Communities across the US are being impacted by the substance use disorder epidemic. Appalachia is being hit particularly hard by this epidemic. With so many families and businesses personally impacted by substance use disorder in our region, ACEnet wanted to find a way to support individuals who are investing in their future through recovery-focused initiatives. A collaboration with the STAR Community Justice Center is providing us with a great opportunity to make this happen.

In 2019, the U.S. Department of Labor provided funding for the HOPES project – Hospitality Opportunities for People (Re)Entering Society. HOPES partners utilize the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)’s Restaurant Ready training to help people acquire the skills and abilities they would need to pursue jobs in the restaurant industry as a pathway to economic independence.

Restaurant Ready training is currently being delivered to STAR residents through a partnership with Ohio University’s Stevens Literacy Center by Assistant Professor Thomas Stevenson.

So where does ACEnet fit into this? Chef Thom facilitated the program within STAR, and connected with ACEnet staff to explore placing graduates of Restaurant Ready with ACEnet food business clients. He felt that the pairing of Restaurant Ready graduates with ACEnet clients would be beneficial for all parties: STAR residents would have an opportunity to demonstrate the new skills and abilities they had cultivated, and have a current work reference when applying for employment in their home community upon release, and ACEnet entrepreneurs would have access to additional trained help in ACEnet production spaces, and be given the opportunity to help develop a member of our regional community.

ACEnet supervisors of STAR residents complete a background check, drug screening, review of onboarding training videos, and meet with STAR staff. Currently, ACEnet supervisors are available in both Athens and Nelsonville ACEnet facilities to assist our food clients with receiving STAR residents.

If you think you would like to work with ACEnet on receiving a Restaurant Ready graduate, please get in touch with Chris Quolke (ChrisQ@ACEnetworks.org) to talk about your business needs.

For more information, see full Community Update by Chris Quolke

Have you ever wanted to work with a local nonprofit but weren't sure which one? Here is a great opportunity to work with ACEnet, Community Food Initiatives AND Rural Action! If you have a commitment to sustainable development and building healthy communities with strong local economies, please consider this career opportunity.

For more info: https://acenetworks.org/support-us/career-opportunities/

Many of these businesses not only needed Adam to keep the Food Ventures Center to open so they could stay open themselves, they also needed the FVC to fulfill their Covid support programs. Butcher’s Bites, a small meal preparation company, launched their Feed the Frontline program, providing 300+ free, nutritionally balanced meals to frontline workers in medical centers, pharmacies, 911 Emergency Communication Centers, and fire departments in multiple regional counties. Another meal prep business, MADE Prepped Meals, began preparing meals in the FVC for a local recovery house in Athens County. Due to social distancing, River Willow Culinary Services utilized the FVC to pivot from in-person dining to boxed meals, 2 Nelsonville Community Meals, a weekly community-building initiative that encourages LMI individuals & families to attend,

As businesses began to reopen in phases, Adam conducted increased food safety trainings with our local and regional restaurants so they could open their doors within the new safety guidelines. He delivered trainings through new virtual platforms and even some distanced, in-person trainings for people without broadband access. 

While so many of us were going virtual, Adam stayed on front lines working to help small businesses find the resources to stay in operation and provide our community with essential products and services. Thank you for your hard work and dedication, Adam.

ACEnet is committed to helping to shape and guide the future workforce of the region and is partnering with Hocking College to make new resources available to ACEnet clients. Hocking College students come from our community and are working to develop new skills and abilities to help enrich the region, contributing new ideas and energy. They are eager to learn about the small businesses that shape their communities, and this fall a pilot program is being offered to help connect these students with ACEnet client businesses.

Hocking Business Planning students will work with an ACEnet entrepreneur to learn about their business, understand the ACEnet client’s business model, and provide action items to the entrepreneur to help their business move in the desired direction.

Hocking Marketing students will be available to participating ACEnet clients to review the established or practiced marketing plan for the business, providing feedback and adjustments to the strategy to reach a target market, as well as providing new channels to consider exploring.

ACEnet staff will guide and coordinate with the Hocking College staff and students over the course of this learning experience to help ensure it is impactful for all participants.

Additionally ACEnet’s Small Business Support Specialist & Trainer, Chris Quolke, has been reviewing open-source textbooks as another resource to leverage in advancing the business competencies of ACEnet clients. OpenStax is a 501(c)(3) that is connected to Rice University and has made available peer-reviewed, openly licensed textbooks that are 100% free to use. These textbooks will be used in future ACEnet trainings and will allow Hocking College students and ACEnet clients to establish a shared vocabulary and understanding of the concepts the students are learning in the classroom.

This opportunity is being made available to ACEnet clients with a limited number of opportunities this term. Chris Quolke (ChrisQ@ACEnetwork.org) is leading up these efforts and if you would like to participate or receive more information about this, please send him an email.

For more information, see full Community Update by Chris Quolke

Ohio. If you have ever been to the Chesterhill Produce Auction or live in Glouster, Nelsonville or Coolville, you may have seen a large van emblazoned with gorgeous photos of vegetables.

It’s the Veggie Van, a project of Community Food Initiatives, ACEnet and Rural Action.

Check out this great article in The Athens NEWS by ACEnet's Fresh & Healthy Foods AmeriCorps VISTA, Rachel Brunot: Veggie Van Builds Food Access in Rural Communities

Ohio. Find It Here. (Tourism Ohio) has expanded their website to include a directory of products made in Ohio, including Food & Drink, Apparel & Accessories, and Home & Recreation! Ohio Makers are listed by name and location with a link to their website & they would love to add more, especially from Southeast Ohio!

See website for more details: https://ohio.org/wps/portal/gov/tourism/home/made-in-ohio

If you would like to add a company, please contact Juliana.Khusid@development.ohio.gov

Our friends at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association have an immediate opening in Columbus for a Fair Farms Program Coordinator! This person will manage all aspects of OEFFA’s new program to assist farmers in implementing fair pricing and fair labor practices.

See job posting for full details: Job Opening: Fair Farms Program Coordinator

ACEnet is working to receive a work study student from the Nelsonville-York School District. Over the course of the 60 hours with ACEnet staff the student will have the opportunity to learn about small businesses, community economic development, and the ways that ACEnet works to support business owners. Chris (ChrisQ@ACEnetworks.org) is leading up this work and will be working closely with the student to make the experience educationally impactful, if the student is interested in a business like yours - Chris will reach out to arrange an opportunity for the student to observe your business.

If you need help applying for either of these loans, please contact info@acenetworks.org to be connected with a staff member who can assist you.

We have updated our Covid-19 Resources page to reflect current funding opportunities.

Please email your needs to info@acenetworks.org  and you will be connected with a staff member who can assist you.

Women Entrepreneurship Week starts soon!

From October 18 - 22, ACEnet will be featuring many of our women entrepreneurs.

Stay tuned to our social media next week to meet many of them!

Free community dinner at the Athens County Public Libraries Nelsonville branch Library Stage in Nelsonville on Thursday, October 28th.

Join to learn more about creating a recovery-friendly community. Community resources available, as well as fentanyl test strips for distribution.

There will also be a bounce house, candy, music, karaoke and a costume contest with prizes!

See flyer for more info.

In October, you will have the opportunity to learn about the importance of a healthy habitat in our outdoor environment; to hear writings from Ohio Poet Laureate, Kari Gunter-Seymour an Athens County native; to become a dementia friend and learn more about communicating and engaging those affected by dementia; and learn about important conversations that can come from the times we share with our families and friends during the holiday season. In addition to these topics, UpBEAT will continue to hold their book club, singing group, and exercise class virtually. 

If you're 55+, connect with UpBEAT! https://www.ohiohealth.com/health-and-wellness/upbeat-program-athens You can also call Caitlin Bond, UpBEAT Program Coordinator, at (740) 566-4680 for more info or to receive the UpBEAT newsletter.

The Athens Farmers Market takes place year round on Saturday and from mid-April up to Thanksgiving on Wednesday at the Market on State Shopping Mall. For more information & information on becoming a vendor, see the Athens Farmers Market website.

The Meigs County Farmers Market is open from May 1st until the end of October in the levee parking lot (Main Street). For more information & information on becoming a vendor, see the Meigs County Farmers Market website.

Ohio Food Policy Summit: ACEnet collaborators Angela Blatt, Paul Dorrance, and Rachel Tayse will be presenting at 10:30am at the virtual Ohio Food Policy Summit on our joint USDA Local Foods Promotion Program (LFPP) project, “Planning to Advance Mobile Meat Slaughter and Processing in Ohio and Central Appalachia.”

Register here: https://web.cvent.com/event/75f1bca0-0dd7-43e7-bf98-0a301033a975/summary