The CARES Act that passed Friday, March 27, provides many potential methods of assistance for our members. There are small business loans and payroll assistance loans, modifications to tax filing deadlines, and an expansion of unemployment benefits to include a longer duration, access to benefits by self-employed individuals and independent contractors, and an additional $600 per week from the federal government.

At 11:30 a.m. MT, it was announced that Congress completed its approval of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), a $2 trillion deal to provide economic relief to those most affected by COVID-19. The President has committed to signing the bill. Congress had been working feverishly for more than a week to develop the eventual 880-page bill.

ABMP member Charmaine Stattman was recently featured in the "Local Stories" section of Voyage Denver online. Stattman, a Reiki Master, registered massage therapist and yoga teacher, and foot reflexologist, spoke with Voyage Denver about her bodywork path and the obstacles she's overcome along the way.

Read the article at www.voyagedenver.com/interview/meet-receive-englewood-littleton.

The 2020 World Massage Festival (WMF) scheduled for July in Michigan City, Indiana, has been canceled over COVID-19 concerns. The WMF is transferring registrations to the 2021 festival. The 2020 American Massage Championships, that were to be held in conjunction with the 2020 World Massage Festival, are also canceled.

We’ve been carefully watching the wave of coronavirus sweeping the United States. As of today, we’re contacting our legislators in Colorado to strongly encourage them to create a national financial package that would assist you—independent businesspeople and contractors—through this pandemic. We cannot email each of the 535 Senators and Congresspeople directly, so we encourage you to contact them.

Navigating a world with COVID-19 is new for all of us and is subject to daily and sometimes hourly changes as we escalate measures to protect health and safety.​​​​​​.

An important message from ABMP President, Les Sweeney and Ruth Werner on COVID-19.

This post is adapted from a message sent to ABMP members on Friday, March 6, from ABMP president Les Sweeney. We will be compiling the information regarding COVID-19 within this message, and updating that list with the latest as the situation develops.

Episode 9 of the Thinking Practitioner Podcast with Whitney Lowe and Til Luchau is now available. In this episode, Whitney and Til discuss "What the Heck is Descending Modulation?"