C L Magazine Volume 6 - Summer | Fall Issue 2020

INSIDE: • Architect of Soul Fusion Experience

by Jennifer Coiley Dial • Non-Profit Organization Profile: JD Breast Cancer Foundation • 2020: Fast Forward or Do Over?

by Susan Garrity Bish

CAREER & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Volume 6 S ummer | Fall 2020

GOING THE DISTANCE

FOR OUR

COMMUNITIES. At Dominion Energy Ohio, going the distance for our customers means more than just delivering safe, affordable natural gas. It means being a positive force in the communities we serve. Our EnergyShareÂŽ program has raised $6.8 million and helped more than 70,000 people in Ohio alone. These resources, combined with more than 6,300 volunteer hours from our employees, have benefited organizations as diverse as the American Red Cross, the Boy Scouts of America and the Ohio & Erie Canalway Coalition.

contents

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Lose Body Fat, Now.

by Phillip Germany, II Prevent winter weight gain by increasing your metabolism through strength training. Phillip Germany, II tells you how.

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Book Suggestions Check out these timely and informative best-selling book suggestions.

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Home Hospice Care Keeps Families Connected During Pandemic

by Laurie Henrichsen When someone in the family is diagnosed with a life-limiting illness, many people prefer to spend their time in the comfort of their own homes. Hospice of the Western Reserve can help make that a reality, even in the midst of a pandemic.

FEATURE STORY

Architect of Soul Fusion Experience

by Jennifer Coiley Dial Chef Tony Fortner, co-owner of Southern CafĂŠ, shares the ups and downs of his many years in the restaurant business.

18 2020: Fast Forward or Do Over?

by Susan Garrity Bish 2020 was supposed to be the year of perfect vision, but it delivered a muddled mess. Can we fast forward to 2021, or get a do over? There might be another option.

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NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PROFILE

JD Breast Cancer Foundation Kathryn Crestani is the President of the Board of Directors of the JD Breast Cancer Foundation. It is a small organization with a mighty mission: to provide vital resources and support to enhance breast cancer survivorship in Northeastern Ohio.

Cleveland Public Library Offers Support to Students and Teachers

by Kelly Woodard The Library provides resources and programs to assist students, families, and educators with in-home and at-home learning.

ON THE COVER:

Art from the JD Breast Cancer Foundation website SUMMER | FALL 2020 | 3

CL Magazine Team Publisher and Chief Editorial Officer Alexandria Johnson Boone Creative Director Jennifer Coiley Dial Senior Copy Editor Michelle E. Urquhart Business Manager Paula T. Newman Assistant to the Publisher Bernadette K. Mayfield Senior Strategist, Subscriber & Community Development Simone E. Swanson Database and Information Coordinator Cheretta Moore For advertising information please contact us at: advertising@CL-Magazine.com Subscribe free online: www.CL-Magazine.com

CLMagazine_ CLMagazine_ CLMagazine C L Magazine is published digitally on a quarterly basis by the Women of Color Foundation (WOCF), a 501 (c) (3), tax-exempt organization, for the benefit of women and girls of all colors. Our offices are located at 4200 Warrensville Center Road, Medical Building A, Suite 353, Cleveland, Ohio 44122. Toll Free Phone number: 866.962-3411 (866.WOCF.411).

Copyright Š 2014-2020. All rights reserved.

No portion of this publication may be distributed electronically, reproduced or duplicated in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. Readers and advertisers may subscribe for free at: www.CL-Magazine.com Magazine Production: GAP Communications Group

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Publisher’s LETTER America, Can We Talk?

Dear Readers and Fellow Americans, I must admit that I truly struggled with what to include in my publisher’s letter for this issue.

With all of the unprecedented chaos going on in the United States right now (and I use the word “United” loosely), scares me. Let’s take a look at the list below: • a national/global health pandemic • rampant social injustice • pervasive racial inequality and disrespect • public murder and murder by the police (who swore an oath to serve and protect) • the loss of our humanity and expressions of empathy shown to each other • natural disasters • real evidence of climate changes • record levels of unemployment • an increase in suicides • a collapsing economy • a heroin/drug epidemic • an increase in domestic violence • riots (disguised as protests) • politicians with a lack of conviction and courage to do the right thing for America and “all” Americans • the attempted hijacking of the most important election in our lifetime • daily threats to our Democracy and national security • rising cases of mental illness across the country What is a girl to do? Well, considering all the issues listed above and the fact that I am a senior woman with underlying health issues, I have chosen to laser focus on staying healthy, safe, sane and alive. Maybe you should too!

In the spirit of the greatness in us all,

Alexandria Johnson Boone Publisher/Chief Editorial Officer, CL Magazine and Chairwoman/Founder Women of Color Foundation SUMMER | FALL 2020 | 5

Lose Body Fat, Now. Now that summer is over and winter is around the corner some people tend to reduce their activity thinking they can slow down, curl up, and prepare for the colder months. However, this can lead to weight gain in the form of body fat. You can prevent this by increasing your metabolism by strengthening and toning your muscles, thereby keeping your body burning calories, even at rest. You can accomplish this through strength training.

Strength training, also referred to as resistance or weight training, involves using your muscles to move an external resistance, whether it’s dumbbells, barbells, machines, or even your bodyweight. Medical experts all agree that exercise, in particular strength training, is beneficial for your overall health and fitness. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that all adults perform some type of strength training at least two times per week. In addition to strength training adhering to a healthy nutritional plan and getting the proper sleep are just as important, however, I will focus on strength training since that is my area of expertise.

Before you begin it’s important to talk to your doctor if you have any health concerns.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention chronic health conditions should not prevent you from strength training. It’s likely that you will still be able to take part in a strength program if you have arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, or have recently suffered a heart attack. So, you can start where you are, at any point or any age.

Phillip Germany, II Entrepreneur, Author, Strength Trainer pgerm2@yahoo.com

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So, now the question becomes how do you start? Below are some important points in starting a strength training program that will help you increase your metabolism, burn calories, and most of all lose body fat.

WARM-UP Before you begin your workout, you should perform a five to fifteen-minute warm-up. A warm-up can consist of any light movements or cardiovascular exercises such as, jogging, cycling, rowing, yoga or even walking and swinging your arms.

STRETCHING Stretching is important to help prepare your muscles for activity and achieve a desired level of flexibility. You can perform static stretching, which is the most common form of stretching. Start by moving slowly into the desired position and hold the stretch for 20-60 seconds. Never jerk or bounce. You

can also perform dynamic stretching, which involves active movements that stretch the muscles but are not held in position.

BASIC EXERCISES AND EQUIPMENT There are thousands of exercises that exist for every part of the body many of which you can find on the internet. However, before you perform any exercise you must learn to perform it correctly. Doing so will allow your body to get used to the correct movement and prevent injury.

When strength training you can use any type of resistance such as barbells, dumbbells, ankle weights, your bodyweight, kettlebells, canned foods, jugs of water, bottles of water, or large rubber exercise bands. Using your bodyweight as the main source of resistance is a great way to strength train. Bodyweight training includes push-ups, pull-ups, chin-ups, jumping jacks, trampolines, walking fast, and jogging. If you can’t perform the full version of an exercise you can perform a modified version.

COOLDOWN After your workout it is important you let your body slowly ramp down from your activity. A five to ten-minute cool down will allow your blood flow and heart rate return to their normal levels. A cool down can consist of light aerobic activity such as jogging, stretching, or walking.

CONCLUSION Strength training can be done in a gym or at home. However, with the current situation of social distancing, closed and restricted fitness centers, and other health concerns, training in a gym may be difficult. The good news is that you can strength train at home whether you have equipment or not. If you begin with the details above you will be well on your way to having more energy, looking great, and losing body fat. If you have any questions you can contact me by email, LinkedIn, or Amazon.

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Book Suggestions White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo In this “vital, necessary, and beautiful book” (Michael Eric Dyson), antiracist educator Robin DiAngelo deftly illuminates the phenomenon of white fragility, referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially. White fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and by behaviors including argumentation and silence.

These behaviors function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this indepth exploration, DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.

Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump, Ph.D. Mary Trump spent much of her childhood in her grandparents’ house in the heart of Queens, New York, where Donald and his four siblings grew up. She describes a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse. She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office, including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons, Fred Jr. and Donald. Numerous pundits, armchair psychologists, and journalists have sought to parse Donald J. Trump’s lethal flaws. Mary L. Trump has the education, insight, and intimate familiarity needed to reveal what makes Donald, and the rest of her clan, tick.

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.

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?

Are you ready to give back to the business community?

Now is a great time to give back to the Greater Cleveland business community and help to grow the economy. More than ever, we need mentors to work with and counsel new business startups and growing small businesses.

SCORE Cleveland needs volunteers to inspire entrepreneurs and small business owners.

SCORE is a professional, valuable expert resource that helps businesses grow at no cost to

our clients. We help entrepreneurs and small business owners by building strong, lifelong relationships through mentoring and expert resources. SCORE mentors help them to bring their ideas to fruition and achieve their dreams. Helping small business owners will help our community.

You can help people realize their dreams of small business ownership, and create commerce and jobs in our community. As a volunteer, local business professionals can help small businesses succeed. Local business professionals have a gift and should consider helping their communities by sharing their knowledge with small business owners.

If you’re in Cuyahoga, Ashtabula, Lake, Geauga, Lorain, Erie or Huron counties, and at a point in your business career where you want to help others succeed, volunteer your expertise to help small business owners in Northeast Ohio. Volunteering is a way for you to give back, network with business experts, and share your knowledge.

To learn more, visit https://cleveland.score.org/volunteer or call 216-503-8160.

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Home Hospice Care

Keeps Families Connected During Pandemic

When someone in your family is diagnosed with a lifelimiting illness, time is more precious than ever – for them - and for everyone who loves them. Many people prefer to spend that time in the familiar comfort of their own home if they are able to do so. Hospice of the Western Reserve (HWR) can make that a reality, even in the midst of a pandemic.

Adjustments have been made to programs and services to keep everyone safe. Technology and additional safety protocols have been put into place to protect patients, families and hospice staff. These modifications allow HWR to continue to offer customized care plans tailored to each individual’s needs. Nurses still conduct in-person visits to the home during the admissions process and whenever they are needed to manage pain or other symptoms.

Hospice nursing assistants (HNAs) visit the home to help with personal care and daily living tasks, supporting each person with dignity and compassion. During their visits, nurses and HNAs always follow Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines and wear masks and gloves.

Telehealth capabilities allow nurses, social workers and spiritual care coordinators to conduct video-based visits and maintain regular weekly contact while observing social distancing protocols. Social work and spiritual care services, as well as art and music therapies, are available through video visits or telephone check-ins, and can do a great deal to provide peace of mind and enhance a loved one’s quality of life.

HWR’s support staff – available through a

24-hour help line - is skilled at supporting patients’ and families’ needs and providing expert advice. In an emergency, such as a new uncontrolled symptom, the hospice team helps families assess and manage the circumstances which may involve a visit to the home.

Laurie Henrichsen Public-Media Relations Manager Hospice of the Western Reserve LHenrichsen@HospiceWR.org www.hospicewr.org SUMMER | FALL 2020 | 11

When it is needed, HWR can also arrange short-term, intensive symptom management at David Simpson Hospice House in Cleveland or Ames Family Hospice House in Westlake.

Support for the Family Care and support are provided not only for the patient, but for the primary caregiver and the entire family. That includes bereavement support for more than a year after a loved one’s death. The agency’s Western Reserve Grief Services offers programs to anyone needing help on their grief journey. Services include virtual support groups, art therapy workshops, a private grief support Facebook page and specialized programs for grieving children.

Through HWR’s innovative new partnership with a service called Grief Coach, families can also choose to receive personalized grief support text messages during the COVID-19 crisis, a time when many of the more traditional ways of providing in-person grief support are on hold. There is no cost to families for this extra layer of support.

Are you unsure whether you or your loved one are ready for hospice care? How do you know when it is the right time to call? No one can see into the future, but here is a list of questions to ask yourself or your loved one. The answers can help you decide whether you’re ready to call for help or information.

As a patient: • Do you need help to control pain, shortness of breath or other symptoms to live more “normally”?

• Do you have more than one serious condition, like diabetes and heart disease?

• Have you been diagnosed with a serious illness that could run its course in one year or less?

• Have you been admitted to the ER/hospital several times within the last six months?

• Are you having a hard time talking to your doctor and family about your personal preferences as you consider end-of-life care choices?

As a family caregiver: • How many hours a week do you care for your loved one?

• Do you feel overwhelmed or isolated?

• Are you getting enough help from friends and family members?

• Have you been ill recently?

• Are you experiencing sleep issues?

• Are you irritable or weepy?

• Is the situation taking a toll on your personal or professional life?

• Is caregiving causing a financial strain?

If you see your situation in these questions, it may be time to call. Hospice of the Western Reserve is available to help. Speak with a member of the team seven days a week, 24 hours a day by calling 800.707.8921. An in-person visit can be scheduled the same day it is needed.

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Architect of the Soul Fusion Experience Photos by Garret Kisner

Being the youngest member of his large household, Executive Chef Tony Fortner learned early on that if he helped his mother in the kitchen, he would be able to eat while they worked, and not have to worry about having enough to eat when it was time for dinner. The extended family included six, plus two of his cousins. Tony’s mother, Mattie Adams, was then and still is, an inspiration to him. “My mother cooked everything from scratch,” he says over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. “Nothing ever came from a can.” As a child as young as seven, he started off preparing food for cooking, such as snapping green beans, to learning how to make macaroni and cheese for the whole family. “I would help her cook, and eat the whole time! By the time dinner was ready, I wasn’t even hungry,” Tony says.

Jennifer Coiley Dial Creative Director CL Magazine jen@coyleemedia.com

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The Cleveland Heights native got his first job in a restaurant, while attending high school, at 14 years old. The restaurant was called Earth by April, located at Cedar and Lee in Cleveland Heights. It was a very popular, high-end seafood and vegetarian restaurant.

Cleveland Magazine said, “When it opened in 1973, the Cleveland Heights spot aimed to be the area’s first counterculture seafood and vegetarian restaurant with a vast buffet of marinated vegetables and cold salads.” Tony started working there in 1979, and his life changed direction.

chef was born. Fortner was learning from the best chefs at the time, the “Michael Symon’s of the day,” he says, and has been working in professional kitchens ever since, including cooking during a stint in the Navy.

Chef Fortner holds an Associate in Applied Business, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management from Cuyahoga Community College, and his professional mentor was Chef Richard Fulchiron. Chef Richard, as he liked to be called, was the first person to teach Tony a great deal about himself. Chef Richard wanted Tony to learn how to plan “One Friday night, the cook didn’t show up, a menu, create recipes, size them and price and I was asked to come off of dishes and them. He said that anyone can cook, but not cook. We were making tempura vegetables everyone can create and plan a menu and run and tempura shrimp,” Tony says. “I was timid restaurant operations. in the beginning, but two hours into it, I was cooking as if I always had,” he laughs. The “He always seemed to be on my back,” Tony owner asked Tony if he wanted to move into recalls. “It was because he saw something a cook role, which paid $4.25 per hour, a nice in me that I didn’t see in myself.” Chef increase over the minimum wage of $2.65. He Fulchiron sponsored Tony’s membership in was excited and agreed. At the age of 14, a the American Culinary Federation (ACF), Meat is slow-cooked for six hours at the Cleveland location.

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an organization founded in 1929 in New York City to promote the professional image of American chefs. “Chef Richard took me to John Q’s downtown, and there were 45 white chefs there; I was the only Black one in the room,” Tony says.

“They treated me with so much respect, and always addressed me as ‘Chef.’ It blew me away. I was the first Black person in Northeast Ohio to become a certified culinarian by the ACF in 2001.” He thinks about Chef Richard for a moment. “God puts people in your path to help you.”

As executive chef of popular Southern cuisine restaurants in Cleveland, Chef Tony developed the dishes that have become the standard for soul food around town. He has owned and/or was the executive chef for Angie’s, Jezebel’s Bayou, Stonetown, Chester’s, among others, and helped to open the exceedingly popular restaurant at Shaker Square, Zanzibar Soul Fusion.

Cynthia Fortner, Co-Owner and General Manager of Southern Cafe. Bottom: Patio of Cleveland (eastside) location. Opposite page: One of the dining rooms at Lakewood location.

“People thought we were a joke when we opened Zanzibar in 2009.

One night in November, there was a snow storm, and a lady wandered in off the street. She asked us a bunch of questions about the place, and decided to stay to eat. We weren’t busy; I was reading a newspaper and my partner restaurateur Akin Affrica, was on his laptop. We thought she was a little strange,” he laughs. Chef Fortner prepared her meal, and she enjoyed it thoroughly.

Two days later, the pair received a call from Cleveland Magazine.

“That lady who came in to eat during the snow storm was one of the editors of Cleveland Magazine, and wanted to do a story on us for

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the next issue! After the story was published, Kenny Crumpton came in to do a feature, and the rest was history. We had an advertising budget of $1,500 – we didn’t need to spend a dime of it. Revenues were $1.1 million that first year, and we rode that wave of publicity for five years!” Tony says. “We were the first Black A-list restaurant in Cleveland, with our cutting edge Southern Fusion concept.

Our unique fare included Walleye Cakes, a delicious alternative to Crab Cakes using fish unique to Lake Erie/Great Lakes; and Soul Rolls, a southern take on Chinese egg rolls.”

this year, the Fortners expanded their Southern Café restaurant by opening an eastside location (Southern Café East), on Kinsman Road in the Mount Pleasant neighborhood.

“We opened the eastside location on March 1. By March 18, we were shut-down due to COVID-19.” That was unfortunate timing, but Chef Tony believes that the eastside location will eventually surpass the westside location in revenues. “There is a large office building with 300 employees located nearby, and many of them had become regulars before the shutdown.” Both locations are still boasting strong carryout service, and Southern Café’s In 2016, Chef Tony, along with his longtime catering service does very well also. wife and business partner, Cynthia, opened Southern Café West on Detroit Avenue The Fortners see their success as a way to leave in Lakewood. “It was my twist on all of behind a legacy, whether it be professional or the restaurants that I wrote menus for as personal. Tony offers this advice to anyone an executive chef – Zanzibar, Stonetown, considering taking the entrepreneurial Chester’s,” Chef Tony told Cleveland Scene not plunge: “I haven’t had a regular paycheck long after this location opened. Southern since 2006, so, don’t get discouraged when Café serves his signature fare, shrimp and times get hard, because they will. Believe in grits, fried green tomatoes, soul rolls, fried your vision, even if no one else around you does, and you will succeed.” perch sandwiches, and so much more.

The busy couple met through a mutual friend, For more information about Southern Café, and are the proud parents of six, dedicating visit their website, www.southerncafeohio.

Mondays to exclusive family time. In March of com SUMMER | FALL 2020 | 17

2020

:

Fast Forward or

I don’t know anyone who expected or predicted a year like this, but if I did I would ask them for advice on the stock market because they’re clearly from the future. The joke has been made but 2020 was supposed to be the year of perfect vision and what it delivered was a murky, muddled mess that has us asking if we can either just fast forward to 2021 or get a do-over. But there might be another option.

Do Over?

people demonstrate: Positivity: Views life as challenging but with opportunities to achieve Focus: Has a clear vision of what they want to achieve Flexibility: Bends, doesn’t break, when responding to uncertainty Organization: Applies structure, creating framework to help manage ambiguity Proactive: Engages change instead of evading it

EMBRACE CHANGE Those who embrace change and thrive when things are unpredictable demonstrate LOOK FOR THE GOOD resilience enables people to absorb high While the COVID-19 pandemic changed levels of change and still achieve results. almost everything about life as we lived it, many people discovered the good in the Truly resilient individuals influence the disruption: circumstances that surround them. By preparing themselves (and others) to better • More quality time with family absorb disruption, they increase their level of • Time to de-clutter commitment to the team and to the future. • More time to exercise And, resilience helps to reduce anxiety.

• Opportunity to intentionally restructure life There are five skills that resilient • Home DIY projects got completed Susan Garrity Bish Managing Partner Bottom Line Technologies www.bottomlinetechnologiesnc.com

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• Vegetable gardens were planted and enjoyed • Time to re-think priorities and adopt new healthy habits • Opportunity to spend more time on hobbies or start new ones

is a time when even the little things you do may make a significant difference.

What are the good things that you have experienced since March? Stop and make a list. You may be amazed at how a major disruption has provided wonderful new opportunities.

Your time and talents are what people value most. Be generous about sharing these.

Invest your resources to let others know you genuinely care about them and are sincerely interested in helping them grow professionally.

Spend the time to truly focus on others’ needs. Reflect regularly about how each individual adds value to the team and how MAKE A DIFFERENCE they might appreciate being acknowledged Some of the comments we hear a lot when for their contributions. Then take the time to working virtually with our clients: provide appropriate recognition.

• •

• •

I feel detached, lonely The work day seems to never end...

I’m always on I miss my work relationships I feel isolated

Gracious leadership tip: Say THANK YOU often. And when saying thank you, be specific about what someone did for which you are thankful.

So, my 2020 vision wasn’t perfect. But the You have an opportunity to make a positive changes that have ensued have provided difference in others’ lives every day. And now great insight!

WELD develops and advances women’s leadership to strengthen the economic prosperity of the communities it serves.

Membership in WELD provides the best opportunity to leverage our leadership programs, influential connections, and highly visible volunteer positions to propel your career or business forward.

BE THE CHANGE

Learn how WELD can benefit your career and business today! Visit us at

www.weldusa.org

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Kathryn Crestani President, Board of Directors JD Breast Cancer Foundation Day Job: Enterprise Superintendent of Biosolids and Residuals, Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District HOMETOWN: Fairview Park, Ohio EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science in Biology Kent State University (1995); Master of Business Administration, Cleveland State University (2016)

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION PROFILE

JD Breast Cancer Foundation JD Breast Cancer Foundation (JDBCF) is a small organization with a mighty mission: to provide vital resources and support to enhance breast cancer survivorship in Northeastern Ohio. Breast cancer treatment is costly and prevents challenges for individuals going through treatment. Our applicants often find themselves choosing between paying for chemotherapy prescriptions or paying for their water to stay on. JDBCF provides a solution when financial crises like this arise.

Project Lifeline, our Emergency Financial Assistance Program, helps our clients with short term, emergency financial assistance to help keep their utilities on, get groceries for their family or perhaps to prevent eviction or foreclosure.

cars, not being able to afford food, or having their utilities shut off.

Because JDBCF is an emergency funding resource, when our applicants come to us, it is because they have no other financial options. We are one of the only organizations in Northeast Ohio that provides emergency financial funding for non-medical costs, due to the financial burdens that arise from breast cancer treatment. Without JDBCF, many more individuals in treatment for breast cancer would be at risk of losing their homes and

In order to best serve the Northeast Ohio community, the JD Breast Cancer Foundation has adapted over the last 20+ years as community needs have changed and other great organizations have thrived. The Foundation currently focuses on providing short-term financial assistance to qualified individuals in Northern Ohio undergoing active treatment for breast cancer and inspiring those who have been touched by

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The JD Breast Cancer Foundation was formed in 1999 to honor Jacqueline Dobransky, a vibrant young woman who was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 33 and who passed away just one short year later in 1998.

During her illness, Jacqueline unsuccessfully sought resources and support that could help her both cope with her illness, and make decisions unique to those in her age group with tahis disease. In her memory, Jacqueline’s family and friends started the JDBCF with the goal of providing resources to younger women in Northeast Ohio undergoing treatment for breast cancer.

The JD Breast Cancer Foundation honorees

breast cancer. Many members of our Board of Directors have family and friends who are cancer survivors or who have lost their battle and recognize the importance of compassion and support.

JDBCF accepts applications

for assistance year-round, responding to them within a month. Applicants must live in Northeast Ohio, be in active treatment for breast cancer or have completed treatment in the last twelve months and demonstrate financial need. In 2019, 43 people received assistance from JDBCF, totaling more than $30,000. Applicants find the organization through social workers at local hospitals, or through the website: JDBreastCancer.org.

The organization receives its funding through grants and personal gifts. Donating through the website is easy. JDBCF also holds fundraising events, which are advertised through the website and through social media. The Foundation aims to support women and local business. Past fundraisers have highlighted women-owned wineries at a wine tasting, local artists and small businesses in auctions, and are always held at locally-owned venues.

Many of the clients served by JDBCF are people living close to the edge in the best of times. Breast cancer diagnosis and treatment can push them over the edge into shutoff and eviction notices easily. Working during treatment is often impossible, with compromised immune sys-tems and physical fatigue and weakness causing people to lose their ability to make a living. Many applicants do not have family or other support systems who can help financially. Often they have young children, which causes further stress as they try to provide for a family while being sick from radiation or chemotherapy. Treatment can be expensive and can wipe out life savings. JD Breast Cancer is privileged to be able to step in and assist.

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Cleveland Public Library Offers Support to Students and Teachers

The Library provides resources and programs to assist students, families, and educators with in-person and at-home learning Whether virtual or in-person, school is back in session. To help children, families, and educators, Cleveland Public Library is offering resources and programs to enhance the learning experience, complement lesson plans, encourage reading and learning, and spark curiosity.

“Cleveland Public Library wants everyone to succeed this school year,” said Dr. Sadie Winlock, Chief Equity, Education & Engagement Officer at Cleveland Public Library. “COVID-19 has created so much uncertainty. Our goal at the Library is to find creative ways to provide programs and services to support families and teachers in our community during the school year no matter what form it takes.”

LOVE FOR LITERACY: Bond over books with

Storytime and the upcoming CLE Reads Young Adult (YA) Book Festival. On Friday, December 4, CLE Reads YA Book Festival returns with a day of amazing authors and panel discussions.

In partnership with Cleveland NOW, this year’s festival is virtual from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. but its mission is the same – to promote literacy and foster a love for reading p.m. but its mission is the same – to promote literacy and foster a love for reading among kids and young adults. Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, author of Stamped, headlines this year’s festival along with Kim Johnson who wrote This is My America, and the author of Darius the Great is Not Okay, Abid Khorram. Attendees are encouraged to register at clereads2020.eventbrite.com.

Storytime is now available to watch or listen. Library staff, community Kelly Woodard Manager, Communications Cleveland Public Library www.cpl.org

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partners and local celebrities recorded children’s books to help families introduce their children to the joys of reading. Storytime can be viewed on cpl.org and our Youtube channel. Starting Monday, September 21, Dial-a-story will allow children to explore books using their imagination.

That magic is as close as their phone. Call (216) 777-6500 to hear a recording of classic children’s stories, jokes, and poetry. Library Branches will also host virtual storytimes. Dates and times are listed on our online calendar.

KINDERGARTEN READINESS: Families no longer

must wait until the summer to participate in Kindergarten Club. Now called the Young Scholars Academy, starting Monday, September 21, the class to prepare children ages 3-6 and their families for Kindergarten will be held yearlong. The program will teach young learners and their families about caring and sharing, counting, alphabets, and more using fun activities both online and at our neighborhood branches.

Registration is now underway.

HOMEWORK HELP/TUTORING: For students who need assistance with homework or seek tutoring to boost their confidence in a certain subject can visit here. Starting Monday, September 21, Cleveland Public Library will offer FREE virtual tutoring for students in grades K – 12. Tutoring sessions will be held Monday – Thursday from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. Registration is required.

TEACHER TOOLKIT: Cleveland Public Library has

support services for educators too. Our Gale

Platinum Transportation CLE, LLC

Call today 216.695.0911 Luxury service for less

Library resources offers curriculum-aligned digital content to help teachers support their students inside and outside the classroom. Teachers can apply for an Educator Card to access our collection of age-appropriate reading materials and educational movies, music and more.

SNACK TIME: All that learning and studying can make kids

hungry. Kids’ Café is back in session. In partnership with the Greater Cleveland Food Bank, the Library will provide nutritious grab-and-go meals for children up to age 18.

Families should call their local branch for meal delivery times.

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: Science lovers can get inspired

and pique their curiosity at Cleveland Public Library. We’re accepting applications now for STEM @ Home, our virtual science class. The FREE, online robotics and coding courses are for kids and teens in grades 3 – 12. Students will receive a supply courses are for kids and teens in grades 3 – 12.

Students will receive a supply kit with everything they will need to build, program, and control mini robots. STEM @ Home will be held Tuesday - Thursday, September 21 December 21 from 4 p.m. – 5 p.m.

Can’t make it to STEM @ Home? No problem! Youth patrons can pick up a Science Fair project kit at the Glenville Branch.

All STEM projects will go on display at the Glenville Branch Science Fair on Wednesday, September 30 at 4:30 p.m.

Students can also hang out at the Best Buy Teen Tech Center at our Rockport Branch. It’s a place where kids and teens, ages 10 - 17, can explore their interest in innovative careers using cutting-edge technology. The space provides professional recording, mixing, editing, and video equipment, green screen, vinyl cutters, sewing machines, button makers, and 3D printers. The Best Buy Teen Tech Center also offers virtual programming. Follow us on Instagram @ teentechatcpl.

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These programs will help prepare students for Maker Faire on Saturday, November 7. The greatest showand-tell on Earth is virtual this year.

Maker Faire celebrates innovation and provides hands-on, interactive fun of all ages. Engineers, artists, scientists, and crafters will show off their gadgets and mind-blowing inventions. Event updates and a list of makers can be found here. Gaming enthusiasts of all levels can put their skills to the test with CPL Play. The virtual gaming and esports program expose people to everything from new video games to board games. CPL Play is hosting monthly gaming, workshops, and livestreamed events on Cleveland Public Library’s Twitch.tv channel from 2 p.m.

– 6 p.m. Check out our website for the CPL Play schedule.

AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES: Students

can showcase their talents in a multitude of arts programs. From theatre to dance, singing and art, Cleveland Public Library has a program for children of all ages thanks to a few of our community partners including Arts-Inspired Learning, Art Therapy Studio, Project Art and Tri-C Vocal Arts Mastery. Families can also visit their favorite neighborhood branch for grab-and-go activities and crafts.

Library Branches will provide materials for students to take home and then join their friends and librarian online for a fun study break. Ready for a break from studying? We can help with that too. Our digital collection offers movies, music, and other streaming entertainment. Check it out here.

There’s so much more to do and see at Cleveland Public Library. The key to discovery is a library card. Apply for one now to read, explore, and learn.

For information on our programs and resources, visit here or call the nearest Cleveland Public Library branch near you.

WE ARE STRONG TOGETHER