituationworldwide.
The withdrawal of the US from Afghanistan
hashadafullimpactongeopolitics.
Globalization is also changing how the
world looks, together with the changes in
the United States Presidency at the beginning
of the year, and of course Covid-19
stillloomingoverus.
We have observed strengthening of regionalization,
and in South America,
disintegration, mostly due to Brazil’s economicandpoliticalinstability.
Inaddition,climatechangeisaffectingallof
us.Witheverythingthatishappeninginthe
Amazon, a large majority perceive Brazil as
a nation that does not give adequate
importancetoESGmatters.
Another topic raised was related to
technology and innovation. It was noted
that Brazil is starting to lag behind, as an
example, 5G technology and the
applicationofArtificialIntelligence.
Fortunately,warandterrorismdon’tpresent
real threats in Brazil, with the exception of
cyberattacks, which is another type of war.
According to our fellow AmSoc member,
Charles Ho, Brazil is one of the 5 countries
where hackers attack more due to the lack
ofcybersecurity.
In relation to the dispute between US and
China, the US will remain a country closely
linkedtoBrazil,howeverBrazilneedstopay
close attention to the relationship with
China, being its most important trading
partnernowadays.
Apart from Brazilian exports into China,
ChinaisalsoBrazil’stopinvestor.
Brazil used to be the world’s 6 th largest
economy and now it has dropped to 14 th
position.
There were so many interesting topics that
wecouldhaveelaboratedforseveralhours.
Wethankallthosewhoparticipatedandwe
hopetowelcomebackMr.RubensBarbosa
toanotherAmSocevent.
Withalltheseimportantissues,asauthorof
this article, given the investigation on how
the government handled Covid-19, problems
with the health care provider Prevent
Senior,andthereformsthatmayormaynot
take place, these are all key factors that will
be contemplated during the 2022 Brazilian
Presidential Election. As the polls are
showingearlysignsthatitdoesnotlooklike
eitherJairBolsonaroorLulawillbeelected,
whoever wins needs to maintain a strong
relationship with the US, and the relationshipwithChinamustbekeptintact.
Inthemeantime,keepforwardingyoursuggestions
for themes and speakers. Be sure
to continue getting involved with all our
events, including the Reader’s Group and
SMILEactivities.
Hope to see you all in person at one of our
upcominggatherings.§
8
The American Society of São Paulo FORUM Newsletter

GettoKnowUs
#3/2021
VolunteerSpotlight:ChristineSoares
CompiledbyNatalieDellaRosa,CACChair
We would like to send a huge thank you to Christine Soares for all of her
amazingsupportofAmSoc!ChrisisthechairofourSMILEprogram.(Smile,
Mentor, Impact, Love & Engage) which pairs AmSoc volunteers with
enriching activities at our children’s charities. Thanks to Chris’s positive
energy, tremendous organizational skills and determination, AmSoc has
been successfully able to continue this program during the pandemic. As part of the SMILE
program,Chrishasorchestratedpizzanightsacrossourthreechildren’scharitieseachmonth
sincethestartofthepandemic.Hersuccessatleadingthisendeavorhascreatedalotofjoy
andhappiness!
In addition to the SMILE activities, Chris was a leader in AmSoc’s first ever online auction
under our new bylaw structure. Chris’s planning skills, problem solving capabilities, and fine
eyetodetailenabledtheteamtosuccessfullyoffer130amazingitemsinitsauction.
OriginallyfromSt.Louis,Missouri,ChrishaslivedinBrazilfor50years,raisingherownfamily
and grandkids here as well. Prior to joining AmSoc, Chris was an executive at Vale do Rio
Doce,whereshewasresponsibleforstrategicplanning.WearesohappyChristineispartof
ourAmSoccommunity!§
The American Society of São Paulo FORUM Newsletter 9

#3/2021
StayingHealthyatAnyAge
ByWaliMutazammil,PresidentandChiefExecutiveOfficerofBMWC
As the next American Society
Wellness speaker, I will focus on
health self-management education,
whichisdesignedtoimprovetheemotional
and physical well-being of frontline and essentialworkers,parents,andyouth.Thisisa
very timely topic that we are going to be
talking about – taking care of our wellbeing.DuringthisCOVID-19pandemic,itis
especiallychallengingforseniorsandforall
ofuswithoutourregularsocialinteractions.
So many of us are experiencing more
intense feelings during this time, such as
anxietyordepression.
Sports&Wellness
MeettheAthlete
CompiledbyRicardoArikawa
Favorite sport?
Golf,Baseball
BretKaufmann
Sports hero?
JackNicklaus
Who inspired you
as a young athlete?
Myfather
How old were you when you started?
7or8
The real important thing about what I am
goingtopresenttoyouisaproventoolthat
doesnotneedaspecificdiagnosisforusing
these wellness practices. It is for all of us to
assistwithourmentalwellnessandbenefits
ofWRAP®(WellnessRecoveryActionPlan),
which is going to be introduced and explained.
The Behavioral and Mental Wellness
Coaching, Inc. (BMWC) facilitates a process
of education and training of a clinically vetted
and innovative peer mentoring model.
BMWC’s training incorporates the evidence-basedpracticesofpeersupportand
WRAP®,whicharepracticestoengageand
empower frontline workers, essential
workers, persons with disabilities. Mental
wellness challenges and opportunities coexist
as natural occurrences for students,
faculty, and adults. Living WRAP® allows
individuals and organizations to get well
andstaywellovertheirlifespan.
BMWC trainings are offered as Train-the-
Trainer modules. WRAP® is a manualized
self-managementsystemdeliveredinaselfhelp
context for persons coping with
trauma and life challenges. This system
helps participants to: 1) decrease and prevent
intrusive or troubling feelings and
behaviors; 2) increase personal empowerment;
3) improve quality of life; and 4)
achieve their own life goals and dreams.
Individuals learn to use WRAP® through a
peer-led and peer-engaged group process
thatprogressesinthreedistinctphases:1)a
peer-deliveredintroductorysessioninwhich
participants learn about WRAP® and
becomeengaged;2)eighttotwelveweekly
(or bi-weekly) peer-led WRAP® development
sessions that are approximately two
hours in duration; and 3) ongoing WRAP®
supportgroups.Expertsestimatethatupto
one quarter of the mental health workforce
will be staffed by peer specialists by 2030
(Manderscheid,2019).§
Wali Mutazammil serves as the President and
Chief Executive Officer of the Behavioral and
Mental Wellness Coaching, Inc. in the United
States.In1982,WalireceivedaHarrySTruman
Scholar Award from the Harry S Truman Scholarship
Foundation for his academic achievements,
leadership skills and abilities, and a
commitment to excellence in public service.
Wali is a Member of the Board of Directors for
the Copeland Center for Wellness and
Recovery, for the National Association of
Military&VeteranPeerSpecialists,ofOneNew
Heartbeat, and of Poe Baltimore, Inc. (Edgar
Allan Poe Museum), and an advisor at the
PATIENTS Program, School of Pharmacy, UniversityofMarylandBaltimore.
Wali has over thirty years of experience in
transforming the lives of many people. He is a
USMarineVeteran.
Where were you born?
NewYork
Favorite thing about São Paulo?
Being from NYC the weather is quite an
easythingtogetusedto.
What is your favorite team?
BrooksKoepka,NewYorkMets
Best part about competing?
At my level in golf I am mostly competing
againstmyself,soitmakesforaninteresting
learningexperience.
Favorite movie about sports?
Tommy’sHonour;BullDuram
If you could be instantly skilled at any
sport, which would it be?
Golf
Surprising/fun sports fact about yourself?
I have been around golf all my life, but only
startedgettingseriouswithitinthelasttwo
years.
What emotions do you feel when you play
well?Euphoria
Who do you wish was watching you
perform at every game or match?
Myparents
What other sport would you play?
Baseball
Who was your favorite coach and why?
Myfather.Heknewhowtoteachthefundamentals
in a great way, and we won championships.§
10
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