Upcoming Webinar: Recovery Friendly Workplace

April is national reentry month. Not only do many justice-involved citizens have trouble finding a job after incarceration, they may also struggle with substance use disorders. Recovery Friendly Hamilton County (RFHC) seeks to educate and promote addiction recovery in the workplace. Please join us for our next webinar where Tyler Meenach of RFHC will discuss how your organization can become a Recovery Friendly workplace.

Other counties throughout Ohio are utilizing the Recovery Friendly Workplace model. The Recovery Friendly Workplace Summit County (RFWSC) program aims to help local businesses to better support their current and future employees' needs when it comes to accessing resources for mental health, substance misuse, and more. Recovery Friendly Workplaces support their communities by recognizing recovery as a strength, and by being willing to work intentionally with people in recovery. Recovery Friendly Workplaces encourage a healthy and safe environment where employers, employees, and communities can collaborate to create positive change and eliminate barriers for those impacted by substance misuse. Other communities have seen some great success (and better financial outcomes) in protecting, supporting, and retaining current staff, and recruiting new staff when they are able to list themselves specifically as "Recovery Friendly." This no-cost initiative is available to all Summit County businesses through Summit County Public Health.

Summit County Public Health is also offering Naloxboxes to all interested Summit County businesses and agencies. Naloxboxes are essentially first-aid kits for opioid overdoses and have already been installed in numerous businesses in and around Akron. These boxes, along with a supply of naloxone/narcan, are provided at no-cost through the health department. 

Anyone interested in learning more about these programs can reach out to Maggie Urban-Waala at (330) 687-1251 or mwaala@schd.org, visit their website at scph.org/RFW or submit a Letter of Interest at https://scph.link/RFWLOI.

Introducing relink.org's Newest Team Member!

We're happy to introduce the newest member of the relink.org team, Oneida Tidmore! Oneida is relink.org's new Administrative Assistant/Data Specialist.

Oneida received her associate in art degree from Cuyahoga Community College. She has worked with juveniles, mentoring children of different ages, in the medical field for over 20 years in many aspects including mental health. She is extremely passionate about serving and encouraging others.

Oneida’s favorite statement is “It’s only a chance if you take it.” She lives this statement daily living on faith.

We are excited to have Oneida on the team and are looking forward to seeing her passion for helping others in action.

Making Impactful Connections Every Day

Each month, we highlight relink.org connections to improve outreach and educate our communities. If you would like to collaborate with our team, please reach out to our Community Engagement Director Rachel Sobitz at rsobitz@relink.org.

Hope Town Recovery Housing is a residential addiction recovery house in Windham, Ohio. Hope Town promotes long-term recovery, self-initiative, and increased independence by providing residents with access to the resources they need to make lifestyle changes.

Hope Town offers both men's and women's recovery housing. Residents have access to treatment, recovery support, employment assistance, transportation, and other recovery needs.

Executive Director Ted St. John has been a relink.org connection for years and we are very appreciative of his team's work in the community. Ted recently spoke about Hope Town and how relink.org has been a valuable asset for his team. Click here to watch the video on YouTube.

If you or a loved one could benefit from recovery housing, please reach out to Hope Town at info@hopetownohio.org.

Restore: Educate

Food Insecurity - SNAP Benefits Have Expired

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program's (SNAP) emergency allotments have expired. As of March 2023, SNAP benefits many relied on to buy food, groceries, and other basic needs are no longer available.

The benefits made a significant impact for those struggling during the pandemic. A study estimated the benefits kept 4.2 million people above the poverty line in the last quarter of 2021, reducing poverty by 10 percent in states with SNAP benefits (CBPP).

Relink.org seeks to fill this gap by listing all available food pantries in Ohio. For more information on food pantries in your neighborhood, click here.

The Ohio State University Extension Community Nutrition Programs are working with the Ohio Association of Foodbanks to collect stories from those who benefited from SNAP. In the survey, participants have the option to provide contact information and opt-in to someone following up with them about their experiences, but this is NOT required.

If you benefited from SNAP, please click the survey below to share your story.

Unprecedented Overdose Rates in Portage County

Portage County, Ohio experienced a surge of overdoses in March. According to Portage County Coroner Dr. Dean DePerro, there were 12 overdose deaths in 28 days, which is unprecedented for the county.

The Portage County Coroner's Office, the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Portage County, and the Portage County Health District are alerting the community to the extreme risk of overdose and direct residents to resources.

Naloxone can save lives during overdoses. Naloxone is available at no cost for Portage County residents through Project DAWN. For an appointment, contact the Portage County Health District at 330-296-9919 or Townhall II at 330-678-3006. 

Click here to find additional naloxone programs in your area.