January 25, 2024
We’re in the fourth week of January ALREADY. Can you believe it! In today’s update, we’ve got some community opportunities that can help you stick with or get back to those New Year’s resolutions.
What’s Your Resolution:
- Move More – Sign Up for the Stay Active 5K
- Quit Nicotine – Ohio’s Free Quit Line Can Help
- Break Through Barriers – Uber Ride Share Voucher Program Is Here
More Good Stuff
- Total Solar Eclipse is Coming
- Shingles Vaccine Now Offered
- Immunizations in Richwood
- Community Survey – Could a Sharps Disposal Program Help You
- Golden Nugget Award – Local Excellence in Transportation
- Sharing for a Friend – Local Support Resources
Stay Active 5K – First Time Walkers/Runners Welcome
If moving more was part of your – New Year, New You plan – join our St. Patrick’s themed Stay Active 5K. The Saturday, Mar. 16 run/walk is more than a race, it’s a supportive community welcoming of all abilities. We have a lot of fun with a simple goal, support you in your health journey, whether that’s your first step or your 100th race. We’ve seen first time 5K walkers determined to get healthier, experienced racers, families up for some fun, and of course… well-behaved fur babies! Beside some fun, you’ll get a race medal, super soft t-shirt, and Bundtini cakes at the end. Click here to register and get more details.
Ohio Tobacco Quit Line
You’ll thank you if quitting tobacco or vape products is on your list for 2024. Get started with a free call to the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line. Call 1-800-QUIT-NOW and connect with trained cessation counselors 24/7, and if needed, free nicotine replacement therapy can be mailed to your home.
Did you Know? The Ohio legislature updated Ohio’s Smokefree Law to include electronic smoking devices (e-cigarettes) and vapor products. This means that e-cigarettes and vape pens are not allowed to be used inside public places like worksites, restaurants, bars.
Ride UC: Partnering with Uber to Get Workers & Patients Places
Not having a reliable ride to and from work or doctor’s appointments can really put the brakes on a successful 2024. So why not try out discounted Uber rides to and from the 43040 zip code? Led by the Union County & City of Marysville Economic Development team, Ride UC is a new partnership launched in December 2023 that offers discounted Uber ride to or from the 43040 zip code (including the Honda campus). The partnership was developed to support workforce and healthcare mobility for residents and local businesses, helping get people to work, doctor’s appointments, or the airport. Click here to learn more.
Total Solar Eclipse is Apr. 8 – Plan Ahead
On Apr. 8 at about 3pm, a total solar eclipse will be visible in Union County and a stretch of Ohio for about 3 minutes. This astronomical viewing opportunity is rare. Based on the experiences of other U.S. communities within previous eclipse viewing areas, we are working with our partners at the Union County Emergency Management Agency, local fire and law enforcement agencies, and many others to prepare for the possibility of increased visitors and traffic that day. From a public health perspective, we are encouraging residents to prepare for the event like we would a winter storm – have food and other necessities on hand, prescriptions filled, and vehicles fueled before Apr. 8. We are also working with landowners, businesses, churches and others on how to encourage safe eclipse viewing, things like protecting wells and septic systems in rural areas from planned or unplanned eclipse parking, sharing information on safely hosting temporary camping, and pop-up food service. More info to come over the next two months.
Fun Fact: Total solar eclipses happen every one to three years, but the events are usually only visible from Earth’s poles or from the middle of the ocean. The last total solar eclipse visible in Ohio was in 1806 and another is not expected until 2099.
Shingles Vaccine Now Offered at UCHD
Shingrix, a vaccine that provides protection against shingles, is now available at the Union County Health Department. To make an appointment for a shingles vaccine, call (937) 645-2058. The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention recommends that adults 50 years and older get two doses of the shingles vaccine called Shingrix to prevent shingles and the complications from the disease. Adults 19 years and older who have weakened immune systems because of disease or therapy should also get two doses of Shingrix, as they have a higher risk of getting shingles and related complications. Click here to learn more.
Richwood Immunization Clinic on Saturday, Feb. 24
The Union County Health Department is headed back to the Richwood-North Union Library on Feb. 24 from 11am-2pm to offer child and adult immunizations. Please call (937) 645-2058 to make an appointment and request the Richwood location. Walk-ins are welcome as resources allow, but an appointment ensures we have the vaccines you need. Ages 6 months and older are welcome. Flu shots, most routine child and adult immunizations, and updated COVID vaccine available for those with appointments. We do not currently have RSV vaccines.
Survey: Could You Benefit from a Sharps Disposal Program
The Union County Health Department is exploring the need for a community medical waste disposal program. The program would offer free disposal sites for people using medical supplies such as lancets and syringes at home. Click here to take the 5 minute survey.
Penny Wood with A Way Out Transportation Recognized for Service
During a January meeting of the UC MOVES Coalition, Penny Wood with A Way Out Transportation, received the 2023 Golden Nugget Award. An award given to a Union County transportation provider who demonstrates exceptional efforts. When Wood started an employment services company in 2016, she often found reliable transportation hampered her clients’ abilities to get or keep employment.
Sharing for a Friend
