51社区

Dr. Sarah Mahan-Hays, Associate Professor of Communication at 51社区 Eastern, and Crystal Lorimor, Executive Director of the Community Improvement Corporation of Belmont County (CIC), are among the first awardees of the COVID-19 Community Response Internal Awards offered by the Center for Campus and Community Engagement at 51社区.

鈥淲e are so grateful to the Center for Campus and Community Engagement for this opportunity for the Eastern Campus to partner with the CIC. It鈥檚 wonderful when the University and organizations like the CIC can come together to make good things happen鈥攖ogether鈥攊n our local communities,鈥� said Dr. Mahan-Hays.

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The funding will be used to provide printed health resources and purchase hand sanitizer needed for local businesses to reopen safely, which has been challenging for businesses to procure on their own.

"As I was talking to businesses in Belmont County about what they would need to reopen, the one item that was mentioned repeatedly was sanitizer," said Lorimor, who works closely with businesses and nonprofits in the community. "For small businesses, every bit helps. We have tried to find them answers, products, and resources through all of this, so they would know they were not alone."    
                                                                                                                                                                         
Community engagement is about collaborative and mutually beneficial partnerships, according to Director of the Center for Campus and Community Engagement Mary Nally. 鈥淚鈥檓 excited to have the opportunity for 51社区 to be addressing a community-identified priority during this challenging time, and for this project to strengthen the ties between 51社区 Eastern and communities in the region.鈥�

According to the CIC, over 50% of Belmont County employees work for small businesses, many of which are facing existential crises due to the financial impact of the pandemic. While reopening businesses is crucial to the local economy, reopening safely is a priority, as Belmont County has been particularly hard hit among 51社区 regional campus communities. As of Monday, May 11, Belmont County has had 258 individuals test positive, 20 hospitalizations and seven deaths, according to the Ohio Department of Health.

In their proposal, Lorimor and Dr. Mayan-Hays assert that, 鈥渇or the economy to reopen successfully, the public must have confidence that they are safe returning to these businesses. Businesses will need to contribute to that confidence by demonstrating that they are taking steps for their customers and employees to be safe. Providing hand sanitizer is just one step, but it鈥檚 a crucial step in that process to help businesses.鈥�

Additionally, Lorimor and Dr. Mahan-Hays hope that this effort will help to build stronger relationships for 51社区 Eastern and local businesses, opening the door for future collaborative high-impact experiential learning opportunities through local internships and student projects.

"We can't thank 51社区 enough for this opportunity,鈥� said Lorimor. 鈥淭hrough working with the Eastern Campus, the Center for Campus and Community Engagement, and the Small Business Development Center, we [the CIC] will be able to provide extra assistance to our clients, the businesses of Belmont County."