April 2020 Newsletter

Celebrating Local Partnerships in Times of Crisis

ACEnet client Tina of Tina's Tiaras making masks

ACEnet always appreciates the power of networks, especially in these challenging times. We want to celebrate local people creating local solutions. A great example of a mobilized network is Passion Works Studio. Over the past few weeks they have pivoted to making face masks in collaboration with other community partners. Passion Works Studio Director, Patty Mitchell explains "Our concentration is constructing for front-line healthcare workers, nursing homes and the  Athens County Board of Developmental Disabilities." Masks will be sanitized before use.

 

Many partners are helping Passion Works Studio gear up as they manufacture masks. 

 

Zonez is cutting material supplied by local dentist, Tim Lavelle, and the sewing team is sewing with both cotton and medical grade fabrics! 

 

Passion Works Studio Executive Director Patty Mitchell

Hocking Valley Bank supported the effort early in the process. During a COVID-19 Dress Down Day, HVB matched contributions from their employees and directors totaling a $3,700 donation for Passion Works' face mask project.  

 

Ohio University's CoLab hosts weekly "Make and Take" themed programming. With the suspension of all events on OU's Campus, CoLab was still wanting to provide meaningful programming to the Athens, OH community. Matt Thomson, Program Manager for CoLab reached out to Patty Mitchell, founder & Executive Director of Passion Works Studio, to see if he could assist with anything for the Passion Works Studio face mask project. With a fully functional Makerspace and some funding for materials, CoLab has assisted with the purchasing of supplies, cutting of material, and distribution of supplies to a network of Athens Makers, all of which are aiding in the effort of supplying our local community with much needed face masks.

 

Local resident Nancy Schell

Athens City-County Health Department has been key in providing encouragement, with local resident Nancy Schell leading distribution and communication. Many home sewers, quilting groups and fiber folks have laundered and donated fabrics to keep production humming.

 

There are many ways to help and keep production moving. Fabric can be dropped off to 136 N. Congress St. Athens. Donation checks can also be to: Passion Works Studio (Masks in the memo) and mail to 136 N. Congress St. Athens, OH 45701 or the Go Fund Me Page: gf.me/u/xux9ab

 

 

Questions concerning donations to: susan@passionworks.org or Patty Mitchell at 740-590-8512.

Beepothecary: ACEnet Tenant News

While not a new ACEnet tenant, BEEpothecary LLC is a new user of our Nelsonville Food and Farm Enterprise Center! The Saum and Dotson family started keeping bees in 2010 & owners Laurie Dotson and Jeannie Saum began product development. Now, BEEpothecary produces an extensive line of skin care products and propolis supplements. 

Happy Anniversary, Ohio Is Home!

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Ohio is Home in Athens, OH

ACEnet's April Featured Tenant  Ohio is  Home  creates simple, iconic designs all for the love of  Ohio. They put their designs on super soft apparel and accessories, most of which are made and or printed in Ohio. Because they are so small, they take pride in designing, making, cutting, sorting, advertising, printing, folding, packing, shipping each and every item they sell.

An ACEnet tenant from April 2017 - March 2019, Ohio is Home recently celebrated their first birthday at their new retail space on Court Street in uptown Athens!

	Various handmade buttons from Red Tail Design Co.

Ohio is Home has a sister business Red Tail Design Co. RTDC is a multifaceted design shop that tackles small projects, large projects, and everything in between. They are a full service shop offering businesses the best in areas such as web design, web development, mobile development, branding, marketing, hosting, custom fabrication, woodworking, and more! They have worked with numerous businesses, organizations, and non-profits over the years, including prominent universities and national groups.

Wine with DeWine wine glass from Ohio is Home

Small businesses need our support right now more than ever. Please consider ordering gift cards to gift or redeem at a later date, or online ordering.

Crafting Through the Crisis

Crafting Through the Crisis - By ACEnet Special Projects Coordinator, Madelyn Brewer

 

Making things is therapeutic. Time and time again we use creative energies to calm our anxieties, free our minds, and lighten our burdens. When my dear friends and I realized we were facing the very real possibility of social isolation for months, we immediately started brainstorming what projects we would work on with all our extra time. 

 

Work in progress by Carrie Ann Verge

After the cancellation of local nonprofit Arts West's Cat Art Show, Carrie Ann Verge, local educator & wife of ACEnet Microenterprise Coordinator, Kyle Verge's, took the initiative to start a Facebook group, initially intended for local Athens area folks to share their creative works that come from this time period. Carrie Ann was working on a knitted blanket, I was working on some crochet and embroidery, and Kyle was working on a crochet blanket. We weren't sure what to expect, but were excited to feel connected to our friends and colleagues and to share in their creative pursuits.  

	By Amanda Buchanon from Plays with Glass

 

On March 13th, we had 3 members. On April 13th, we had 593 members. The beauty of the Crafting through the Crisis Facebook page is that it is purely intended as a space to support and encourage creativity during a time of uncertainty and crisis. While we did have a lot of talking about masks for a few days, it generally remains an outlet for other creative pursuits. Being creative for the sake of being creative. Being creative because it helps process feelings. Being creative because it helps us stay connected during a time when we are most isolated. 

 

Work in progress by Madelyn Brewer

The variety of people that are active on the Crafting through Crisis page is also heartwarming. People who were previously strangers, whether geographically near or far, are connecting based on their creative outlets in supportive and encouraging ways. Recipes are shared, art pieces are commissioned, and self-esteem is affirmed. Positivity is shared on every post, which is a refreshing change to the other posts currently flooding our Facebook newsfeeds. 

 

* Note * The Arts West Cat Art Show has been rescheduled as an online event, for more details: The Arts West Cat Art Show

Relief Resources for Artists, Farmers, Food Service & Retailers, Nonprofits, etc.

So You Want to Start a Business?

  

The first step is creating a business plan. You can download our free business plan template from our website's home page!

Go to our website to download our business plan template!

Did You Know?

Did you know that Kroger has a community rewards program much like Amazon Smile? If you sign up for Kroger Community Rewards & designate ACEnet as your nonprofit of choice they'll donate a percentage of the money you spend on groceries to us!

You may need to renew your choice if it's been a while. Go to Kroger Community Rewards and search for ACE NET (needs to have the space), after you choose us, Kroger donates to us every time you shop!