Blood supplies low
Despite the ongoing efforts to contact blood donors, the local Red Cross is unable to meet many blood orders for local hospitals in a timely manner.

There is a need for all blood types, particularly O negative, A negative and B negative, which are currently at critically low levels.

The shortage is resulting in orders being placed on back order; in addition to the Red Cross only filling hospitals’ O negative orders for “transfuse only,” which means hospitals requesting type O negative must have an immediate and specific need for a specific patient.

O negative is always in high demand because it can be transfused to patients with any blood type, especially in emergency situations.

The Red Cross is asking eligible donors to make or keep appointments to give blood as soon as possible. Call 1-800-RED-CROSS or visit redcrossblood.org to schedule an appointment.

Volunteer training
Heartbeat of Toledo will hold a volunteer training session June 30 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the organization’s new location, 4041 W. Sylvania Ave., Suite LL4. The office is located directly across from Westfield Franklin Park.

“We are expanding our hours and need volunteers willing to serve as client advocates and parenting instructors,” Pat Todak, executive director, said.

Heartbeat provides information, free pregnancy testing, free ultrasounds, options counseling and support to women dealing with unplanned pregnancies. The agency also offers prenatal and parenting classes where moms and moms-to-be can earn baby items while learning how to become better parents.

Heartbeat volunteers provide emotional support as clients make decisions as to the outcome of their pregnancies. Volunteers are needed to make appointments, interview clients, help with exploring options and help clients obtain social services. Volunteers can also help with the prenatal and parenting classes and provide office support.

Volunteer training consists of a two-hour orientation followed by supervised training with a current Heartbeat

volunteer. For more information or to register for volunteer training, call 419-241-9131. A volunteer application is also available at www.heartbeatoftoledo.org.

Parent Project
The Parent Project, a course designed to help parents address their teens’ destructive behavior, will be offered once again this summer in Bowling Green.

This summer session will meet Thursdays July 7 through September at 6 p.m. at the Wood County Educational Service Center, 1867 Research Drive.

The fee for the course is $20, and the entire fee is refunded if participants attend all sessions. Accompanying sessions for teens are free of charge.

The Parent Project teaches parents strategies for preventing drug and alcohol use, violence and bullying, as well as ways to improve the teens’ school attendance and performance. In addition, each week of the course includes a component for teens – a curriculum entitled “Choosing Success…Choosing Life” that explores positive alternatives to destructive behavior.

For more information or to register for the July course, contact Lorrie Lewandowski at the Wood County Educational Service Center at 419-354-9010, extension 113, or online at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Proposal submitted
WSOS Board of Directors recently approved submitting a proposal to the Area Office on Aging of Northwestern Ohio to provide a total of 144,674 meals to Lucas County residents for a sum of $821,000 from August through December.

If WSOS is granted the contract, it is anticipated that it would be renewed for a two-year period beginning January 2012.

Of the total number of meals, 42,550 will be provided to seniors who attend the 18 senior centers in the county. The rest will be meals delivered to homebound seniors. 

For more information on any of WSOS services, call 419-334-8911 or toll free at 1-800-775-9767.

Home repair help
Residents in Ottawa County who need help repairing their homes are encouraged to submit an application for assistance as soon as possible.

The program that provides the assistance, the Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP), ends October 31, however, all funds must be expended by that date, so applications have to be approved and repairs completed by then.

Though the CHIP grant is awarded to Ottawa County commissioners, it is administered by WSOS Community Action Commission, so applications are to be submitted to WSOS.

CHIP provides income-eligible homeowners assistance with electrical, foundation and plumbing repairs; window, furnace and roof replacements; insulation; and siding repairs.

WSOS will provide professional assistance to the homeowner for home repairs, avoiding possible problems that often result from do-it-yourself repairs.  Low and very-low income homeowners may qualify for up to $30,000 worth of repairs to their homes.

In addition, for those who may be facing foreclosure, assistance is available for foreclosure prevention, homeowner counseling and possibly rescue funds for mortgage payments that will aid eligible homeowners.

For more information, or to obtain an application, call Sherry Evans at WSOS’s Housing Department at 419-639-2802 or 1-800-775-9767, or email Sherry at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Oak Harbor celebration
The Oak Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce will celebrate Independence Day 2011 with a celebration July 3 in the village’s downtown.

Gates will open at 5 p.m. for the celebration, which will include food, entertainment, giant inflatables, a duck race, a cornhole tournament, kids’ games, 50/50 drawings and a beer tent.

At dusk, a spectacular fireworks display will light up the night sky. Admission and parking are free. For more information, visit www.oakharborohio.net or call the chamber office at 419-898-0479.

Bench dedicated
The Toledo Zoo will dedicate a memorial bench in tribute to Nicholas Allore, who recently died after a field trip to the zoo.

The wrought iron bench will be inscribed with a commemorative plaque and will be located in Phase 2 of the new elephant facility, which is scheduled to open in late spring 2012.

Early ideas for a tribute included the possibility of naming the new African elephant calf after Nicholas, but the boy’s parents preferred the option of a commemorative bench. “His parents told us they can envision coming to the zoo and resting on Nicholas’ bench while watching the elephants and remembering their son,” said Dr. Anne Baker, Toledo Zoo Executive Director. “While this tribute could not come under sadder circumstances, we hope to provide a special place where Nicholas’ family and loved ones can share happy memories of a young boy who was taken much too soon.”

Summer fun at the mall
The Woodville Mall will hold “Summer Days of Fun” for kids age 5 to 17 weekdays through Aug. 5.

Daily activities, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include crafts such as scrapbooking, basketball clinics, games, jewelry-making, beading, story time, lunch and an open activity day Friday, which will also include free movies at the Fox Theater. The cost is $45 a week.

For $60 a week, the MPWA Gym is offering the kids either a boxing or karate class twice a week, in addition to the other activities.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed