Volunteers can help with invasive honeysuckle tree removal and creek bed cleaning at the Loveland Learning Garden Nature Trail
Loveland, Ohio– The Joe Burrow Foundation and UC Health are joining the Rotary Club of Cincinnati in an effort to fight food insecurity as part of the annual Rotary Cincinnati Do Days service event October 24 through 26.
One event task, is working at the Loveland Learning Garden on the campus of the Loveland Primary and Elementary school campus.
Rotary Cincinnati Do Days brings together more than 650 volunteers for a three-day service initiative that intends to complete dozens of service projects for around 35 Tri-State non-profit organizations. The Joe Burrow Foundation and UC Health have committed to packing and delivering 12,000 meals in support of UC Health’s Food is Medicine program.
“The Joe Burrow Foundation’s mission is to provide support and resources for food insecurity in Cincinnati and Southeast Ohio and we are pleased to put our muscle behind the Rotary Club of Cincinnati’s Do Days,” says Jimmy Burrow, vice president, Joe Burrow Foundation. “It takes many hands to complete an effort like this one, and the Burrow Foundation is ready to deliver in the name of a common mission.”
UC Health’s Food is Medicine program screens patients for food insecurity during visits to their primary care provider. Those who need support can immediately access an in-office food pantry stocked with pantry staples and hygiene items, as well as vouchers for fresh produce.
“Food insecurity directly impacts the health and well-being of people in our community, particularly those with chronic health conditions,” says Melissa Martin, RN, clinical manager, UC Health Hoxworth Internal Medicine and Pediatric Clinic. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with Rotary Club of Cincinnati’s Do Days as a way to help eliminate barriers to food access and give people an important resource to help manage their health and wellness.”
______________
Loveland Learning Garden
Volunteers will help with invasive honeysuckle tree removal and creek bed cleaning.
The Learning Garden supports the Life Food Pantry by growing and harvesting produce that is distributed to local residents.
The nature trail is used for school day, afterschool and summer programs to connect kids to nature. Removal of honeysuckle will allow Loveland Learning Garden to restore native wildflowers and open up the creek for exploration.
Volunteer groups and individuals may sign up for a variety of service projects to help the Rotary Club of Cincinnati and their call for hundreds of volunteers. Potential service shifts range from organizing non-perishable food at a local food pantry, performing landscaping and outdoor maintenance projects at a local camp for children with disabilities, and packing school supplies for disadvantaged children across the Tri-State. People who are interested in volunteering for Rotary Cincinnati Do Days may visit https://cincinnatirotary.org/events-news/do-days/ to review activities and sign up for a scheduled time. The Rotary Cincinnati Do Days service initiative represents more than 2500 volunteer hours and a financial impact of nearly $100,000. Flynn & Company CPAs is once again serving as corporate sponsor of The Rotary Cincinnati Do Days. The Cincinnati Business Courier is the event’s media sponsor.
Watch Cassie Mattia’s Tour of the Loveland Learning Garden
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced today that he has ordered the mobilization of an additional 1,250 members of the Ohio National Guard to support hospitals with the most critical needs across the state. The mobilization comes on the same day the state set an all-time high for the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations during the pandemic.
The Ohio Hospital Association reported today that 5,356 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19. One in four patients are COVID-19 positive. This surpasses the previous hospitalizations record of 5,308 on Dec. 15, 2020. Of today’s hospitalizations, 1,228 patients are in the ICU, which is approaching the record high of 1,318 ICU patients reported on Dec. 15, 2020.
While Southwest Ohio is not seeing the same volume of patients as northern parts of the state, Richard P. Lofgren, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, UC Health, expressed concerns about the surge in cases making its way across the entire state during the coming weeks.
Ohio National Guard Deployment As hospitals struggle with staffing to support the surge in COVID-19 patients, Governor DeWine announced during a press conference today, that he has asked Major General John C. Harris, Jr., Adjutant General, Ohio National Guard, to mobilize an additional 1,250 members of the Ohio National Guard, bringing the total deployment of National Guard members working with Ohio’s healthcare systems to 2,300 members.
“This is not something we take lightly… We are asking them to leave their families, their jobs and homes. This is a huge sacrifice,” Governor DeWine said.
Governor DeWine previously authorized the deployment of 1,050 Ohio National Guard members on Friday, Dec. 17. Major General Harris said the Ohio National Guard’s goal is to augment hospitals’ medical staff and wraparound services. Teams including nurses and medics will provide clinical care and non-medical teams will offer support services such as food service, patient transportation within facilities, and administrative support.
Approximately 460 Guard members are deployed in the Cleveland area; more than 160 in the Toledo area; about 100 in Columbus area. Smaller numbers of the Guard will be deployed in the coming days in Mansfield, Dayton, and Lima to support hospitals. Guard personnel are also supporting testing sites in Cleveland and Akron.
“The National Guard has been indispensable,” said Robert Wyllie, MD, Chief Medical Operations Officer, Cleveland Clinic.
The Ohio Department of Health and the Ohio Hospital Association are working daily with Ohio hospitals to assess staffing needs to determine the most appropriate support from the Ohio National Guard.
“Everybody agreed when the decision was made to send in the National Guard to our hospitals … All the way through this, we are going to be guided by where they are needed most today. It should give people confidence that everybody is on the same page here. Let’s deploy them where they are needed the most,” Governor DeWine said.
Hospitals Hospitals have been taking extraordinary measures to manage this COVID-19 surge, including postponing elective surgeries, while battling staffing shortages as a result of COVID-19 infection or exposure, and burnout.
The northern parts of Ohio have been particularly hard hit, especially the greater Cleveland area, where one in three patients are COVID-19 positive, including ICU patients, according to OHA data.
“The hospital systems are under significant stress in Northern Ohio,” Dr. Wyllie said. “We are running 2,000 tests a day. Let me tell you about those tests: 36% of the people going into the Walker Center for testing are testing positive for COVID.”
The state’s strategic hospital zone and region structure has allowed hospitals to work together with neighboring hospitals to balance the load of patients. This structure continues to be vital as cases and hospitalizations dramatically rise statewide and staffing remains a significant concern.
While Southwest Ohio is not seeing the same volume of patients as northern parts of the state, Richard P. Lofgren, MD, President and Chief Executive Officer, UC Health, expressed concerns about the surge in cases making its way across the entire state during the coming weeks.
“Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over … we are seeing more cases now than we have ever seen along the way,” he said. “Now, the spread of Omicron is adding fuel to this raging fire. One of the things that I want to make sure that people understand, is that this not only affects the care of people with COVID, but also affects people who don’t have COVID. It squeezes out our ability to take care of patients with other life-serious or life-threatening problems, such as heart attacks and strokes.”
Governor DeWine also spoke with Jennifer Hollis, a critical care nurse at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, about her experience in the hospital.
“I just want everybody to be able to walk a mile in my shoes and kind of understand as a critical care nurse, what I am seeing when I am coming into work. It is beyond difficult,” Hollis said. “Our beds are full. There is nowhere else to go, and we are just as short-staffed as everyone else is seeing as well … We are tired, we are frustrated, and we want the best for all of our patients.”
Hollis urged Ohioans to get vaccinated to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. “I’ll continue to fight for you, when you won’t fight for yourself. Please get vaccinated. Quarantine if you are symptomatic. Get tested,” she said.
Vaccination, prevention Governor DeWine emphasized that the COVID-19 vaccines remain a powerful tool to keep people out of the hospital. Since June 1, 2021, there have been 35,962 admissions, and 92.5% of those have been among people who are not fully vaccinated.
Now more than ever, it’s critical to follow prevention strategies including getting vaccinated, getting a booster shot if eligible, wearing face masks, washing your hands frequently, getting tested, and staying home if sick, even if symptoms are mild.
“We are looking now at an impact of COVID-19 that is unlike anything we’ve seen before in this pandemic,” said Bruce Vanderhoff, MD, MBA, Director, Ohio Department of Health. “We have access to a powerful tool that can really shield us from the worst outcomes of COVID-19, and that is vaccination.”
As of today, more than 6.9 million Ohioans have received at least their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. That’s 63% of those Ohioans eligible (ages 5 and older). More than 2.6 million have received an additional dose, or a booster dose.
Masking in Schools Today, the Ohio Hospital Association also distributed a letter from the Ohio Hospital Association and Ohio Children’s Hospital Association to Ohio school superintendents, administrators and school board members encouraging them to implement a masking requirement when students return from the holiday break. A masking requirement in schools will help limit community spread of COVID-19 and keep students in school, the letter said.
Holidays Dr. Vanderhoff encouraged Ohioans to celebrate safely this holiday weekend so we can all have a healthy start to 2022. “As we get ready to ring in a new year, please, think about the steps you can take to prevent COVID-19 spread before you gather. Keeping vaccinations up to date, appropriate testing, staying home if you feel the least bit sick, masking especially in crowded indoor environments, proper ventilation, and regular handwashing can all help prevent the spread of COVID-19, flu, and other illnesses this season,” he said.
NAMI offers educational programs, support groups, and an information and referral phone line. They work together with their national organization (NAMI) and their state affiliate (NAMI Ohio) to advocate for people living with mental illness and their families.
NAMI Southwest Ohio is committed to the following values:
Recovery: Recovery is possible with comprehensive treatment. Mental illness, like most other illnesses, comprises biological, psychological, and social factors.
Access to Treatment: All individuals should have access to treatment appropriate to their needs.
Needs Adequately Addressed: The needs of all those affected by mental illness, including people living with mental illness, family members, friends and others should be adequately addressed.
No Guilt, Shame, Blame or Stigma: There should be no stigma associated with mental illness.
Collaboration: Collaboration within the mental health community is vital to effective treatment and recovery.
Excellence: All NAMI’s support, education and advocacy programs should be conducted with the highest possible standards.
Inclusion: All segments of the community should be included as we seek to be the voice for mental health in Southwest Ohio.
Respect: All individuals should be treated with respect in every situation.
Openness and Responsiveness to Change: NAMI will be quick to adapt to positive research, medications and treatment, and will be willing to consider changes that will improve the delivery of our mission.
Fiscal Responsibility: Financial policies and decisions will be carefully weighed in order to optimize the use of resources in the most efficient and effective manner.
The Youth America Hotline is a free peer-to-peer hotline network that links callers to community-based peer counseling hotlines.
Call 911 if you are facing a dangerous situationor thinking about hurting yourself
Crisis Text Line
Text START to 741741
The Crisis Text Line is available 24/7 to help you with any kind of crisis. Visit www.crisistextline.org/faq to learn more about how the Crisis Text Line works.
CEO, Dan Gillison, talks to the NAMI community about COVID-19
Local Resources By County
Butler County:
Mobile Crisis Team And Consultation
(844) 4CRISIS (1-844-427-4747)
24-hour Hotline: Need someone to talk to? Call the same Mobile Crisis Team phone number above. They are there to help!
This free and confidential hotline is available 24-7 and provides suicide prevention, crisis intervention and referral information to Clermont County youth and adults.
To refer an adult or child, call (513) 584-5098. Mobile Crisis is available Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 12:00 am and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 8:30 pm.
After hours, referrals can be made through Psychiatric Emergency Services (PES). Call (513) 584-8577. PES will page the Mobile Crisis Team if necessary.
Mental Health Access Point (MHAP) exists as the front door to the Hamilton County public mental health system. MHAP, a division of Central Clinic, provides assessment, support, and connections for children and adults residing in Hamilton County who are in need of mental health services.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a free, 24-hour hotline available to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Calls will be routed to the nearest crisis center to you.
The Veterans Crisis Line connects Veterans in crisis and their families and friends with qualified, caring Department of Veterans Affairs responders through a confidential toll-free hotline, online chat, or text.
Suicide Prevention In College Resource Guide
This online guide, created by Affordable Colleges Online, is designed to offer hope and help for college students who are experiencing suicidal thoughts, as well as their friends and family.
Trained volunteers provide information, referrals, and support to all who have questions about or are affected by serious mental illness. The NAMI Information Helpline is available Monday through Friday, 10:00 am to 6:00 pm EST.
Call 911 if you are facing a dangerous situationor thinking about hurting yourself
One event task, is working at the Loveland Learning Garden on the campus of the Loveland Primary and Elementary school campus.
Loveland Learning Garden
The nature trail is used for school day, afterschool and summer programs to connect kids to nature. Removal of honeysuckle will allow Loveland Learning Garden to restore native wildflowers and open up the creek for exploration.
