Lake County Sentinel
Local quilts on display at Madison library
(MADISON TOWNSHIP) -- Thirteen quilts created by local stitchers are on display through Nov. 5 in Madison Public Library's annual quilt show.
"We love seeing all the intricate designs these talented quilters put together," said Dee Culbertson, library director. "We also love the fascinating stories behind the quilts, which also are on display."
People can vote for their favorite quilt during the show, and a Patron's Choice Award will be given at the end. The award is courtesy of Friends of Madison Public Library, the nonprofit group that supports library programs and activities.
The quilts hang on the library's gallery wall space and in the study area on the west side of the building.
Madison library is open 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The library is at 6111 Middle Ridge Road in Madison Township, Lake County. Find it online at www.madison-library.info and on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Snapchat, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube and most podcast platforms.
Leadership Lake County programs navigate through pandemic to perform Community Impact Projects
Three Leadership Lake County programs find innovative ways to improve the community
(MENTOR) – Leadership Lake County is pleased to announce that despite restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the achievements of the organization’s Community Impact Projects remained as meaningful as ever.
Learning how to demonstrate servant leadership during a time of crisis was a priceless experience for everyone in the Junior Leadership Program, Youth Leadership Academy, and Community Builder programs, said Jessie Baginski, President and CEO of Leadership Lake County.
Junior Leadership Program students beautified the area at Tapestry Senior Living in Wickliffe; Youth Leadership Academy students conducted a Benches to Backpacks fundraiser that raised more than $3,000 for school supplies for local families; and Community Builders participants beautified and dedicated a walking trail at the Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities/Deepwood’s Recreation Site in Mentor.
“In spite of a pandemic – or in large part because of it – our youth and young professionals programs found innovative ways to combat social isolation among some of our most vulnerable populations,” Baginski said. “They could not begin planning these projects until mid-year and they demonstrated effective, Strategic-Doing® techniques to achieve outcomes that benefited seniors and individuals with developmental disabilities, their families and caregivers.”
Junior Leadership Program students put in bright bubbly spaces in the memory care unit at Tapestry and a patio where more independent residents can visit, said Debbie Billings, Leadership Lake County’s Youth Programs Manager.
“They built benches for more seating, painted flower boxes, cleaned out existing beds that were overgrown, planted plants, were thoughtful to choose things that attracted butterflies and wildlife and plants that bloomed at different times of the year, so they always have something colorful,” Billings said.
Elle Ramos, a Riverside High School student gained a better understanding of how much joy and happiness the act of service brought to the residents at Tapestry.
“When talking to one of the residents, he expressed how happy us arriving made him,” Ramos said. “Our project brought so much color, cheer, and as he stated, 'genuine happiness' to Tapestry. I'm glad we made as much of an impact on the residents as we did.”
Caden Linnert, a student at Notre Dame Cathedral Latin High School, was able to learn important skills through JLP to apply to other areas of life.
“I felt great knowing that I was working for a project bigger than myself,” Linnert said. “Even though it was hard at times, seeing the residents looking out the window and smiling at us made it all worth it.”
Youth Leadership Academy students focused on a project specifically to help families in need during the pandemic, Billings said.
“We came up with the idea to paint four benches and then raffle them. The students sold the raffle tickets for each bench,” Billings said. “The students got together in groups and designed the benches themselves and painted them themselves. That was the best part of it, that this was a project they owned from start to finish. It makes it more special.”
Proceeds from the raffle totaled more than $3,000 and were used to purchase school supplies for the backpacks that the Salvation Army will distribute to help hundreds of families, Billings said.
Deepwood was honored and grateful that the Community Builders class wanted to focus its energy on the recreational trail as a way to enhance the lives and value of the people living there, said Elfie Roman, Lake County Board of Developmental Disabilities superintendent
“One of the deepest meanings is just memorializing our relationship with Leadership Lake County and having the individuals that we serve being recognized as important valuable citizens of our community,” Roman said. “I think we’re going to get a lot of use out of this trail and it’s perfect timing with the weather warming up.”
Emily Bihary, Mentor-on-the-Lake resident, tradeshow coordinator with Stahls’ Transfer Express in Mentor, said the project created a space to engage the residents of Deepwood and the community.
“It’s very exciting and rewarding especially since this project came together at the last minute with COVID,” Bihary said. “We were looking at something to get people outside and still engage with each other in a way that was meaningful and enjoyable and to see the residents come out and smile and enjoy each other.”
Leadership Lake County is a private educational nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1986 and has become a highly-respected partner in the community.
For more information about Leadership Lake County, visit leadershiplakecounty.org or like us on Facebook at facebook.com/LLCLeads.
Community Information
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LAKE COUNTY FREE CLINIC PLANS PERMANENT HOME
A new opportunity for healthcare access for uninsured community members
(PAINESVILLE) -- Since 1971, Lake County Free Clinic has made helping the community a priority, providing medical and dental care at no cost to adults and children who are uninsured or underinsured.
Now, as the premier free clinic in northeast Ohio, Lake County Free Clinic needs the community’s help.
In early 2022, LCFC will be moving into a new permanent location in central Painesville from which to provide comprehensive primary and specialty medical care, dental care, case management, labs, prescriptions, referrals for vision and specialty care, supplies and education. To do that, LCFC is launching “Building for a Healthier Community,” a capital campaign to raise $615,000.
“This is definitely one of the biggest challenges LCFC has faced in its 50-year history,” said LCFC Executive Director Marty Hiller. “I always say that a strong free clinic is a sign of strong community support, and I am confident that, as they have in the past, the community will help us remain strong for years to come. We are proud to be able to tell the community that we have already raised nearly half of the funds needed for this community investment.”
In the middle of the pandemic, LCFC leaders were told that the site where the clinic had operated for more than 15 years had been sold. Since January 2021, LCFC has provided chronic, acute and preventive medical care from much smaller temporary quarters while the clinic’s site search team worked diligently to identify a facility that would not only meet the current need but could accommodate the clinic’s growing caseload and list of services for many years to come.
In the last few years, LCFC has worked toward adopting a social determinants approach to healthcare, not only identifying the medical or dental concerns of patients but adding a case management program to identify and address other basic needs that could impact their health, such as insufficient food or inadequate housing. This whole-person approach is being adopted by a wide array of healthcare providers and has demonstrated positive and long-lasting health outcomes.
The new facility will allow the clinic to resume its much-anticipated dental services, expand medical care and more fully integrate the case management program. Time is of the essence, Hiller noted.
“Our patients need us,” he said. “Thousands of people who don’t have medical or dental insurance in Lake and surrounding counties need us. An uninsured person who visits an emergency department is twice as likely to declare bankruptcy in four years -- and if the patient decides to go, there are times the patient does not get the help they need. Emergency departments are great for stabilizing patients in urgent situations. They are not primary care providers. Lake County Free Clinic is.”
Philip, a Mentor resident, came to LCFC in late 2020. He was uninsured and worried, because he hadn’t had his blood pressure checked in more than a year. At his first visit, his provider found edema and noticed that Philip’s blood pressure was reaching levels that could possibly cause a stroke. Philip left with medication and instructions on regaining his health.
By his next visit, he had started on medication, cut back on junk food and began hiking. He is excited for his next follow-up visit and new lifestyle.
“Everyone here is most helpful and friendly,” he said, adding that he was grateful to find a place where he could get care without insurance.
In 2020, LCFC provided more than 3,300 medical and dental treatment visits, even while limiting visits for two months due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. This year, LCFC is expecting to exceed the number of medical visits provided the year prior to the pandemic. More than 93 percent of patients are uninsured; more than 60 percent of patients have household incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level.
“The need for affordable healthcare is part of the larger picture of inequalities affecting many members of our community. This need continues to grow as our neighbors lose insurance coverage or employment,” Hiller said. “Free clinics reflect the value a community places on the health of its residents, and the community’s generosity is what allows that care to happen.”
For more information, or to support the work being done at LCFC, visit www.lakefreeclinic.org