Indiana Nature Preserves

Portland Arch | Portland Arch (or Natural Bridge) is located… | Flickr

As “shelter-in-place” orders are loosened, you may be feeling the yearnings for an outdoor experience.  We have dozens of nature preserves in Indiana that offer many different opportunities.  Hikes to arches, waterfalls, historical sites, as well as other experiences await.  Usually, you will find the nature preserves less heavily visited than Indiana State Parks.

www.in.gov/dnr/naturepreserve/4698.htm

Expanded COVID-19 Testing Available

Effective this week:

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indiana is opening up COVID-19 testing to more Hoosiers, with expanded criteria and new testing services at 20 sites around the state.

The Indiana State Department of Health has tested more than 87,000 people at drive-thru clinics and with strike teams, Dr. Lindsay Weaver, chief medical officer of ISDH, said in a Tuesday press briefing with Gov. Eric Holcomb. The eligible groups for that testing up until Tuesday had been symptomatic essential workers and their households, as well as symptomatic people with underlying conditions that make them high risk.

As of Tuesday, that testing expands to include any Hoosier with virus symptoms, people in close contact with those who have tested positive and residents of congregant communities.

Over the next week, 20 testing sites at Indiana National Guard armories will open across the state, as part of a partnership with OptumServe Health Services. Those sites are expected to be able to test as many as 100,000 people in the first 30 days. In the next two weeks, the testing is set to expand to 50 sites around the state, Weaver said.

Each Indiana National Guard armory site will be open at least eights hours per day, Monday through Friday.

People who want to be tested at these sites are encouraged to sign up online, but a call-in line will also be available, Weaver said. Weaver did not provide a web address or a phone number during the press conference.

To sign up online, users will self-report symptoms in the Optum online screening tool and register to be assigned an appointment date and time. That registration portal will open 48 before a testing site opens, Weaver said.

No one will be charged for testing, and you do not have to have insurance to be tested. People who have private insurance are asked to bring their insurance information with them to the testing, she said.

Test results should be available within 48 hours and will be provided to both the person tested and ISDH. People who test negative will receive a text or email. People who test positive will receive a phone call, she said.

When all 50 sites around the state have opened, up to 30,000 people will be able to be tested weekly, in addition to ongoing ISDH testing.

Weaver said OptumServe will provide all the supplies, including personal protective equipment and workers and will collect the swab specimens and manage the testing and reporting of results. The cost to the state at the time of the briefing was $17.9 million. Weaver said the hope was that a good portion of that cost would be covered by federal grants. It was not clear what span of time that testing cost covered.

The locations of the additional 30 sites to be added will be based on hot spots and needs, and the testing will continue on a month-to-month basis, Weaver said.

According to the governor’s office, about 4,400 more Hoosiers will be tested every day in the initial phase of Optum testing. And when all 50 sites are open, as many as 6,600 more Hoosiers can be tested per day.

Indiana opens up COVID-19 testing to all Hoosiers with symptoms

Indy Parks Free Meals

While city park programming is cancelled due to COVID-19, free food options remain available at many Marion County locations.

  • Open to ALL kids 18 and under
  • Second Helpings is providing sack lunches for adults
  • Available Monday – Friday
  • Locations (listed below) are all around Marion County
  • No registration necessary – completely FREE

Printable Copies of the Free Meal Schedule:English & Spanish

www.indy.gov/agency/department-of-parks-and-recreation

Community Narcan Training

CROWN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION Community Narcan Session

About this Event

The sessions will train lay responders (drug users, friends, and family members) on how to reduce overdose risks, recognize signs of an overdose, access medical services, and administer Narcan Nasal Spray; in addition to taking other action (e.g., rescue breathing and contacting emergency medical assistance).

After being trained, each participant will be eligible to receive an overdose prevention kit, which includes instructions and a needle-free nasal spray filled with Naloxone Hydrochloride. Participants will also receive a toolkit booklet with resources and referral information pertaining to substance use disorder treatment.

Training provided by: Marion County Public Health Department Substance Use Outreach Services

Date And Time

Tue, March 17, 2020

6:30 PM – 7:00 PM EDT

CROWN HILL NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

3549 Boulevard Place

Fueling up for After-school Sports

kids playing soccer - 15 Fueling Snacks to Take to Your Child

When your little league baseball player or soccer star says, “Your turn to bring snacks,” stress can inadvertently be added to your already hectic day. But, it doesn’t have to when your snack game plan provides nourishing, tasty choices for the hungry kids.

Providing snacks that fuel up, not bog down, rising athletes is a chance to teach kids the proper way to get energy for sports while, at the same time, showing them how much you care. So, instead of reaching for candy or heading to the drive-thru, stop to consider the reasons for snacking and try these suggestions.Snacks serve several purposes for active kids, including:

  • Providing energy (calories) to help working muscles power through activity.
  • Supplying fluids for hydration and to keep the body cool.
  • Providing nutrients for growth and development.
  • Promoting recovery after hard exercise.

In addition, snacks should be easily digested so blood flows to the muscles during exercise and not to the gut in order to digest a heavy, greasy snack.

Depending on the time of the game, different snacks meet different needs. Here is a guide to choosing snacks based on game day and time.

After School Games

Many kids have early lunch periods during school, so they might start the game hungry. A good after-school snack provides quality carbohydrates and protein for quick energy and a satisfied tummy. Consider packing your cooler with these nourishing options:

  • 6-ounce cartons of a variety of fruited yogurt or yogurt in a tube
  • Peanut butter or almond butter sandwiches with natural fruit jam
  • Turkey and/or cheese wraps cut into 1-inch slices for easy finger food
  • Low-fat string cheese and mini pretzels
  • Bottles of cold water or pitchers of cold water with lemon (cold water helps lower body temperature in active athletes)

Weekend Morning Games

Muscle fuel can be very low after an overnight fast. Therefore, if you are rushing out the door to make it to a morning game, consider serving breakfast foods that kids love:

  • A mini cinnamon-raisin bagel with flavored cream cheese
  • English muffin sandwich with a slice of lean ham and/or reduced-fat cheese
  • Greek yogurt with a variety of toppings (homemade granola, chopped almonds or walnuts, dried fruit)
  • Fruit and yogurt smoothies
  • Cartons of low-fat milk with baggies full of cereal
  • 100-percent fruit juice boxes

After the Game

Post-game snacks should help to replace muscle fuel lost in exercise and replenish fluids without ruining kids’ appetite for the next meal. Consider:

  • Air-popped popcorn sprinkled with Parmesan cheese
  • Low-fat plain milk
  • Banana, orange slices or apple slices (dipped in orange juice to prevent browning)
  • Whole-grain granola bars

Providing snacks is a part of every parent’s job, so choose wisely and help your child succeed on the field, in the classroom and life.

www.eatright.org/fitness/sports-and-performance/fueling-your-workout/15-fueling-snacks-to-take-to-your-childs-game

No Luck Irish Run

Sunday, March 15th, 2020
Plainfield, IN
EVENT: KIDS’ DASH
Start Time: 8:30am EDT
Price: $20.00 Race Fee + $2.50 SignUp Fee
Registration: Registration ends March 14, 2020 at 11:59pm EDT
EVENT: 1/2 MARATHON
Start Time: 8:45am EDT
Price: $69 $65.00 Race Fee + $3.90 SignUp Fee
Registration: Registration ends March 14, 2020 at 11:59pm EDT
EVENT: 5K RUN/WALK
Start Time: 8:55am EDT
Price: $45 $42.00 Race Fee + $3.00 SignUp Fee
Registration: Registration ends March 14, 2020 at 11:59pm ED

Free Mammogram Screening

Free mammogram screening!

Free breast cancer screenings will be offered by Ascension St. Vincent on Saturday, March 7, 2020 from 3:00 PM – 8:00 PM EDT.

About this Event

One of the signature events surrounding the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament each year is the “Big Ten Thinks Pink” initiative, which honors breast cancer survivors and celebrates breast cancer awareness through the Pink Ribbon Connection, an organization that provides free supplies and services for breast cancer patients in Indiana. This year, the Big Ten Conference will take this initiative another step further by partnering with Ascension St. Vincent to offer free mammograms on Saturday, March 7, during Semifinal Saturday of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Big Ten is firmly dedicated to supporting services like free mammograms and working with the Indianapolis community to promote a healthy lifestyle, including preventative screenings for numerous types of cancers.

In order to request an appointment, please review the below screening guidelines to ensure you are eligible. If you are eligible, please select a time that works best for you and complete the contact form. Once the form is completed, a contact with St. Vincent will reach out to you to gather further information and provide more details.

Each participant will receive a complimentary ticket to the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament on Saturday, March 7th. Your ticket will be placed at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Will Call under your name and can be picked up on Saturday prior to the games. Additional tickets can also be purchased at that time of pickup if you have anyone attending the game with you.

Questions? Please contact Toni Horowitz at thorowitz@bigten.org

You are eligible for a screening mammogram if:

  • You are a woman age 40 or older
  • You are a woman age 31-39 with a family history of breast cancer and a referral from a physician
  • You have a current primary care physician
  • Your last mammogram was performed at least 11 months + 1 day ago
  • You must be asymptomatic for breast diseases

You are NOT eligible for a screening mammogram if:

  • You are not asymptomatic
  • You are pregnant
  • You are a nursing mother (breastfeeding must have stopped completely at least 3 months prior)
  • You have had follow-up recommendations after a previous mammogram, but never completed the follow-up recommendations
  • You have had your last screening mammogram less than 11 months ago;
  • You are between the ages of 31-39 with no history of breast cancer in your immediate family & no doctor’s referral/order
  • You are age 30 or younger
  • You have had a mastectomy or lumpectomy for breast cancer and are less than five years from the original diagnosis

Good Food Feast

Join us for a monthly community celebration including a cooking demonstration and farm fresh food pickup! The Community Controlled Food Initiative is a cooperative started by community members that brings fresh affordable food to our community and supports local farmers like Lawrence Community Gardens. Come celebrate our efforts, enjoy good food, and build with us!

Bring a friend!

CCFI food share orders are reserved on the 1st Saturday of every month and picked up on the 2nd Saturday of every month. If you missed the deadline to order, we always offer CCFI food shares for sale to walk-ins, but they do sell out!

The Good Food Feast community celebration is free! CCFI food share bags cost: For one bag of farm fresh food, you pay $20, or $15 for seniors, or $7.50 for EBT/SNAP participants who pay with their SNAP/EBT card (discounted shares available while supplies last).

Register here