56 Square Miles of News: May 2020

As we continue to navigate in this ever changing environment, we felt it was in the best interest of our participants, staff and instructors to cancel all programming and camps for June. We will continue to evaluate the situation on a weekly basis to determine if we will be able to open up registration for July. We appreciate your cooperation and understanding and wish everyone the best of health.

MacGregor Park has added a StoryWalk® where visitors can enjoy reading a children's book while walking the park trail. Stop by this beautiful passive nature park and read the book "Lost in the Woods", a story about a new fawn who is all alone in the woods. The book is ideal for ages seven and under.
This project is in partnership with the Westfield Washington Township Public Library. "StoryWalk® was created by Anne Ferguson of Montpelier, VT and was developed with the help of Rachel Senechal, Kellogg-Hubbard Library."

As we are in the midst of a pandemic, many residents are experiencing job loss or reduced hours therefore making it difficult to make housing and utility payments. This "Did You Know" created by the Hamilton County Trustee Association describes how Township Trustees assist our residents in financial need.

Join Fitness Instructor Rich Ford Mondays and Wednesdays for his live interactive workout @ 9 am. This full length workout is for all ages and fitness levels. If you are unable to make it live, you can find the recordings available on our Facebook page and on our YouTube Channel. On Fridays, check out Rich's pre-recorded 10 min workout that you can do when you have limited time but still want to get in a great exercise routine.

The Township Trustee and staff continue to be dedicated to providing essential services to Westfield Washington Township throughout the evolving COVID-19 health emergency. If you are in need of emergency financial assistance due to a change in income relating to COVID-19, please reach out to our office at trustee@wwtownship.us, 317-574-9490, ext. 1 or visit our website.

The COVID-19 crisis is impacting all of us. The Wellbeing Coalition of Westfield (WCW) is working with partners - schools, government, nonprofits, businesses - across Westfield to care for ALL. If you need help or want to help, please visit the WCW WEBSITE. You can also view/print the resource flyer HERE.

Westfield Welcome has been providing weekly challenges for the community. These are great ways to stay active and engaged while the Stay at Home order is in place. Check out their latest challenge on their website or Facebook page.

Stay in the know by watching Mayor Cook's live video updates. You can find the videos on the City of Westfield's Facebook page.

The Westfield Way: Celebrating Exemplary Service. If you know someone that is a dedicated Westfield resident that offers supreme customer service or goes above and beyond to give back to our community, please nominate them HERE.

Our Westfield nonprofit organizations are hard at work supporting our residents. So many individuals have been impacted by COVID-19, whether it be through loss of income or illness. the Westfield community is here to support you!

News from Heart and Soul Free Clinic
The Dental Clinic re-opened on Saturday, May 16th. All patients will be seen by appointment only. Procedures have been modified for the safety of patients, staff and volunteers. In addition to the dental clinic, all medical and dental patients are being asked to complete a survey regarding the effects of COVID-19. We are seeing an upsurge in new patients, patients who have lost jobs and insurance, and patients that have increased anxiety and depression. Call for appointments (317) 804-5782.

News from Student Impact

We are currently on week 11 for Food Rescue. We have had some families reach out in regards to not needing food anymore which is GREAT. People are going back to work and getting back on their feet, which is exactly what we wanted. Food Rescue will run until the last Friday of May and then we will transition over to the summer feeding program.

Connecting with students has remained on Zoom the last few months, which included our end of the school year virtual pizza party. Each registered Student Impact student got a pizza kit delivered to their house which contained all of the ingredients for English muffin pizzas.

Camp Ethos has been moved to the first two weeks in July, and all of the necessary precautions will be taken to keep the staff and students safe. We are looking forward to seeing kids face to face, even if it has to be a significantly decreased number!

Have a great summer break!

WWS/Sodexo food service will continue to provide meals for WWS students though June! Click HERE for locations, dates and times.

Celebrate your successes, embrace your challenges, and learn from everything you do! COVID-19 challenged students, staff, parents, and families. Dr. Lori Desautels created some Parent Self Care videos that can be of help to Westfield families. You will find Dr. Desautels videos on the WWS Parent University Web Page under Parent Self Care.