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Infant sleep-related deaths are on the rise in Franklin County.
Data for the first quarter of 2022 show 11 sleep-related deaths. In 2021, sleep-related deaths for the entire year totaled 17. “This information is alarming,” says CelebrateOne Executive Director Maureen L. Stapleton.
Of the 11 sleep-related deaths reported during January – March 2022, six of the infant deaths were in CelebrateOne priority neighborhoods. Some of these areas include Linden, Hilltop and Franklinton. The other five infant deaths were reported outside of these areas in Blacklick, Canal Winchester, Grove City, Northland and Westerville.
Sleep-related deaths are a leading cause of death for babies who are one month to one year old and a major reason for Franklin County’s high infant mortality rate. Too many babies die in unsafe sleep environments and many of these deaths are preventable. Remember the ABCs of SafeSleep, alone in the crib, always on the back and in an empty crib.
We host virtual & in-person safe sleep trainings each month - register here.
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 Over 100 dads attended CelebrateOne’s First Fatherhood Summit on June 25.
There’s nothing like seeing dads learning how to be the best fathers around. At the summit, they met other dads, participated in educational classes and simply had a good time.
“It’s valuable to be a good father and I always take the opportunity to learn how to be a better dad,” said Ismail Mustafa, who attended the summit with his 11- year-old son.
Robert King echoed a similar response, saying he attended the summit so he can be a good dad to his 14-year-old daughter. “The more info I get, the better she will be,” he said.
Designed to empower fathers and father figures, dads attended breakout sessions about restoring strong bonds between fathers and their children, supporting moms during pregnancy and how to recognize trauma from their own childhood.
Following the breakout sessions, Keynote Speaker Jason Wilson stepped on the center stage. He is an author, motivational speaker and 2022 Tribeca Film Award winner. The winning documentary spotlighted his work helping Detroit youth succeed through martial arts.
Wilson spoke to the audience about his childhood and the absence of his father. Now the father of two children, one day his son asked him how he was able to be a good dad when his father wasn’t. “I said, 'Son, I simply gave you what I longed for’.”
Through many life experiences, Wilson shed his tough skin to discover a comprehensive man. “A comprehensive man is courageous but also compassionate, strong but sensitive. A man who freely lives from his heart instead of his fears,” he said.
“Just because we experience trauma doesn’t mean our experience has to be traumatic,” he said. His advice to the fathers in the audience was to take heed of the 4 Rs – Reflect, Release, Reset, Rest. Reflect on everything that has happened. Release everything that is causing a toxic feeling. Reset to a place of steadiness. “Once the first three Rs are in place, then a man can find rest.”
Summit attendees were presented with a copy of Wilson’s 2021 inspirational book, "Battle Cry: Waging and Winning the War Within.”
We would like to extend our appreciation to the sponsors of the Fatherhood Summit: Columbus Urban League, Ohio Collaborative to Prevent Infant Mortality and Urban Family.
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 Mark your calendar! Our next baby shower is July 30, 1-3 p.m., at the Barack Community Center, 580 E. Woodrow Ave.
Moms-to-be and new moms will receive a free diaper bag, diapers and baby supplies. There will also be a raffle to win a larger gift, such as a baby swing or stroller.
The event, sponsored by Fifth Third Bank, is free but registration is encouraged and available here.
The community baby showers allow us to connect with pregnant moms and new parents and continue to be a source of support to help babies thrive.
Thank you to the numerous supporters of our community baby showers, YMCA, CareSource, Brightside Academy Ohio and countless others. Without these organizations, we could not serve the women of Columbus and Franklin County.
For more information about upcoming events, please be sure to check out our facebook page.
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We're hiring for an exciting position!
Come join our team at CelebrateOne as a community outreach worker! As an outreach worker, you’ll connect soon-to-be moms and new moms with the right people and resources in our community.
Our outreach workers collaborate with our community partners in an effort to reduce the infant mortality rate in Franklin County.
This is a full-time position with benefits. No experience is required but customer service or community outreach experience is preferred.
Apply here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/.../outreach-worker...
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Meet Lynn Desamours
Epidemiologist at CelebrateOne
 What is an epidemiologist?
An epidemiologist is a person who studies and/or investigates disease incidence or outbreaks in a population, with the goals of controlling the spread and preventing another occurrence.
Why did you want to become an epidemiologist?
I wanted to become an epidemiologist because it combines my love for public health, problem solving and storytelling. Often times, epidemiology can be very numbers-heavy, but I love being able to translate data from numbers to a story people can easily understand, relate to and care about.
Tell us about your role as an epidemiologist at CelebrateOne?
My role as an epidemiologist at CelebrateOne involves analyzing the data our outreach workers collect from the moms and families they work with, creating reports and presentations for different groups and organizations in the community, managing data reporting for grants and partner organizations and supporting any other data needs for our team.
What have you learned since you joined CelebrateOne in October 2021? Since joining CelebrateOne, I’ve learned a lot about what service providers and community organizations are doing in Columbus to help babies and families in the city thrive. I never knew that transportation resources were available to help moms get to prenatal appointments, for example. There are so many dimensions that go into a healthy pregnancy and beyond, so it’s been great to learn about all the ways social determinants are being addressed.
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 We would like to extend our appreciation to Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, Alpha Sigma Omega Chapter, for organizing a diaper drive this spring and collecting:
22,450 wipes
9,220 diapers
In addition to the diapers and wipes, they also made a $500 donation to CelebrateOne.
Thank you Alpha Sigma Omega Chapter for your support & generosity!
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 We appreciate the members of the Ohio Women’s Affordable Housing Network (OWAHN) for their $2,000 monetary gift and donation of 3,429 diapers, 672 wipes and seven travel cribs.
OWAHN President Millie Hurtt invited us to the organization's annual celebration where Ashon McKenzie, our director of research, policy, strategy, and planning, was able to accept the donation and express his appreciation to the members!
Thank you OWAHN for your support & generosity!
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Saving infants and supporting families takes a whole community. Gifts to CelebrateOne support programs that prevent premature birth, reduce sleep-related infant deaths and connect the disconnected in neighborhoods across Franklin County. Together, we can help more babies celebrate their first birthday.
We realize there are many nonprofits in need of support in these times of uncertainty. If you are able, please consider donating to CelebrateOne. Your donations go directly to helping CelebrateOne moms and infants in need right here in our neighborhoods.
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