CCPR employees furloughed – Carmel Clay Parks & Recreation was set to furlough 471 employees beginning April 18 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of the furloughed positions are part-time, although it includes 24 full-time roles. CCPR will continue to pay for health insurance for the furloughed full-time employees. CCPR is aiming to eventually return all of the furloughed employees to their positions.
Housing, utility help – Local housing agencies such are urging residents whose income has been affected by COVID-19 to contact their landlord or mortgage holder as soon as possible to discuss payment options. For those unable to continue to pay their rent and/or utilities despite government programs, a small pool of emergency funds are available locally, depending on eligibility. Those denied assistance by the township trustee or other source can reach out to the Good Samaritan Network at GSNLive.org and apply for one month of support. Utility companies also have announced forbearance during the crisis, but those fees also continue to accrue. Hamilton County residents apply for help from Good Samaritan Network’s Energy Assistance Program.
National Day of Prayer – For the first time in decades, there will not be a group observance of the National Day of Prayer on the first Thursday in May at Carmel City Hall. Instead, participants are encouraged take some time May 7 to pray individually for the nation and watch a broadcast of the national observance at nationaldayofprayer.org. Visit the site for viewing options.
Holocaust remembrance – The City of Carmel will present the 2020 Holocaust Remembrance Ceremony at noon April 24 through facebook.com/CityofCarmel. Lori Laitman, composer of Vedem, will deliver the keynote presentation about the Terezin concentration camp and the experience of those who created an underground newspaper.
Nursing home deaths – Eleven Hamilton County residents living in long-term care facilities have died as of April 14 after contracting COVID-19, according to county officials. The county declined to release specific information on deaths or identify in which facility they occurred.
Solar webinar – Hamilton and Boone County Solar Co-ops have joined forces to kick off solar education programming. A webinar will be held at 6:30 p.m. April 23 to provide solar basics and a virtual tour of a solar home in Zionsville. Participants will be able to ask questions. The webinar is free and open to the public. Register for the webinar at zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_lackqlmwQZSkFvTXC1CW9g.
Virtual forum – Citizens’ Climate Lobby is hosting a virtual town hall meeting with candidates for Indiana’s 5th Congressional District at 7 p.m. April 22. Candidates will share proposed solutions for addressing climate change and creating clean energy jobs during the nonpartisan forum. Register at zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUtdemrqTIpl-PUjv5O9LxoeQkGMK5RKg.
Poll workers needed – Many of the volunteers who work the polls on Election Day are unable to do so this year because they fall into the high-risk category for COVID-19. Hamilton County is looking for volunteers – especially teenagers and school teachers who will be out of school by the June 2 election – to help. The county needs at least 100 workers. Learn more at hamiltoncounty.in.gov.
Free laundry services – Tide Cleaners and Tide Loads of Hope are offering free laundry services to front-line responders and their immediate families during the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more about the program and find local participating stores at Hope.TideCleaners.com.
Homework help – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is extending hours for the AskRose math and science tutoring helpline this spring to help middle and high school students better understand math and science homework problems. Free homework help is available from noon to 3 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 7 to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays through a phone call, email or chat session. Connections can be made at 877-275-7673 or AskRose.org. The site also offers more than 500 resources available through videos and downloadable reference materials.
Humane Society closed – In response to the increasing concern with the COVID-19 pandemic, the Humane Society for Hamilton County has closed to the public and has ceased adoptions. The HSHC will continue accepting any of the county’s lost, stray or unwanted animals. To surrender an animal, bring in a stray or look for a lost pet, call 317-773-4974. HSHC hours will be 8 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m. The HSHC is asking for monetary donations or donations from its wish list available at amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/1MGI1R3B4ZZSF/ref=cm_sw_su_w.
Orr Fellowship winner – Elizabeth Johns of Carmel is among five DePauw University seniors to receive an Orr Fellowship, which will place them in jobs in Indianapolis for two years after graduation. Johns will work for Greenlight Guru, which designs software for medical device companies. She is majoring in English writing with a minor in political science.
Art competition – The office of U.S. Rep. Susan Brooks is seeking submissions from high school students in the 5th District for a chance to have their artwork displayed in the U.S. Capitol Building for one year. Submissions are due by 5 p.m. May 21. For competition details, visit susanwbrooks.house.gov/services/art-competition.
Newcomers Club – Newcomers Club of Carmel, a nonprofit social club, connects its members with friends, engages in fun activities and explores the community. Monthly activities include a welcome coffee, a luncheon event and 32 interest group meetings. Membership represents Carmel, Westfield, Fishers, Noblesville, Zionsville and Indianapolis. For more, visit carmelnewcomers.com or call 317-564-8349.
ALO team grows – Alison Melton, who has worked in commercial real estate for nearly 20 years, has joined ALO Property Group as vice president of retail. She began her career in property management and transitioned into brokerage after working for a local developer. She was with an international brokerage company, before joining ALO Property Group. Alison has lived in Indianapolis for 20 years and volunteers for the United Way ReadUp Program.
Stratford now hiring – Carmel retirement community The Stratford is looking to hire qualified workers amidst current unemployment trends. To support those who are looking for new careers, the community has set up a dedicated hotline to speak directly to the community’s HR director as a quick way of connecting. Additionally, the team has implemented Daily Pay, a way to cash out the hours that have been worked that day. The Stratford offers benefits including medical, dental, vision insurance, wellness program, flexible PTO options, emergency loan options and more. For more, call 317-342-9009 or apply online at Stratford-living.com/careers.
Paralegal joins firm – Carmel-based Hollingsworth Roberts Means has added paralegal Kim Achs to the firm. Her primary focus will be with the divorce and family law team. Achs previously worked at Faegre Drinker. She graduated from Sinclair Community College. Achs and her husband live in Greenwood with their two daughters.
Virtual job fair – INDOT will host a virtual job fair from 10 to 11 a.m. April 16 for more than 1,000 construction and related positions. The program will cover what INDOT does, benefits in working for INDOT, how to apply for jobs and details about specific jobs available in four main areas: summer seasonal state workers, highway maintenance techs, equipment mechanics and construction engineers. To register for the job fair, visit attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/7684424500148015117.
Goodwill emergency fund – The Goodwill Foundation of Central & Southern Indiana has created a COVID-19 emergency fund to provide critical support for the most immediate needs of the thousands of employees, students and families served by Goodwill. Donors can contribute to the fund at goodwillindy.org/donatenow. The Goodwill Foundation will match donations to the emergency fund, $2 for every $1 donated, up to $500,000 in matching funds. For more information and to donate, visit goodwillindy.org/donatenow.
MetroNet announces relief plan – MetroNet Fiber recently announced a COVID-19 relief plan to help customers during a time when they need reliable internet more than ever. As demands for faster connections and more bandwidth have increased, MetroNet is allowing residential customers to increase to the next level of speed at no cost. The company is also waiving installation fees for new residential customers. Business customers will receive free remote phone system capabilities for 60 days to enable companies to continue running seamlessly while teams transition to working from home. In an effort to support local restaurants, MetroNet is sponsoring daily lunch carry-out for associates Learn more at metronetinc.com/wp-content/uploads/19-ways-MetroNet-is-helping-communities-final.pdf.
Plasma can help COVID-19 patients – As coronavirus or COVID-19 continues its spread across the globe, Versiti Blood Center of Indiana has begun collecting plasma from recovered COVID-19 patients throughout Indiana to help treat those diagnosed with the virus. This blood-related treatment, approved by the FDA as an emergency investigational new drug, could offer hope to the hundreds of patients who continue to be diagnosed. This treatment would be used by hospitals for the most severely affected patients. For more, visit versiti.org/Indiana.
Hospice volunteers needed – Anew Hospice is recruiting volunteers to visit patients in facilities in Carmel, Noblesville and elsewhere in the Indianapolis area. Volunteers provide assistance by listening and reminiscing, comforting, reading and playing music. For more information, call 317-300-2292 or visit AnewCare.com.
