Family Briefs: Pemberville churches plan benefit dinner to assist local family

        A benefit dinner will be held Saturday, Feb. 20 to support a local family whose father was diagnosed with stage four cancer.
        The dinner will be held at Pemberville United Methodist Church, 205 Maple St. in lieu of the church’s carryout public dinner. Co-sponsors of the event are First Presbyterian, Son Fire, and Bethlehem Lutheran churches.
        The carryout dinner, available from 4 p.m. until sold out, will include roast beef, baked potato, green beans, roll and butter and a choice of apple pie or chocolate lush. The requested donation is $9. Curbside pickup will be held on Maple Street.
        All proceeds raised will help the family financially with medical bills, health insurance and other expenses.
        Those who wish to make a donation may send contributions to PUMC, P.O. Box 343, Pemberville, OH 43450.
 
“Ladies of the Lights” topic of free lecture
        More than 50 women defied the gender expectations of their time to serve the sailing communities on Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior, as well as on the Detroit River, during the active lighthouse-keeping era.
        The National Museum of the Great Lakes will offer an opportunity to learn more about these heroic females Wednesday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m., with presenter Patricia Majher at its virtual lecture, “Ladies of the Lights: Michigan Women in the U.S. Lighthouse Service.”
        Majher, is a former editor of Michigan History magazine and a museum professional who has held administrative positions at institutions including The Henry Ford and Mackinac State Historic Parks. In addition to her same-titled book, “Ladies of the Lights,” she has published “Great Girls in Michigan History” and “Bold Boys in Michigan History” with Wayne State University Press.
        Participation is free. Registration is required. Learn more and get a link to registration at nmgl.org/spring-lecture-2021-port-of-toledo-2/
        Donations are welcome and can be given upon registration.
 
TMA Family Art Club
        The Toledo Museum of Art has launched a new, art-making program for children and their grownups.
        Designed as a way for children 10 years old and younger and their grownups to explore together, the 45-minute Family Art Club workshop sessions include all supplies needed to create a unique work of art inspired by the artists in TMA’s collections and special exhibits. Workshops will be offered Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
        While the Family Art Club is free, advance registration is required to ensure safe capacity. Register at tickets.toledomuseum.org or by calling 419-255-8000, ext. 7448.
        All staff and workshop participants will complete a health screening upon entering, which includes completing a questionnaire and a temperature screen.
        Workshops will be held in the TMA Family Center and classrooms, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo.
 
Live Online! series
        The Wood County District Public Library is hosting a Live Online! Meet the Author throughout the winter.
        The second author in the series, Hannah Dennison, is the author of mystery novels such as the Honeychurch Hall Mysteries and Vicky Hill Mysteries series and her newest novel, “Death at High Tide,” the first book in the new Island Sisters Mysteries series.
        Dennison has been an obituary reporter, antiques dealer, private jet flight attendant, and Hollywood story analyst. As an avid mystery fan, she taught a mystery writing workshop at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program in Los Angles.
        The online event, set for Wednesday, March 10 at 11 a.m., is free.
        “I love having this opportunity to connect readers with the authors they love,” said Kristin Wetzel, Information Services Coordinator at WCDPL. “Hannah Dennison writes cozy mysteries with characters you will want to spend more time with.”
        Email woodref@wcdpl.org or call 419-352-5050 to reserve a spot and for information on how to join the call. For more information,
        Visit wcdpl.org/live-online for more info.
 
BBB text alerts
        The Better Business Bureau is inviting area residents to sign up for free scam alerts by text.
        Text the word START to 95577 to sign up to receive BBB Text Alerts on the latest scams and frauds. The service is free and the information is completely confidential. It is not shared with or sold to anyone else.
        “Text alerts from BBB can do a big job keeping consumers aware of the latest scams,” said BBB President Dick Eppstein. “People don’t always read our press releases or go to the BBB website, but everyone checks their text messages.”
        BBB serves an 18-county area from Hillsdale, Lenawee, and Monroe Counties in Michigan to all of Northwest and West Central Ohio.
 
United Way Celebrates 2-1-1 Day
        United Way 2-1-1 announces that, since July 2019, it has handled over 100,000 calls from the community – stated ahead of the organization’s annual “2-1-1 Day” celebration, celebrated on Feb. 11. The observance raises awareness of the free, 24/7 information and referral service.
        “Seeing that our 2-1-1 Community Resource Advisors have taken more than 100,000 phone calls brings about conflicting emotions,” said Wendy Pestrue, president & CEO of United Way of Greater Toledo.
        “On one hand, I have a great sense of pride that, especially during this pandemic, we have been there to answer someone’s call for help. On the other hand, this number brings so much gravity to how many folks are deeply hurting right now.”
        “Over the last year, we have seen 2-1-1’s utilization from those we serve in Lucas, Ottawa and Wood counties grow exponentially,” said Jill Bunge, senior director of community impact at United Way of Greater Toledo.
        “In 2020 alone, 2-1-1 handled nearly 60,000 contacts. This includes phone calls, online chats, text messages and emails, on top of almost 20,000 webpage visits we had to 211nwo.org,” she said.
        More recently, since Ohio began its COVID-19 vaccine roll-out, United Way 2-1-1 has been assisting community members, and the health departments of Lucas, Ottawa and Wood counties, with vaccine registration and information sharing.
        This assistance has led to record-breaking numbers, never seen before by staff. The organization has shared that, in January of 2021 alone, United Way 2-1-1 received more than 16,000 contacts. In a traditional month, the program typically handles 4,500-6,000 contacts.
        The last 2-1-1 record was broken in March 2020, when 2-1-1 Community Resource Advisors received more than 9,000 contacts, mostly for breakfast and lunch meal reservations once school districts stopped in-person learning.
        “Our 2-1-1 Community Resource Advisors are heroes. They are each handling hundreds of calls a day, often absorbing that emotional distress of the caller and doing all they can to help. It is admirable to say the least and I know they will be remembered for their courageous work,” said Pestrue.
        United Way 2-1-1 is a free, 24/7, 365-day health and human services referral resource for anyone in Lucas, Ottawa and Wood counties. To speak with a 2-1-1 Community Resource Advisor, simply dial two, one, one; text your zip code to 898-211; or send an instant message at www.211nwo.org.
 
Senate passes bill improving access to mental health services
        The Ohio Senate on Feb. 10 unanimously passed Senate Bill 2, sponsored by State Sen. Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), improving access to and increasing the quality of mental healthcare in Ohio by making significant reforms to Ohio’s competency restoration procedure.
        The bill would generally allow nonviolent, misdemeanor offenders to receive competency evaluations in outpatient settings, ensuring state psychiatric hospital beds remain available for Ohioans suffering from serious mental illness.
        “Improving access to and increasing the quality of mental healthcare has long been a priority of mine,” Gavarone said. “State psychiatric hospitals are the only facilities equipped to treat people with the most serious mental illnesses, and SB 2 will help ensure those beds are available to those with the greatest need. I am thankful my Senate colleagues moved swiftly on this bill to help those who are suffering get the help they need.”
        The legislation will also enact “PSYPACT,” a multi-state cooperative agreement that seeks to address increased demand for psychological services.
        The bill would authorize tele-psychology and temporarily allow in-person psychology across states that have adopted PSYPACT. It would increase patient access to care and facilitate continuity of care when a patient relocates or is traveling. Additionally, the PSYPACT permits psychologists to provide services to populations that are underserved or geographically isolated.
        SB 2 will now be sent to the Ohio House for consideration.
 
Resolution affirms need for in-person learning
        At its February meeting on Feb. 9, the State Board of Education of Ohio passed a resolution to “Re-Affirm the   Irreplaceable Role of In-Person Learning for K-12 Education in Ohio.”
        Specifically, the resolution states that the board calls on local school boards, working in collaboration with their local superintendent and health department, to provide, where feasible, a fully in-person, non-hybrid learning option for children of all families who want it.
        The board also urged local school boards to implement solutions to protect teachers and staff who are at high-risk
  and to provide for those families who continue to want a remote learning option for their children during this time.
        The full text of the resolution is available online at education.ohio.gov.