Verse of the Month

“As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart.”  Proverbs 27:19

May we live our lives in a way that truly reflects the heart of

God to our hurting world. 

Our team in Haiti continues to work despite ever worsening conditions. Every month we say, “It can’t get any worse.” – and then it does. Please join us in praying for the people of Haiti as they endure inflation at a rate we cannot comprehend. In the past two months, prices on common necessities like rice, fuel, and hygiene supplies have more than doubled and the ability to locate these necessities is becoming increasingly difficult. The price of fuel fluctuates widely from day to day and last week we saw it peak at $32.50US per gallon. Living day to day is becoming next to impossible. However, our incredible Haiti team continues to work every day to support hospitals and healthcare providers throughout Haiti. Click the buttons below to read more about our work in Haiti this past month and to read our “Haiti Held Hostage” blog to stay up to date on the challenges healthcare facilities are facing every day. 

The Dalton Foundation is excited to welcome the latest addition to our team: Nick Dalton. Nick will fill a long-awaited critical role here at The Foundation that will allow us to match medical equipment needs efficiently and effectively with the ample supply we have access to. Shipping medical equipment overseas in an impactful, sustainable way is much harder to do that one would think. Often, inappropriate donations are sent, and installation and training are afterthoughts that leave a majority of donated medical equipment part of what we call “medical equipment graveyards”. Nick brings with him over 10 years of experience in the medical equipment industry and a passion for helping low-resourced facilities improve their capacity to offer high-quality healthcare. If you have questions or interest in our comprehensive medical equipment modernization and standardization program please reach out to Nick. ndalton@thedaltonfoundation.org

The time from when a donation is made until the time impact can be measured can be quite long (years at times) and takes diligence and persistent follow up. It’s always a blessing when partners surprise us with exciting updates. This month we were encouraged to hear from Marvin Bozard, Procurement Director for UNTO ministries with a follow up story from a surgical instrument kit that The Dalton Foundation was able to donate last November at the TECH (Technical Exchange for Christian Healthcare) conference. It was great to hear that the instruments arrived and were presented to the Orthopedic Department at Makerere University in Uganda for use within Mulago Hospital. Every year our partner reach is growing more and more and we’re always eager to hear from partners. Thank you, Marvin, for reaching out and sharing this story with us! Your timing was perfect as we are just beginning to plan for this year’s TECH conference.  

Reentry

Upcoming "Building Bridges Reentry Conference" to bring together reentry leaders from all over Ohio

Every year the Building Bridges Reentry conference brings together reentry coalition leaders, community supporters, reentry professionals, and returning citizens for a two-day conference that provided great educational opportunities as well as fellowship and support. This year’s conference will be a hybrid model with both virtual and in person participation. Relink.org is proud to be co-hosting the Northeast Ohio in person gathering at Wedgewood United Methodist Church in Akron on October 12 and 13. We hope you can join us for this unique event either in person or virtually. This conference is free to anyone living or working in Ohio. Use discount code OhioFree to receive free registration.

Reentry

Coming Soon: Database accessible to Inmates in Ohio Department of Corrections Institutions

After many months of revision and adaptation, the relink.org database will be accessible to those still incarcerated so they can take an active part in planning their release. Individuals, for the very first time, will be able to access resources for housing, employment, furniture, licenses, and more even before their release date. We hope this will make the transition back to the community much easier and save time for reentry coordinators and parole officers. The team has worked hard, and we’re thrilled to be part of this important project in partnership with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections (ODRC). 

Addiction Recovery

Celebrating the Victories:

Treatment for Addiction is more Accessible

We all hear the discouraging stories of how since the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of fentanyl and its analogues, overdose deaths have risen again to high levels like those seen in 2017. One trend we are encouraged to see is that detox and treatment facilities are more accessible and wait times are becoming a thing of the past in many Ohio counties. For example, in Summit County wait times for detox have been eliminated and wait times for residential treatment are drastically reduced.*  While this data is not representative of the entire state, we are encouraged to see this trend and are committed to getting the word out that help is available. People do recover from substance use disorder! To see all of the resources available in your local community visit relink.org to begin searching.   

*Data from Summit County ADM Board https://www.admboard.org/