A SPECIAL MESSAGE FROM COUNCILMEMBER PRISCILLA TYSON
This week in Council, we declared racism a public health crisis. We're seeing residents of all walks of life spill into the streets to stand up for themselves or their Black brothers and sisters. I stand with them. I pray for them. I'm in this with them and urge everyone to advocate peacefully.
I began working on this legislation in March. Throughout the legislative drafting process, I discussed strategy and next steps with key stakeholders. As a Black woman, wife and mother of sons, I've been on the front lines of racism my entire life. I've supported the men in my life as they deal with being Black men in America.
Racism is rooted in the foundation of this country. The toxic stress of the Black experience in America began with slavery, continued through Jim Crow and expanded with segregation. Today, it has manifested into new forms thwarting the development of an entire race.
African Americans are disproportionately impacted by challenges and inequities, including housing, crime, incarceration, education, employment, healthcare and public safety. If we don't begin treating this as a health crisis, our communities will never heal.
To change the trajectory for Black people in America, we must work collectively. It will take systematic changes as well as education and awareness of racial bias. I am appreciative of the individuals and organizations in Columbus that are joining the movement to eradicate racism and will continue to encourage residents to join me in this work.
Sincerely,
Priscilla Tyson
Columbus City Councilmember
Resolution Reaffirms Work to Address Racism and Decrease Disparities in the City
Across the nation and in the City of Columbus, protesters raged and vocalized their frustration over racism in America. Inside City Hall, Council amplified its legislative voice and is set to declare racism a public health crisis.
On Monday, June 1, 2020, Council passed resolution 0095X-2020, identifying the impact of systemic racism on African Americans' health and well-being.
Sponsored by Councilmembers Priscilla Tyson, Mitchell Brown, Rob Dorans, Shayla Favor, Emmanuel V. Remy, Pro Tem Elizabeth Brown and President Shannon G. Hardin, the resolution reaffirmed and refocused the work of Council to address and decrease racial disparities in the City.
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CARES Act Dollars Will be Used to Provide Grants and Loans in Columbus
On May 28, 2020, Mayor Andrew J. Ginther, City Council President Shannon G. Hardin, Councilembmer Emmanuel V. Remy and JPMorgan Chase announced the Columbus COVID-19 Small Business Response and Recovery Fund. It is a loan and grant program created to help small businesses in Columbus get through the challenges of COVID-19.
The $5.5 million dollar investment is split into three funds: The Recovery Grant Fund, the Return Safely Grant Fund, and the Pivot Loan Fund. Click here for more information.
The Columbus COVID-19 Small Business Response and Recovery Fund will open on June 9, 2020, at 5PM. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until July 17, 2020, at 5PM. Information on how to apply will be available on June 8 at: www.columbus.gov/development/Economic-Development/Small-Business.
For more information, contact the Office of Small Business and Entrepreneur Development of the City of Columbus at 614-645-8616.
In light of the continued COVID-19 pandemic, Council will continue it's Community Meeting Series, virtually. In June, we will head to the Southside, with a community meeting hosted on Zoom with special guest and native Southsider, Jane Grote Abell of Donatos.
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
Zoom
6-7:30PM
Registration Information
RSVP to Erin Gibbons with your preferred breakout room at emgibbons@columbus.gov
Upon registration, participants will be sent Zoom information
Council President Shannon G. Hardin and Jane Grote Abell of Donatos will kick-off the festivities with a welcome. The Community Meeting series gives residents a chance to talk to Councilmembers, staff and department leadership about diverse subject matter in an informal setting. Due to the virtual nature of the event, each Councilmember will have their own breakout room, related to the committees they chair.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many people, including children, to feel angry, frustrated, sad or anxious. The On Our Sleeves™ movement, led by Nationwide Children’s Hospital to address childhood mental health, has a number of free resources that can help.
From self-care exercises to the mental health benefits of showing gratitude, the experts at Nationwide Children’s have guidance for families in these uncertain times. Visit www.OnOurSleeves.org to learn more, and to join the movement to transform children’s mental health.
A MESSAGE FROM THE OHIO OPIOID EDUCATION ALLIANCE
 As a Central Ohio community we have demonstrated our ability to come together during this coronavirus pandemic. And now, more than ever, it is critical to stay connected and supportive despite our physical and social distance. May is mental health month and we encourage you be intentional in caring for yourselves and others during this anxiety-inducing time:
- Reach out regularly to friends and loved ones. A simple “How are you feeling?” can be enough to establish an important connection in this time of social isolation.
- Have open and honest conversations with your kids and other family members to help them manage stress and talk to them about the dangers of misusing prescription pills, alcohol or other substances.
- Limit media exposure, particularly from social media, where contradictory or misinformation can deepen your stress.
- Maintain a routine and schedule, with normal wake and sleep times.
- If working from home, take steps to protect your family time, and try to set up one space for work so the rest of your home is a work-free, low stress zone.
- Limit substance use. Drugs and alcohol are a short-term fix that will leave you feeling more anxious and depressed in the long run.
- Eat healthy, get plenty of sleep.
- Get outside as much as you can, and incorporate exercise into your daily routine.
Don’t live in Denial, OH. Anyone can become dependent on prescription drugs and other substances. With anxiety, depression and sleep medication prescriptions jumping 21% since the onset of COVID-19, it’s critical to talk to your loved ones about the dangers of prescription drug misuse while safely securing or disposing of prescription medications in the household. For more information, visit dontliveindenial.org.
About the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance
The Ohio Opioid Education Alliance is a coalition of business, education, nonprofit, civic and government organizations formed by the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board of Franklin County to educate and prevent young Ohioans from misusing and abusing opioids.
A MESSAGE FROM THE YMCA OF CENTRAL OHIO
We have been thinking about and preparing for our eventual reopening since the day we had to close many of our programs and facilities.
I would love to open all our doors, programs and facilities right now, but that is simply not possible. In order to balance organizational readiness, health and safety, community impact and financial capacity, we had to design a deliberate, phased approach.
Six branches will reopen June 8:
- Delaware
- Gahanna
- Grove City
- Hilliard
- Liberty Township
- Reynoldsburg
Six more branches will open June 29:
- Hilliker
- Ward
- North
- Garver
- Pickaway
- Whitehall
Three childcare sites will open June 8:
- Hilltop Educare
- KIPP Early Learning Center
- YMCA Early Learning Center
Two YMCA branches will continue to serve as shelter sites:
See you soon,
Tony Collins
CEO, YMCA of Central Ohio
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention works 24/7 keeping America safe from health, safety, and security threats, both foreign and domestic. Whether diseases start at home or abroad, are chronic or acute, curable or preventable, human error or deliberate attack, CDC fights disease, and supports communities and citizens to do the same.
Visit the CDC website for current information on COVID-19
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