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Did You Know?
 The local National Alliance on Mental Illness cares for the region!
In Her Own Words—Executive Director, Kathryn Hitchcock
The National Alliance on Mental Illness Clark, Greene and Madison Counties (NAMI CGM) has been challenged like all nonprofits by Covid-19. Our mission has not changed. We seek to improve the quality of life, to ensure respect and dignity for persons in Clark, Greene and Madison Counties living with mental illness and their families. One in five of us will have a mental health condition in our lifetime.
In June we re-opened our Springfield drop-in center where we explored varied approaches to pre-pandemic functioning as every day brought new information. We made masks for everyone, focusing on safety. Currently, “drop-in” means to-go lunches four days a week and haircuts and personal care day once a month. Greene County residents are provided transportation to the latter. Pre-pandemic Yellow Springs residents were offered transportation to the Lighthouse in Fairborn, but we cannot reopen it as it does not meet CDC recommended physical spacing. In the late summer and fall we had several outdoor events. Now winter comes and the options are limited. We stay in touch and watch closely (as all of us do), waiting for the time we can provide more.
We have seen increased numbers of, and new-to-us, homeless individuals with mental illness who have complex needs. Our first job is to establish trust. That has made it possible to hook up a few individuals with basic services. We are raising funds to assure they are warm and dry this winter.
In July we discovered Zoom! Our Family Support group, for those who love someone with a mental illness, is now available virtually twice a month, as is the weekly virtual Connection Recovery Group, which is for those with a mental illness. Peer support is an important element in recovery! In January we will offer the evidence-based Family to Family program, virtually, of course.
Our support groups end with all present saying, “we will never give up hope,” and we never do! We are in our Springfield office to provide support and information.
Contact NAMI: info@namicgm.org or call 937-322-5600.
Donate: NAMI
For more information: About NAMI
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 Together
Founded in 2019, the Yellow Springs Development Corporation (YSDC) is a nonprofit, designated community improvement corporation formed in recognition of local housing, business, and economic development opportunities that need a unifying organization to pull projects and constituencies together for collaboration, planning, and funding. As a fledgling 501c3, YSDC receives back-office support from the Foundation.
The YSDC board of trustees includes representatives from the YS Schools, Village and Township governments, the Chamber of Commerce, Antioch College, the YS Community Foundation, and a member of the local community. Per Ohio law, a minimum of 40% of the voting members must be elected government officials or their designated representatives.
Since its first meeting in January 2019, the YSDC has been involved in several economic development projects, including: coordination of state, county, and local incentives for the retention of Enviroflight’s R&D unit; administering $35,000 in potentially forgivable loans to 21 businesses in Miami Township and Yellow Springs during the first wave of the COVID-19 crisis; and convening the first phase exploration for an Education Corridor, a collaborative use of land and buildings on the Antioch College campus for YS schools, YS Community Children’s Center, and the College.
Additionally, the YSDC has been working with Miami Township to transfer the old fire station to new ownership and expects to have a contract signed with the buyer in December 2020. And, members of the YSDC are working with Village, Foundation, and other local stakeholders on the economic development aspects of housing in the Village.
The members of the YSDC are committed to the economic viability of our community.
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Mills Lawn Elementary students Eli and Milo Crockett demonstrate the portability of education. Now THAT'S Project Based Learning!
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Foundation Highlight
The Yellow Springs Endowment for Education Committee, Terry Graham Chair
People make education possible—mentally, emotionally, and financially.
The Yellow Springs Endowment for Education (YSEE) at the Foundation provides funding for educational programs and projects that encourage excellence, creativity, and diversity in education for the students of YS Exempted Village Schools by supplementing teachers’ classroom budgets.
Started in the mid 1990s by a group of YS citizens, the YSEE Committee currently includes a teacher representative, villagers, and a Foundation Trustee, and they grant endowment funds from a yearly distribution to be used for supplemental purposes as well as encouraging teachers to “think outside the box” when developing their curriculum without the worry of impacting their yearly budget. Grants from the YSEE are available to teachers and staff.
These funds have become increasingly important as the YS Schools have moved to a Project Based Learning model (PBL) that requires teachers to create cross-curricular projects that often cross grade levels. Regular classroom budgets are often unable to fund these projects in their entirety, and the YSEE is able to provide the resources to make these projects happen.
The YSEE is focused on providing resources to enhance the learning experiences of the children in our community.
Donate: Yellow Springs Endowment for Education
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YSGivingTuesday is almost here!
This coming Tuesday is the annual YSGivingTuesday, when donors can contribute to any of 34 local nonprofits during this 24-hour period.
This year's Give for Today, Plan for Tomorrow YSGivingTuesday, will help support nonprofits now and in the future, as 80% of donations go directly to the nonprofit for today’s needs, and 20% are held in the nonprofit's field-of-interest endowment at the Foundation focused on the future. If donating money is not an option, volunteering provides a great way to learn more about how your favorite nonprofit functions while helping deliver on their mission.
We all create a strong community, Together.
Click here for secure donations to local nonprofits: https://ysgivingtuesday.org
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Thank You Again & Again to Our Many Wonderful Volunteers!
100 + in all, supporting: Child Care - Data Support - Faith Community - Food Security & Bread Runners - Logistics - Mask Makers - NBCs - Research - Senior Care - Committee Members
Interested in joining us in support of our community? Become a volunteer or committee member: yscf@yscf.org
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