Erin Dickerson’s Prayer
November is upon us. With November comes falling leaves, cooler temperatures, and longer nights. November also brings with it a season of thankfulness, a time to be grateful, and the opportunity to reflect on our blessings.
Lord,
As we struggle with the lengthening darkness of night, help us to reflect on all that you have provided us and to be grateful and give thanks.
Amen.
Volunteer Signups Available Online with the Virtual Clipboard
Did you know that you can now sign up to volunteer or to take part in social events using a simple online registration form right from your phone or PC? The Member Calendar has a complete list of upcoming volunteer opportunities and social events.
Announcements
- Evelyn Griffin announced that the TOP Optimist Club is still selling Poinsettias. They have red blooms in 6.5” pots, with a green decorative pot cover. All proceeds benefit the community programs and projects conducted by our TOP Optimist Club. The TOP Optimist Club is sponsored by the Centerville Noon Optimist Club. Order using the Member Calendar.
- Greg Griffin announced that tree lot delivery day is November 18, 2023, at 8 AM. They need everyone’s help. No need to sign up, just show up behind the Centerville BMV. The process will be done by 11 AM and your reward is a buffet of around 20 chilis and soups. There will also be donuts available.
- Beth Duncan is looking for twenty or more people to bring a hot chili or soup on November 18, 2023, to the tree lot. All soups should be delivered to the trailer hot and in a crock pot by 9am. Signup using the Member Calendar.
- Christy Gariety announced that for Adopt-a-Family she still needs a few more people to donate money or gifts. She has started the process of assigning children to donors. She needs volunteer shoppers to use the money donated by people who preferred not to shop. Wrapped gifts need to be dropped off by November 30, 2023, at Cline Elementary. Register to participate using the Member Calendar.
Brigid’s Path, Jane Snyder
Joan Cordonnier introduced Jane Snyder, the Community Engagement Manager of Brigid’s Path. Jane is the first employee of Brigid’s Path, which started in 2017 in Kettering, Ohio. Jane loves to talk about the good work that they are doing with babies and families impacted by addiction.
The Brigid’s Path website has a lot of information not in the article.
Mission
Brigid’s Path improves the health of newborn babies and mothers impacted by addiction. We offer grace for the past, support for the present, and hope for the future.
About Brigid’s Path
Since they welcomed their first infant in December, 2017, Bridgid’s Path has cared for 240 babies and families in the crisis of addiction. They are the first facility in Ohio to offer in-patient, home-like treatment. Brigid’s Path offers support for families facing addiction with compassion, care and guidance.
Brigid’s Path takes care of infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). NAS is a group of behavioral and physical conditions a baby experiences when withdrawing from exposure to drugs in the womb. Brigid’s Path can keep most of the babies they help from having to enter the foster care system. Over the years research has shown that NAS infants are better off receiving smaller amounts of food per feeding that is given more times each day than would be given to a healthy infant.
They help infants and mothers. They teach moms how to be successful moms and they help mothers get treatment for their alcohol or drug addictions. They care for babies for up to ninety days.
Parents can stay at the facility if they are in a recovery program. They can visit during the day even if they are actively using drugs.
Brigid’s Path employs the latest therapeutic techniques – both medicinal and nonpharmacological – to help babies be as comfortable as possible while they experience withdrawal. They use a wholistic approach to help mom and baby in a non-confrontational way.
The team at Brigid’s Path has nurses, nurse practitioners and counselors for the parents. There is a one nurse to two baby ratio and a one volunteer cuddler to one baby ratio.
There are only five newborn recovery programs in the entire nation. Ninety percent of the babies in the last year that come to Brigid’s Path leave with a member of their family, which could be mom, dad, grandparents, cousins, or other relatives.
The current demand for their services exceeds their capacity. In the past eight months, unfortunately, they have had to say no to some families. The timing is sometimes off. They have asked Children’s Services to find a way to get some of the babies that are ready to leave Brigid’s Path to be placed elsewhere.
How Brigid’s Path Started
In 2014, founder Jill Kingston and her husband wanted to foster an infant. They were told there would be a long wait for an infant. They were lucky and in three hours received a call to foster an infant boy. The challenge. However. was the boy had NAS and was going through withdrawal. They accepted the challenge.
Jill carefully fed him, but he threw up and aspirated and, after what seemed like an eternity, he recovered from the aspiration. Jill knew she was in over her head but also felt called to this purpose even though she had no medical training.
Jill figured out that the baby was doing much better by swaddling and carrying the baby pretty much 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She also fed the baby much less at a time and more often.
After two weeks with the first infant, they were offered and accepted another infant with NAS.
Jill thought there had to be a better way than a hospital NICU to help infants and their families handle the crisis of addiction. Before Jill stepped up, there was no training for foster families of NAS infants. Families of Infants sent to foster families with NAS had no contact with their babies. Brigid’s Path has the family meet the foster parents.
This experience led her to start Brigid’s Path, the first newborn recovery center in Ohio. They went to West Virginia to visit Lily’s Place to learn how they were helping infants with NAS.
As Jill was learning and figuring out her plan, Dayton, Ohio was the epicenter of the Opioid and Heroin epidemic. Doctors and nurses told her the services Brigid’s Path would offer were very needed.
Medicaid Funding is Coming
Their 12,000 square foot facility could handle up to 15 babies at a time, but for financial reasons in the past 8 months, they have only been able to handle 11 babies. The state of Ohio has earmarked some money for them outside of Medicaid.
The cost for a hospital to take care of a baby with withdrawal issues in the NICU is $6200 per day versus Brigid’s Path costs of between $1300 and $1400 per day. Medicaid is supposed to start funding them soon. They have been approved at the federal level and are waiting on Ohio. They know they will get approved; the state just has a lot going on.
How You Can Help
Their cuddler program is always looking for volunteers.
There is a fundraiser luncheon on Wednesday, December 6, 2023.
They accept donations.
Jill Kingston specifically instructed Jane Snyder to invite CNO members to tour their facility. Jane said what they do is truly magic, and we should come and see.
This page lists ways to help and items they need.
Previous Blog Entries in CNOtes about Brigid’s Path
Brigid’s Path has spoken at CNO lunch before. This link will show you those articles.
Video from the American Idea Foundation
Paul Ryan (former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and candidate for vice-president) is the founder of the American Idea Foundation. He narrated a video that Jane showed us about Brigid’s Path. Brigid’s Path has received a grant from the American Idea Foundation.
The video Jane showed us from American Idea Foundation’s website is here.
Thank You
Thank you, Jane Snyder, for educating us about the services of Brigid’s Path.
Welcome Guests
| Guest | Guest Of |
| Bev Reno | Doug Reno |
| Branden Payton | Mike Thonnerieux |
| Denny Clark | Myron Rheaume |
| Heather Nianouris | Matt Goeks |
| Jill Kingston | Speaker |
| Lilly McAlpione | Chris McAlpine |
| Rex Farmer | Myron Rheaume |
| Russ Stewart | Mike Bevis |
New Member Readings and Inductions
| Name | Sponsor | 1st 2nd 3rd Reading or Induction |
| Tia Papp | MIke Bevis | 1st Reading |
| Laurent Muvunyi | Katie Calloway | 2nd Reading |
Happy Bucks
| Member | Reason |
| Tim Clemmer | Happy that Chris McAlpine’s daughter came today and talked to us about her Freshman fundraiser – she sounded so smart, it seems impossible that Chris is her father |
| Myron Rheaume | It has been 27 years since he was diagnosed with colon cancer |
| Myron Rheaume | $2 for his two guests |
| Gary Anderson | Always a good day when Jay McAlpine is in the room |
| Charlie Goodwin | $5 for the flower arrangement he received from the CNO Sunshine committee for his recent knee replacement |
Sergeants at Arms
| Member | Infraction |
| Joan Cordonnier | Anomalies in tallying the votes for the winners of last week’s costume contest |
| Bob Collins | For flattering the sergeants |
| Roland Rapp, Karl Frydryk, Paul Boeckman | Wearing shorts in November |
| Wayne Christie | Hasn’t been fined in a long time, well that is no longer true! |
| Paul Boeckman | New sergeant Mike Creech is paying Paul back for fining him too often |
| Nancy Lehren | Taking home her name badge and not storing it in the official name badge box |
| Karen Charnesky | Shameless self promotion. you could see her company name above her CNO name badge |
| Bob Burkman | Signing his name to a thank you note for CNO sunshine he received that clearly his wife wrote |
| Mike Thonnerieux | Only had three one dollar bills today so he only bought two 50/50 tickets in case he got fined so Sergeant Mike Creech said, “Your wish is granted, you are fined.” |
| Tim Clemmer | CNO Logo Podium sign fell down during the meeting, so he clearly didn’t train new sergeant Mike Creech well enough |
Membership Anniversaries
| Member | Joined | Years |
| Bob Vogt | November 8, 2005 | 18 |
Birthdays
| Nancy Henson | November 7 |
| JoAnne Rau | November 7 |
| Ken Irwin | November 9 |
| Dean Heyne | November 10 |
| Kelly George | November 12 |
CNO Donations – Since 2013
Click here to see a summary of donations the club has made since 2013
Thank You Notes Received
CLICK HERE to see the Thank You Notes Received this week