Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Northwood Neighborhood Block Watch Meeting will meet Wednesday, April 16 at 5 p.m. at the 2100 Tracy Rd. fire station.
Guest speaker, Sandy Weichman, Safe Communities of Wood County Coordinator, will discuss the CarFit program. CarFit is a community-based educational program created in 2006 in collaboration by AARP and the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA) to promote continued safe driving and mobility among older drivers by focusing on safety, comfort, and fit in a driver's personal vehicle. Learn more at car-fit.org
Weichman and a State Highway Patrol officer assistant will help ensure drivers are properly fitted into their vehicle with optimum seat placement and mirror adjustments.
Visit facebook.com/NorthwoodNeighborhoodBlockWatch for updates.
YMCA offers ‘Brain Savers’
The Eastern Community YMCA will present a 12-week Brain Savers: Brain Body Fitness Program for Healthy Aging.
This evidence-based brain and body program is designed to help participants maintain independent living while improving overall physical and mental well-being.
Classes begin April 21 and meet Mondays and Wednesdays at 11 a.m. at the Eastern Y, 2960 Pickle Rd., Oregon. The cost is $25 (YMCA membership required for registration).
To register, or for more information, email healthyliving@ymcatoledo.org or call 419-725-7844.
Blood drive set
A Red Cross Blood Drive will be held Tuesday, April 15 from 12-6 p.m. at Hope Community Church, 5650 Starr Ave.
Virtual Dementia Tour
Take advantage of an opportunity to increase your understanding of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia through firsthand experience at a Virtual Dementia Tour, being offered Wednesday, April 16 at Genoa Retirement Village, 300 Cherry St.
Call 419-855-7755 to schedule an appointment between 4 and 6 p.m.
Ask the Expert
Mercy Health’s virtual Ask the Expert series continues Thursday, April 17, when Dr. Kayla Curlis, DPM, Mercy Health podiatry resident physician, will shares the importance of foot health, how to care for our feet and how foot health impacts our overall health.
The presentation, held in observance of National Foot Health Month, will also include a live Q&A, allowing participants to ask questions and get expert advice on foot care.
The one-hour, monthly sessions are held the third Thursday of every month from 12:30-1:30 p.m. via Zoom. To join, participants can call 646-931-3860 or zoom meeting ID: 975 5220 8436. There is no need to pre-register.
Ask the Expert is the result of Mercy Health’s efforts to address factors that influence the health and well-being of the community.
Mercy Health Mobile Mammography Van
Mercy Health’s mobile mammography unit has several visits scheduled in the coming weeks throughout the region.
The mobile mammography unit delivers mammograms to women age 40 and older. It is equipped with the newest 3D technology and offers the option of self-compression, meaning the patient will have the ability to control the compression once she is in position.
The mammography van will make a stop Monday, April 21 at Mercy Health – Perrysburg Primary Care, 1103 Village Square Dr. To view the full list of dates and locations, visit mercy.com/toledomobilemamm.
While mammogram screenings may be covered by insurance, for best coverage, patients should verify if Mercy Health – St. Charles Hospital is an in-network provider with their insurance carrier. Financial need-based assistance programs are available to help those who are uninsured or underinsured (have high deductibles). Call 1-800-929-6626 for more information.
Screenings at the Mercy Health Mobile Mammography unit are by appointment only - call 833-MAMM- VAN to schedule a screening on the mobile unit.
Jake & Cooper’s program, fundraiser
Jake & Cooper’s Bark Park, will host its April Tough Topic Discussion Wednesday, April 23, from 7-8 p.m. at the Eastern Community YMCA, 2960 Pickle Rd., Oregon.
Laurie Clemons, Moms S.O.U.L. (Surviving Our Ultimate Loss) will be the guest speaker.
Fundraisers set
Jake & Cooper’s will also present a 5K-9 Walk & Run and 1-Mile Mutt Strut Sunday, May 18. The event will begin at 9 a.m. at the East YMCA, 2960 Pickle Rd., Oregon.
The entry fee is $30 for the 5K-9 Walk & Run or the 1-Mile Mutt Strut. A T-shirt is included with early registration (by April 19).
The event will also include a Best-Dressed Dog Competition. All proceeds raised will benefit Jake & Cooper’s Bark Park, a 501(c)3 organization.
Sign up at runsignup.com (search Jake & Cooper’s 5K-9 Run and 1-Mile Family Mutt Strut).
Jake & Cooper’s Bark Park is located at 2960 Pickle Rd., Oregon.
For membership and other information, email membership@jakeandcoopersbarkpark.com or visit jakeandcoopersbarkpark.com.
Magruder cancer support, off-site lab draws
The next Magruder Cancer Get-Together will be Wednesday, April 23, at 1 p.m. in the Magruder Conference Center, 615 Fulton St., Port Clinton.
The free get-togethers are for anyone who has been impacted by cancer, including patients, caregivers and family members. Participants need not be patients of Magruder Oncology to attend.
The topic for April will be “Cancer and Nutrition Issues,” with Tracy Stadler, RD, LD, CDCES.
RSVP by calling 419-734-3131, ext. 3729, or email tarmstrong@magruderhospital.com.
Off-site draw location
The Magruder Hospital Laboratory offers off-site lab draws at RW Minick Medical Center in Oak Harbor Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Lab draws at Magruder Hospital continue to be available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturday from 7 a.m.-2 p.m.
Fremont MS Support
The National MS Society, along with WalkMS Fremont, hosts a support group meeting the second Monday of each month at Hayes United Methodist Church, Fangboner Road, Fremont.
The group is open to all those with MS and their caregivers. The April 14 meeting will focus on connecting with other MS support groups. The group will also focus on planning for WalkMS Fremont, which will take place Saturday, May 10, at 9 a.m. at the Sandusky County YMCA in Fremont.
MS self-help groups bring people together who share common life experiences for support, education and mutual aid. Benefits of participating in a self-help group include:
Multiple sclerosis is typically diagnosed in the prime-of-life years – ages 20-50. Twice as many women as men have MS. An estimated 20,000 Ohioans are living with the unpredictability of this disease of the central nervous system. Symptoms range from numbness and tingling to blindness and paralysis. The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted. The cause is still unknown and there is no known cure.
To become a sponsor of WalkMS Fremont 2025, contact Dana Roca, ambassador from the NMSS, at 804-467-9881, events.nationalmssociety.org/team/WalkMSFremont.
For more information, visit msohiobuckeye.org.
Walking through Grief
Community members are invited to attend an interactive support group aimed at helping adults adjust to the loss of any loved one.
Walking through Grief will be held the second and fourth Friday of each month, May through September, from 10-11 a.m. at the Perrysburg Hospice Center, 30000 East River Rd.
The walking route will include the Hospice grounds and path to the W.W. Knight Nature Preserve – a distance of less than one mile.
Attendees will have the opportunity to express and receive support, adapt to this life-changing event, discover healthy coping skills and gain support in understanding grief.
The sessions are free and open to anyone in the community, whether or not they have had a prior relationship with Hospice of Northwest Ohio, however, advance registration is required. Attendees should wear comfortable shoes.
For more information or to register, call the Hospice Bereavement Department at 419-661-4001.
To learn more about grief and loss or Hospice of Northwest Ohio, visit hospicenwo.org.
Walk for Mental Health
On Saturday, May 17, hundreds of Greater Toledo residents will lace up and show up for NAMIWalks Greater Toledo, a free, inclusive, and high-energy event that supports mental health awareness and builds community around the message: “Mental Health for All.”
The event will begin at 10 a.m. at Middlegrounds Metropark, 111 Ottawa St., Toledo. It is open to all and accommodates individuals of all physical abilities. Registration is free. Participants who raise $100 or more receive an event T-shirt.
To sign up, donate or start a team, visit namiwalks.org/greatertoledo.
“Our aim is, ‘Know us before you need us,’ because mental health touches all of us—whether we’re ready or not,” said Marriah Kornowa, executive director of NAMI Greater Toledo. “Resilience is built on connection. I recently heard the statement ‘Leadership is a verb,’ and NAMIWalks is how we lead—with empathy, compassion and joy. This is how we show our community that no one walks the mental health journey alone.”
The event will also include local vendors, community partners, food trucks, games, face painting, photo booths, and more.
Funds raised during the walk support NAMI Greater Toledo’s no-cost, education programs, peer-led support groups and advocacy efforts, which empower individuals and families facing mental health challenges every day.
