"But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 (NIV)

Youth Counseling proves to be the most needed in Ohio

In April 2022, relink.org added Family Resource Services. Since the launch, we have made 2009 community resource connections. Youth counseling proves to be an area of great need. We will continue to track the data on these new services to determine the greatest needs throughout the state. If you provide any family resource services, please contact our Statewide Data Coordinator, Bill Picha, at wpicha@relink.org.

Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, relink.org would like to highlight our Behavioral Health category on needs.relink.org. We have over 2000 providers divided between Treatment, Counseling, and Emergency Hotlines in Behavioral Health. This is absolutely vital because 1 in 5 adults experiences mental illness. In Ohio alone, over 2 million adults are affected by mental illness so far in 2022. The estimated number of adults with serious suicidal thoughts is over 11.4 million - an increase of 664,000 people from last year.

If you or someone you know is experiencing mental illness, go to needs.relink.org and click on behavioral health for resources. If you have any events coming up around this topic, please email bhall@relink.org. We would love to share your event details on our social media.

Watch the video below to learn from Dr. Borland and Ruchelle Pride

The weather is getting warmer and it is time to go through and clean out the house. Have you ever thought where should I donate clothes I am not wearing, or furniture we are replacing? What non profits take women’s clothes and which ones take men’s? You can easily find this information in relink.org. Simply go to our website and click on Find Resources Now. You can then put in your zip code, choose a mile radius and click on Basic Needs. In a few simple clicks you can find a place to rehome your goods, for others who are in need. You can even print off a list. We all want items that we are not using anymore to go to someone who will be blessed to receive them, and relink.org can help make that happen.  

"I recently was discouraged when I loaded up several bags of clothing my kids had outgrown and drove them to a local nonprofit, just to find out that they could not accept them right now. It was a process getting the clothes in the car, plus loading up my kids to make the donation. I did not know where else to take them, so I turned around to go back home when I remembered relink.org. A friend of mine had mentioned in Bible study a few weeks prior that you could find nonprofits to give to through the website. I pulled up relink.org on my phone and found another place I could take them to and called them quickly to see if they were accepting donations. They were! I was so thankful that I did not have to go home and unload items or spend time googling a bunch of places."    ~Jessica K.

Human Trafficking Resources

Ohio is among the top ten states with the highest rates of human trafficking, according to a report by the Ohio Attorney General. In 2020, there were a total of 149 potential human trafficking victims, including 146 potential victims of sex trafficking and 3 potential victims of labor trafficking.

The relink.org team had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Celia Williamson, who is the Executive Director of The Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute of the University of Toledo. Dr. Williamson founded the first anti-trafficking program in Ohio in 1993 and opened the Human Trafficking and Social Institute in 2015 to further the mission of combating human trafficking and supporting victims through research, education, and engagement.

The Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute provides several programs and initiatives that help in the prevention of human trafficking. The following resources are affiliated with and endorsed by the Institute.