We’re often so busy with education and activities outside
our homes, there aren’t many opportunities to educate children inside the home.
Enter the quarantine of 2020. Never has there been a time where we were all in
our homes for weeks at a time, without any outside activities. This time
presents many opportunities for teachable moments around the house.
Laundry.
Darks and lights. What goes in the dryer, what doesn’t. Now
is the time to teach your child some basic lessons around doing laundry to
ensure your they aren’t clueless at the laundromat their freshman year of
college. Even the youngest child can help load machines, measure detergent,
push buttons and match up clean socks (if you can find both).
Cook.
Allow your child to (safely) assist with planning, preparing
and cooking meals. Plan a cooking competition, with your child as the chef and
the rest of the family as judges, set the table and have the family dress up
for a fancy sit down dinner.
Make the bed.
This is a simple act that can set the tone for the rest of
the day. Before you make it out of your room, you already accomplished
something!
Read a map.
Because those turn by turn directions aren’t right every single
time, you’ll want you child to have the ability to understand a map, paper or
digital. Plan a scavenger hunt in your yard with a treasure at the end, and let
your child be the leader. If you have older children, give geocaching a try!
Hammer a Nail.
Learning some basic home repair skills at an early age can come
in handy (pun intended) when your child becomes a homeowner or apartment
dweller. Assist your child with hammering nails into a board, teach them how to
change a light bulb, plunge a toilet, paint a room or any other items on the
to-do list. You’ll feel accomplished to check-off your list and your child will
pick-up some great skills. It’s a win-win!
Clean the bathroom.
Much like lessons in home improvement and laundry, some
basic cleaning skills will serve as lifelong tools for your child. Ask them to
help with the dishes, pick-up toys, vacuum the rugs, clean the windows and the
bathroom. Be sure an adult supervises children while cleaning and use products
that are safe for children.
Balance a bank account.
This is a great way to teach math without having to learn elementary
school math. Create a play store, give your kids some money and help them learn
about spending and saving.
Plant a garden.
Find an area of your yard where your child can create their
garden. Work together to clean the area, remove weeds and prepare the dirt to
receive plants or seeds in the coming weeks. If you have the supplies needed,
start seeds growing in a window now. The responsibility and reward of planting
and caring for a garden throughout the summer are wonderful lessons for children
and adults alike.
Manage a schedule.
Ask you child to create their own schedule. How do they want
to structure their day? What’s important to them? Help them learn to balance
free time or play time with work time. Getting work done is important, but learning
to balance work with leisure will give them skills to manage their stress
levels in adulthood.
Due to the outpouring of support IHA has received from community members, they have setup a donation center for those who have expressed interest in donating items.
The outbreak of COVID-19 is straining our local communities and resources. While IHA currently has the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) necessary to keep frontline healthcare workers safe, donations from the community will proactively support our reserves for potential long-term challenges.
Beginning today, IHA will accept
donations of the following unused items:
N95 Masks
Disposable Face Masks
Disposable Gloves
Disposable Gowns
Eyewear
Face Shields
Donations may be made Monday through Friday between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm to: IHA Central Offices (at Domino’s Farms Office Park)
24 Frank Lloyd Wright Drive
Lobby J, Suite 2000
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
For more information on COVID-19
and how to seek care, please visit: www.IHAcares.com
Here in Michigan, schools, libraries and other facilities are closed amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Coupled with shortages in grocery stores, some families that rely on food-security programs may be struggling to feed their families. Local non-profit agencies are working hard to ensure these programs are maintained and our communities don’t go hungry. If you or someone you know needs help, scroll down for a list of food-security programs, organized by county and school district. If you are able to volunteer to help get food to those in need, or would like to donate, click here.
Washtenaw County
Ann Arbor Public Schools has set 11 locations for
free meal pickups around Ann Arbor. Breakfast and lunch packages are available
for pickup from 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM Tuesdays and Fridaysexcept
for Friday, April 3. Meals will be available on Thursday, April 2 instead.
Bryant
Community Center, 3 W. Eden Court.
Green
Baxter Court Community Center, 1737 Green Road.
Hikone
Community Center, 2724 Hikone Drive.
The
Pinelake Village Coop, outside the clubhouse, 2680 Adrienne Drive.
Lakestone
Apartments, outside the clubhouse, 4275 Eyrie Drive.
Scio
Farms, outside the clubhouse, 6655 Jackson Road.
Orchard
Grove, outside the clubhouse, 2835 S. Wagner Road.
Carpenter
Elementary, outside the school, 4250 Central Blvd.
Scarlett
Middle School, outside the school, 3300 Lorraine St.
Peace
Maple Meadows Satellite, West Ann Arbor Satellite 1111 N. Maple Road.
Arrowwood
Hills Community Center, 2566 Arrowwood Trail.
For individuals that
cannot make it to one of these food pick-ups or have food allergy concerns,
call the AAPS Food Service Hotline at 734-994-2265.
Chelsea School District Food Service is providing sack breakfast and
lunch meals for students from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM on Wednesday, March 18;
Monday, March 23 and Friday, March 27 at the Chelsea High School commons
entrance. Please contact (734) 433-2208 ext. 6082 for further information.
Dexter Community Schools is implementing Drive-up pickup starting Tuesday, March 17 in the
Mill Creek Parking Lot.Drive-up pickup will be 8:00 AM – 9:30
AM and 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM every Tuesday and Friday. Each pickup will
include breakfast and lunch for 5 days’ worth per child.
Lincoln Consolidated Schools’ Lincoln Food Service is providing grab and go
meals for all students in need. Drive-through distribution begins Monday, from
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM behind the Lincoln High School East Cafe
Milan Area Schools will run its usual bus route to get meals to families
starting Tuesday, March 17. Additionally, a drive-through site will be
available between 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM at Paddock Elementary. Information
regarding further food service distribution will be available Wednesday
morning.
Saline Area Social Services is distributing pre-packaged
groceries to families 10:00 AM – 2:30 PM Tuesday and Thursday in its
parking lot at 244 W. Michigan Ave. Those interested in volunteering are asked
to call 734-476-7831.
Ypsilanti
Community Schools will offer a week’s worth of
breakfast and lunch to be provided from March 17 to April 2. Meals will be
handed out11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Tuesdays and Thursdays at all
six locations. Three sites will hand out meals from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM on
those days as well.
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
A.C.C.E., 1076 Ecorse
Community Family Life Center,
1375 S Harris Road
Stronger Tower Ministries, 134
Spencer Lane
Parkridge Community Center, 591
Armstrong Drive
CRC Community Resource Center,
2057 Tyler Road
4:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Community Family Life Center
Stronger Tower Ministries
Parkridge Community Center
The district is in search of volunteers to staff the six locations. Training for 24 lead volunteers is 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Monday at the district administration building, 1885 Packard St. Additional volunteers will be needed starting Tuesday, March 17. Part of the job for lead volunteers will be documenting meals served and assisting with clean up.
Livingston County
Howell Public Schools is offering food on Monday, March 23 and Monday,
March 30 from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM in the circle driveway on the north side of
Howell High School. The district will deliver meal kits to families who are
unable come during the pick-up time. If you need a meal kit delivered, please
use the following link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfvy-qr2Aye-sm8q5qozk8aBi_5dFTIyWpL0e_TLP6FXZQkeQ/viewform
Fowlerville Community Schools is partnering with Gleaners’ Community Food Bank to distribute food to their students’ families on Thursday, March 19th and Thursday, April 2nd at the Fowlerville High School. Any member of a student’s family can come to the main entrance of the high school from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. Approximately two weeks of food for each student will be distributed. There are other resources available to support families during this time as well. Breakfast sandwiches are being distributed at Kodet’s Hardware. Visit their Facebook page for more information. Lunch is being distributed at the Torch 180 at 131 Mill Street. Click here for more information. Families in need of support could also call the Family Impact Center at (517) 223- 4428.
Brighton Area Schools’ Student Nutrition Department has donated a
large quantity of unused food to Gleaners for distribution to families during
the shutdown. Gleaners’ Shared Harvest Pantry will be open by appointment only.
The pantry will offer a drive-up service with a box of food; and may include
meat, fresh produce, toilet paper and laundry soap as supplies are available.
For more information, call (517) 548-3710.
The Salvation Army will provide sack
lunches Tuesday-Friday next week from Noon to 1 PM at the following locations:
Tuesday: Lakeshore Village Apartments 2812 Ontario Ct, Howell, MI 48843
Wednesday: Grand Plaza Apartments 401 S Highlander Way, Howell, MI 48843
Thursday: Prentis Estates Apartments1103 S Latson Rd, Howell, MI 48843
Friday: Howell Estates, 515 Mason Rd, Howell, MI 48843
Brighton Area Schools will also be continuing their “Blessings in a
Backpack” program through BAS by distributing food in the BECC parking lot
during the next three Tuesdays from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM. This will be a drive
through pick up process. If you need additional support, please email Starr
Acromite at acromis@brightonk12.com or call (810) 299-4040.
Pinckney Community Schools will be offering breakfast and lunch food Thursdays from 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM. Food will be distributed in front of pathfinder school at the main office entry. They ask that all parents and students remain in their vehicles as the food is brought to their car. Two-day portions will be provided at each distribution. Electronic forms are currently being developed so that they can deliver food personally. Pinckney Community Schools will offer a mobile food pantry Wednesday, March 18th from 5:00PM – 6:00 PM in the district transportation garage.
Whitmore Lake Public Schools is providing grab and go breakfast and lunches Monday through Friday. Breakfast can be picked up 8:00 AM – 9:00 AM, and lunch is picked up from 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM at the front doors of Whitmore Lake Elementary School, 1077 Barker Road, Whitmore Lake, MI. To help plan for the right amount of food, parents are asked to fill out this form. If your family is unable to pick up the meals, but still are in need of assistance, you canfill out this form
Oakland County
Clarkston Community Schools is partnering with Chartwells School Dining
to provide free breakfasts and lunch to families in need. Students ages 18 and
younger (or 26 and younger if an Adult Transition Services student) can pick up
food Monday through Friday at the following locations and times:
CURBSIDE PICK-UP AT:
Andersonville Elementary School
10350 Andersonville Road
Daily pick-up from 11am-12:30pm
Sashabaw Middle School
5565 Pine Knob Lane
Daily pick-up from 11am-12:30pm
Clarkston Junior High School
6595 Waldon Road
Daily pick-up from 11am-12:30pm
CCS FOOD SERVICES TRUCK IN PARKING LOT AT:
Bridgewater Park Apartments
5801 Bridgewater Dr.
Daily pick-up from 11:30am-12pm
Clintonvilla Mobile Home Community
4851 Clintonville Rd.
Daily pick-up from 12pm-12:30pm
Independence Woods Mobile Home Community
2500 Mann Rd.
Daily pick-up from 11am-11:30am
Clawson Public Schools is collaborating with Chartwells dining
services to offer a free brown bag breakfast and lunch program to all members
in the community from Monday to Friday 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM or 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
at Clawson Middle School.
Novi Community School District will provide grab and go breakfast and lunches for students aged 18 and under and students with IEPs up to age 26 on Tuesday March 24 and Tuesday March 31. Seven days of food will be provided each week. Food will be provided for each student in the family. Families can pick up the food in the Novi High School Taft Road parking lot. It is a drive through process in the bus loop area. Families can pick up food between the hours of 9:00 AM and 1:00 PM. There are also two mobile drop off areas in the community. One in the Novi Ridge Apartments and the other in the Pavilion Court. Food will be delivered to the clubhouses via a Novi Community School District
bus in both locations between 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM. Children do not have to be
present.
Pontiac School District will deliver meals to designated stops along each bus route starting Wednesday, March 18 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. For full details click here.
South
Lyon Community Schools’
students are eligible to receive breakfast and lunch for seven days on each
pickup date listed below. Students do not need to be present. This program will
be a pickup and go program. Families will pull up to the main entrance of the
respective school building and volunteers will come to your vehicle to ask how
many children you will be feeding. At that time, they will bring the prepacked
breakfast and lunch food to your vehicle. Wednesday, March 18; Wednesday, March
25 and Wednesday, April 1. The locations include:
South Lyon High School 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Kent Lake Elementary 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Dolsen Elementary 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Salem Elementary 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm
Southfield Public Schools is working with SFE and First Student to offer up to two meals per day to all children ages 18 and under for free. This includes students with disabilities, ages 18-26, with an active individual education program (IEP). Beginning Monday, March 16, meals for seven days a week will be delivered to Southfield Public Schools students and all children in the community throughout the time of the state closure of schools. Specified stops will be made from 10:45 AM – 1:30 PM daily.
Students that ride special needs buses will have meals delivered to their homes. In addition, there will be buses on standby to capture students who may miss the scheduled bus delivery or for special meals. Meals will also be distributed at Thompson K-8 International Academy (16300 Lincoln Drive, Southfield 48076) starting Monday, March 16, 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. The remainder of the week’s distribution will be 8:00 PM – 1:00 PM. Please call (248) 746-8522 for questions. Click here for the full bus stop schedule.
Troy School District is offering grab and go breakfasts and lunches every weekday from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM from March 17 to April 1 at the following locations:
Athens High School
Troy High School
Troy Career and College HS
Baker Middle School
Smith Middle School
Morse Elementary School
Troy Union Elementary
Charter Square Apartments
Rochester Villas
Somerset Apartments
The Gables of Troy
Troy Villas
For further information, please call (248) 823-5089.
Walled Lake Consolidated Schools has a curbside pickup for students in need Monday, March 23 and 30 from 1:45 PM – 3:00PM. If you are unable to pick up food, email info@wlcsd.org for delivery.
Wayne County
Dearborn Public Schools is offering free pickup breakfast
and lunch for students while school is closed for the mandatory shut down over
the next three weeks. Pickups will run daily from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM starting
March 17 at Fordson High School, Edsel Ford High School, Dearborn High School,
McCollough-Unis K-8, Salina Intermediate School and Woodworth Middle School.
Detroit Public Schools will offer Breakfast and lunch
and Academic Packets starting Wednesday, March 18 at 58 DPSCD buildings. Students
will not be allowed to enter the building.
A
“grab-and-go” breakfast will be served, Monday – Friday, from 8:00 AM – 10:30 AM
A
“grab-and-go” lunch will be served from 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM
Academic
K-8 learning packets with a focus on Mathematics, English Language Arts,
Science and Social Studies can be picked-up at the same 58 school locations
listed below.
All school locations listed below
are linked to Google Maps for directions.
Plymouth – Canton Community Schools has put
together a plan for six district sites to make breakfast and lunch meals
available on a weekly basis. Families are welcome to come pick up free meals
for all kids every Wednesday during the school closure period, starting on
Wednesday, March 18.
Each package contains both breakfast and
lunch for five days. This program is for all kids 18 years old and under, as
well as our students ages 18 to 26 who are serviced with an Individualized
Education Plan (IEP) in their community.
MEAL PICKUP SCHEDULE:
Every Wednesday during the school closure
period (starting March 18) from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
LOCATIONS:
Salem High School, 46181 Joy Rd., Canton
Starkweather Academy, 39750 Joy Rd., Plymouth
Discovery Middle School, 45083 Hanford Rd., Canton
Liberty Middle School, 46250 Cherry Hill Rd., Canton
West Middle School, 44401 Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth
Eriksson Elementary, 1275 Haggerty Rd., Canton
In addition, families may visit other
school locations to pick up meals should it be more convenient. Visit the Wayne
RESA website for a complete list of Wayne County school districts that are
offering free meal programs. For questions, contact Healthy.Meals@pccsk12.com.
Van Buren Public Schools’ Bus Service will be delivering meals from March 19 to April 10, Monday through Friday. For more information, click here.
Wayne-Westland Community Schools will be providing drive-thru breakfast and lunch for ALL students from 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM at John Glenn High School, located at 36105 Marquette, Westland, MI on the following dates: Wednesday, March 18; Monday, March 23 and Monday, March 30. Students do not need to be present Please fill out this form before you visit to indicate which date(s) you plan to attend and how many children are in your family.
Wyandotte Public Schools is offering breakfast and lunch for pickup in weekly portions
on Wednesday, March 18; Wednesday, March 25 and Wednesday, April 1 at the
Roosevelt High School main entrance parking lot from 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM.
Other services offered within Livingston, Oakland, Washtenaw, or Wayne counties
Bountiful Harvest is providing breakfast and lunches for
Livingston County children who qualify for reduced or free lunch. They will be
providing each child with enough food for breakfast and lunch for a week with
pickups once per week at 290 E Grand River Ave, Brighton, MI. Please call the
day before pickup by 5:00 PM at (810) 360-0271. People are welcome to shop the
pantry during their normal pantry hours Thursday 6:00 PM – 8:00, Friday 4:00 PM
– 6:00 PM and Saturday 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. They also serve a hot dinner Friday
night 3:30 to 5:30 and a hot breakfast Saturday morning 8-11. Takeout meals are
available. For those who do not wish to come in, they have a shopping list for
you to choose the items you want and volunteer shoppers will gather their goods
and bring them to your vehicle.
Hope Clinic is distributing hot
meals to go on Sundays, Mondays and Saturdays. It will have emergency groceries
available during operating hours. Call (734) 484-2989 to make a pantry
appointment. Visit at 518 Harriet St, Ypsilanti, MI.
SOS Community Services has pantry days from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM every Tuesday
and 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM every Wednesday at 114 North River in Ypsilanti, MI
48198. Please call for appointments at (734) 484-9945 prior to pantry day.
Walk-ins will be accepted with limited pantry access. Emergency groceries are also
available.
TeaHaus is providing free boxed lunches for AAPS
students starting Monday. The boxed meals are being handed out at Eat More Tea,
211 E. Ann St. in downtown Ann Arbor.
Palm Palace is offering free meals for kids
while schools are closed at 2370 Carpenter Road, Ann Arbor. Please call (734)
606-0706
To keep all patients safe, please do not enter an IHA facility if you have any of the symptoms of COVID-19, including, fever, cough and shortness of breath. Instead, please visit IHAcares.com/screening to complete a free COVID-19 screening or call your physician’s practice for additional medical assistance.
Things to consider when trying to achieve a healthy diet.
The crowd quiets to a dull roar as the smoke clears, and a
spotlight descends on a lone performer. The performer quickly curtseys and
begins. They reach for a porcelain plate, perch its underside lip on a pole and
begin whirling with increasing ferocity. Soon, the plate is spinning at high
speeds, perfectly balanced on the end of the thin pole. Moving slowly with eyes
above, the performer reaches for more: two plates for each hand! Three! Four!
The crowd roars as the performer nearly loses their balance, anticipating the
moment where the plates come careening down into a pile of rubble. Anxious,
spectators perch on the edge of their seats to peer at the face of the
performer. Lo and behold, a familiar face: it’s you!
Every day we attempt a plate-balancing act, albeit a bit
different than the one described above: maintaining a healthy diet. Balancing
our family’s plates with the right proteins, carbs, and veggies can feel like a
daunting or even impossible task without proper practice. Below are some considerations everyone should
take when trying to maintain the proper balance, so we all don’t come crashing
down into unhealthy lifestyles!
Portion and proportion
The food pyramid was created to understand healthy proportions of various food groups in a diet. Unfortunately, a pyramid isn’t the best shape for explaining ratios, so the food pyramid went through a few makeovers over the years. In its current incarnation, the food pyramid is known as MyPlate, a dinner plate-shaped guide to understanding a balanced diet. But the challenge doesn’t end there. You could eat a totally balanced diet with the proper ratios of carbs to protein to veggies, but if you stack your plate a mile high or eat too small a meal to satisfy your needs, the end result could still be unhealthy for you. You’ve got to remember both food group balance and overall intake to achieve a healthy diet.
One bad meal is not going to undo all your hard work, and
one good meal is not going to undo a whole day of unhealthy eating. Health is a
cumulative experience. It’s a marathon, not a sprint. Think of how your meals
relate to each other. Looking back to the original plate-spinning analogy,
you’ve got to think carefully and consider the other plates you’ve already got
spinning before you grab another if you want to be successful.
Convenience
Convenience has been a constant hurdle in the lives of busy
people trying to maintain a healthy diet. Now it’s different. There are a lot
of good, convenient options at your local grocery store that just need to be
microwaved, like minute brown rice or frozen veggies. Even some fast-food
restaurants now have healthier options on the menu if you’re in a rush.
Every body is unique
Some healthy foods may not agree with your body. There is no
true “one size fits all” diet, but there are some general guidelines like
MyPlate. Your body is an engine, so try out different fuels to see what makes
your body run best. Maybe the proteins you’re eating make you run slow and
sluggish, try a plant-based protein and see if that gives you a few extra
horsepower. If excess dairy makes your engine, uh, “backfire” too frequently,
look for other options to find your calcium and vitamin D.
Framing your decisions
Look at healthy eating as what you’re choosing to
eat, not what you can’thave. It may just seem like wordplay, but
researchers have actually found that mental framing may be a factor in making
healthy food decisions. The mind is more powerful than the body, and a healthy
mind makes for a healthier body!
This weekend, we will all adjust our clocks and spring
forward, but chances are, no one will be springing anywhere for a few days. Losing
an hour of sleep can really throw off your sleep cycle leaving you groggy,
tired and most likely running late. Plus, the darker morning tricks your body
into thinking it’s not actually time to wake up. Luckily, it only takes a day
or two to adjust your internal clock to the new schedule. Although short, those
couple days can be rough, so we pulled together some quick tips to get through
daylight savings.
Clear your mornings.
The Monday after springing forward can be brutal. Maybe Tuesday,
too. It’s no small task to get up and going on an hour less sleep, and there’s
a pretty good chance you’ll be running late. If possible, block your morning schedule,
so you can ease into the day rather than rushing through the morning. If
working from home is an option, this would be a great day to do it.
Eat to sleep.
Avoid foods and beverages that interfere with your sleep. About
four to six hours before bedtime say no to sugar, alcohol and caffeine.
Go into the light!
Light suppresses the secretion of sleep-inducing melatonin. Exposing
yourself to sunlight will help with the adjustment to the time change. Open the
blinds and curtains! Let the natural light in!
Conversely, when it’s time for sleep, do not expose yourself
to light. If you get up at night to go to the bathroom, use a nightlight rather
than turning on the lights.
Turn-off when you turn-in.
Help your body adjust to the time change, by getting good sleep.
Get your mind and body ready to snooze by turning your devices off. Laying in
bed on your phone or tablet stimulates your body and brain. Read a book instead,
take a warm bath, listen to calming music, pick-up an eye mask – whatever you find
helpful in falling to sleep.
Take your hour back.
Allow yourself some extra time leading up to the time change
and try to go to bed early to make up for the hour you are about to lose. Making-up
for the lost time, ahead of time, can help your body transition into daylight
savings.
