Daily Update: Employee of the Month, MDHHS Vaccine Town Hall, Celebrate Black History Month, and Test Results for February 21
Michigan Department of Corrections sent this bulletin at 02/21/2021 07:02 PM EST
The Michigan Department of Corrections is committed to providing our employees with up-to-date information as it relates to our efforts in dealing with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
We join Warden Sherman Campbell and the team at Gus Harrison Correctional Facility in congratulating ARF's February Employee of the Month, Prison Counselor Jessica Thompson. PC Thompson has stepped up during the pandemic and taken on additional duties and responsibilities, filling in for co-workers who were temporarily out due to COVID-19. She has adapted to changes and new tasks and has maintained a positive attitude throughout. We thank PC Thompson and all of her ARF co-workers who have worked together and stepped up to the challenge of COVID-19.
COVID-19 Vaccine Town Hall: Communities of Color
The State of Michigan is hosting a series of virtual town halls about the COVID-19 vaccine through Facebook Live on the MDHHS Facebook page. Residents will have the opportunity to hear about the safety, efficacy, and importance of the COVID-19 vaccine for safely opening Michigan.
The next virtual discussion is this Thursday, Feb. 25, from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Moderator: Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist
Speakers:
Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Charles Anderson, Urban League of Detroit and Southeastern Michigan
Reverend Anthony, Detroit NAACP
Dr. Lynn Smitherman, MD, Wayne Pediatrics
Eva A. Garza Dewaelsche, SER Metro-Detroit, Jobs for Progress, Inc.
Dr. Zafer I. Obeid, M.D., Arab American & Chaldean Council
Dr. Terry Samuels, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
Ahead of the discussion, residents are encouraged to submit their questions here to be answered by the panelists. Any questions that cannot be answered during the town halls due to time constraints, will be reviewed and added to the State of Michigan COVID-19 vaccine frequently asked questions.
Don't Forget to Sign Up for the Happy Little Virtual 5K
Register for the DNR's second annual Run for the Trees Happy Little Virtual 5K closes March 1. Last year's inaugural event was a huge success and this year the DNR is capping registration at 20,000, so be sure to sign up today.
Paricipants can plan a route and schedule their virtual "race" any day between April 22-30, 2021. Walking, hiking, and running are all allowed, the only rule is that it has to be done outdoors.
The best thing about the Run for the Trees Happy Little 5K (besides this year's awesome t-shirt and race medal), is that all of the proceeds support Happy Little tree-planting and preservation efforts in Michigan State Parks with seedlings grown at our own Muskegon Correctional Facility!
To learn more and to register for the virtual 5k, click here or on the graphic above.
Celebrate Black History Month
Governor Whitmer has proclaimed February as Black History Month in Michigan, in recognition of the significant cultural, historical, and economic contributions African Americans have made to the development of America and the American way of life, while encouraging each of us to take time to reflect on the systemic barriers Black Americans have faced and still face to this day.
Michigan is home to countless Black Americans who have made significant contributions to our state. For Black History Month, The Michigan Department of Civil Rights is featuring a week of daily messages on each of four individuals. Each week they will focus on one person’s story told in seven snippets.
At Dr. Warfield’s memorial, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. said Warfield’s success was unlikely and remarkable. “Charles Warfield came out of the cracks of Kalamazoo…He wasn't supposed to learn, to get a Ph.D., or teach children, black and white.”
Statewide Cases
The State of Michigan does not update numbers on Sundays. As of Saturday, Feb. 20, there were 579,919 total COVID-19 cases to date in the State of Michigan.
It is important for everyone to remain vigilant and continue to take steps to help break the chain of infection and slow the spread of COVID-19, both while at work and while in the community.
