Holiday Greetings from the Rural Health Network of SCNY

We now find ourselves in the holiday season as well as the cold and dark months.

I woke up this morning and looked out at snow blanketing the trees and the earth. The pureness and whiteness, the blanketing, such peace as the snow quiets and swallows the busy sounds of a weekday morning. There is a beauty to the winter season that battles with the dark and cold for our attention. Look outside. Be outside. Find the beauty in all seasons, including this one.

After waking, I also found myself reflecting on neighborliness. This rural value and tradition of neighborliness, regardless of politics or beliefs. Welcoming those who are new to our place. Getting to know each other. Caring for each other. Helping each other whether there is a crisis or not.

I spoke this week with my elderly neighbor who makes child-sized Adirondack Chairs painted in a color selected by the gift recipient. He told me a story of a single mother, a cashier at a local pharmacy who has a young daughter. Over the course of time my neighbor and the cashier became friends. Knowing she was on a limited income and struggled to pay the bills, he let her know he was making her daughter a chair (he needed to know what color to paint it). He shared the story because he was so moved by the deep appreciation and joy expressed by his cashier friend. A small, but powerful example of the impact neighborliness, generosity and kindness can have on another.

Wishing everyone in our region, those we serve, our volunteers and staff a happy holiday season and a healthy New Year. And for those who struggle through the holidays, I wish for you healing and comfort.

-Jack Salo

Interim Executive Director

Invest in Rural Health

We hope you will help us continue our work in advancing the health and well-being of rural people and communities. If you have already made a gift to Rural Health Network in 2023, Thank You!

Please consider making a contribution to honor each of our 25 years:

• $250 ($10 in honor of each year)
• $125 ($5 in honor of each year)
• $ 75 ($3 in honor of each year)
• $ 50 ($2 in honor of each year

Of course, gifts of any amount are appreciated.

To make an online donation supporting our General Fund or a specific program area, visit our website or click on the "Donate" button at the bottom of this email. Your support will contribute to our success into the next 25 years. Our online form also allows you to spread your gift out over time by selecting "monthly, quarterly, or annually" next to "Frequency".

If you'd like to designate an online donation to multiple programs or have other

questions, please contact Cindy Martin, Director of Resource Development

at 607-692-7669, ext. 203 for assistance.

We are grateful for the many partners, funders, and donors who make our work possible.

National Rural Health Day - Thanking Health Care Professionals

Northern Broome CARES staff celebrated National Rural Health Day on November 16th by recognizing the dedication and hard work of local health care professionals in the Whitney Point area. Staff from Lourdes Primary Care Office, Whitney Point Wellness Center, Whitney Point Physical Therapy, Walgreens, the Dental Office, as well as the nurses in all 3 district schools were presented with treats from our generous sponsors. Northern Broome CARES staff would like to thank Greggs Marketplace, Weis, Dominic's Pizza, and Aiellos for their donations. One recipient of cupcakes and garlic knots stated, "We really needed these today. Thank you for always thinking of us - we just love the Rural Health Network!"

Pictured Below: Program Coordinator Megan Arenas-Cardoso (on the right) poses with staff from Walgreens.

Christmas for Seniors

We are excited to announce that our Christmas for Seniors campaign exceeded the challenge goal issued by Visions Federal Credit Union to raise money for gifts. The support from our Board, staff, and the community has been amazing! Not including the generous $1,000 gift from Visions, we were able to bring in an additional $1,375 in donations to support our Christmas for Seniors project. Our team has already begun shopping and wrapping and are looking forward to distributing gifts to more than 200 seniors in northern Broome County.

Pictured below, clockwise from the top left: Karli Jeavons, Community Health Worker, Megan Arenas-Cardoso, NB CARES Program Coordinator, wrapped gifts awaiting distribution, and a carload of gifts ready for wrapping.

Public Health AmeriCorps Positions Available with

Broome County Office for Aging

Our Public Health AmeriCorps partner, Broome County Office for Aging, currently has two Social Isolation Prevention Advocate positions available. These positions will conduct outreach to older adults and engage in a variety of tasks that aim to address social isolation issues. They will work closely with other Broome County Office for Aging staff and support multiple departments. The Advocates will engage in the following social isolation prevention activities assigned by their supervisor: Identifying older adults who are socially isolated, friendly calling, surveying, virtual programming, respite/friendly visiting, Meals on Wheels deliveries, senior center support and adult day program support efforts. A personal vehicle is needed for these positions.

Public Health AmeriCorps members at Broome County Office for Aging will serve 20-25 hours a week for 10-11 months. They will receive a living allowance of $11,000, an education award of $3447.50, health coverage, a child care subsidy (if applicable), college loan forbearance and a relocation benefit (if applicable).

For more information about this position or other AmeriCorps positions available with Rural Health Service Corps, please visit our website or email Haley Desilet or Alexis Sankofa.

Farm to School - a Year in Review

This year has been nothing short of phenomenal for our Farm to School program. From seed to harvest, our journey has been filled with growth, learning, and remarkable achievements. As we reflect on the past twelve months, it's inspiring to see how far we've come and the positive impact we've made on our community.

In the year of 2023, our Farm to School program flourished with a remarkable tally of 38 NY Thursdays and 28 delectable Taste Tests across Broome-Tioga BOCES and Delaware-Chenango-Madison-Otsego (DCMO) BOCES. We also began working with 2 additional school districts under DCMO BOCES- Schenevus CSD and Hancock CSD, which brings us to a total of 29 school districts that we service through increased local procurement.

Beyond these exciting events and expansion, we contributed $6,953 to nurture the growth of school gardens, extending this across 15 school districts. We had the privilege of seeing the positive outcomes in action during visits to 3 of these thriving school grantees. Here's to another year of cultivating success and nourishing both minds and bodies through the power of Farm to School excellence!

Photo credits:

Brooke McGuire, NYS Public Health Farm to School AmeriCorps Member

Brooke Traver, NYS Public Health Farm to School AmeriCorps Member

Julie Raway, Rock on Cafe

Thank you to the Tioga State Bank Foundation for their generous grant of $3,000 which will help support our next round of school garden projects.

Connection to Care Impact in Delaware & Otsego Counties

Accessing health-related services in the more rural parts of South Central New York has long been an issue for the area's residents. They must travel longer distances, taking more time, and incurring greater expense to reach a relatively limited number of providers. The task is especially difficult for those with fewer financial resources, older adults that no longer drive, and others with limited transportation options at their disposal.

For people living in areas like these, particularly Getthere's easternmost counties, Delaware and Otsego, the Connection to Care (CTC) program is especially critical. CTC helps cover the cost of transportation to health-related services for those with a financial need and without a Medicaid transportation benefit. Over the course of 2023, CTC has helped cover the cost of travel for roughly 50 unique Delaware and Otsego County residents (many more than once), allowing them to travel almost 35,000 miles to access essential medical and other health-related services. These services could be anything from a single primary care appointment, to several days, or even weeks of appointments for things like oncology or dialysis. Getting patients to these appointments is crucial, and CTC helps make it possible. 

As the year comes to an end, Getthere looks forward to 2024, when it will continue its commitment to rural people and communities, assisting individuals in need, and working to make sure everyone has access to the things they need to live healthier lives.

Advocacy Alert

Last year, Governor Kathy Hochul and the legislature allocated $134.6 million to expand access to free school meals.. While this was an important first step in addressing child hunger, more than 350,000 New York students were left behind.

The Healthy School Meals for All NY Kids coalition is calling on New York State to fully fund universal free school meals in the next State budget.

One in six children in New York experience hunger with Black and Latinx children making up a disproportionate share. Existing programs in New York leave far too many behind, including: 

• Families struggling to make ends meet while hovering just above the income limits for free school meals.
• Kids who qualify, but hesitate to eat, due to stigma and shame associated with participating in a means-tested meal program.

Funding healthy school meals for all in this year’s state budget will help reduce child hunger and advance equity in health and education in nearly every community across the state. 

Add your support by sending a letter directly to Governor Hochul and your representatives in the legislature urging them to fund free, healthy meals for all New York students. Use this tool to send a message with just one click.

News, Articles of Interest, and Resources

Coping Strategies for the Holiday Season

Care Compass Network shared this article and we thought it was worth sharing too.

According to a 2022 American Psychiatric Association poll, family relationships, the pressures of holiday shopping and travel, the stress of planning gatherings and managing a packed calendar, as well as unrealistic expectations, loneliness and grief all contribute to feeling stressed. The American Psychiatric Association put together a list of seven strategies to use to help cope with the stresses of the holiday season. 

Rural Employment Still Lags From Pandemic

Three and a half years after the start of the pandemic, and rural America is still below pre-pandemic employment levels. Learn more in this story by Sarah Melotte for The Daily Yonder. The article includes a searchable chart to view local data by county.

Transforming Food Systems: From Pilots to Policy

Earlier this month NYHealth hosted a conference that featured a keynote address from the President of the Food Research & Action Center, Luis Guardia, and insights from advocates working at the local and State levels to transform the way we design, coordinate, and implement food plans so New Yorkers have the food they need to thrive. Watch the event recording.