September 10, 2025 • 15 mins
The Mental Health & Recovery Board will give away five unique animal-themed stress relievers at this year’s fair. Each day of the fair, the Board will provide information about local mental health and substance use resources. Come by and see us in the Gold Merchants building anytime. For more information and a listing of all the Board’s upcoming events, visit us at www.ashlandmhrb.org/ or call 419.281.3139.
(Record Date: September 5, 2025)
(Record Date: September 5, 2025)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome. You're listening to the Keeping Ashland Healthy Podcast, a
podcast production of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of
Ashland County, Ohio. Thanks for joining us and welcome back
to another episode of the Keeping Ashland Healthy Podcast. This
is David Ross with the Mental Health and Recovery Board.
Happy to be back on talking about the Ashland County Fair.
(00:26):
So the Mental Health and Recovery Board. Over the last
I would say four or five years, we've really made
a conservative effort to try to do a better job
of engaging with the community at our fairs. And one
of the ways we've done that is through I think
better giveaways.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
We try to make a reason for people to stop
by the booth. But the other thing that's happened has
been I think we've noticed in the community and maybe
in the nation less stigma around mental health substance use issues.
Some of that do to what we all went through
during the pandemic, but there is a greater recognition that
(01:05):
it's okay talk about stress, anxiety, substance use issues openly.
I think back twenty years. Yes, audience, I don't look
at but I'm that old when folks wouldn't even come
up to talk to us, you know, they were afraid
to come to the mental health table, and in fact,
we had more people coming to our booth when we
(01:28):
left it unmanned, so things have really changed. Now we
are thrilled that so many people come up to our
booth and at the Ashton County Fair we are in
the Gold Merchants Building. People feel much more comfortable engaging
in conversation talking about some of the giveaways, but also
(01:49):
the services we offer and where to get help, etc.
So it's been a wonderful change. But one of the
things that we really notice enjoyed was our stress Cow.
So the stress cow giveaway, you know, was so popular
and we wanted to think of a way this year
(02:11):
to just celebrate the hard work and the dedication of
all the four age students, the family members, everybody that
supports our four h young people, that we said, let's
go all in with these stress relievers. So we have
assembled a herd of stress relievers. So what we did
(02:33):
was we've got five different animal stress relievers that we're
going to be rolling out at different days of the fair,
and we try to coincide the animal with that animal
that's being shown, you know at the fair. So let
(02:54):
me go through some of these different days, and again
we're only going to offer them on that day. So
you see what I'm doing here. I want you to
come to our booth multiple times. On Sunday we will
have our stressed chicken, so stop by on Sunday if
you want to get the chicken. Monday we're giving away
our stress sheep. Tuesday it's picks. Stress Picks on Tuesday
(03:21):
is the big giveaway. On Wednesday the stress horse, so
horses are given away on Wednesday, and then last but
not least, on Thursday, the stress cow the original. So
you know, not only stop by cheer on our amazing
four age exhibitors, but collect the entire herd if you can,
(03:44):
and if you can't make it, send a friend, a
family member, say go get my stress pig. So our
hope is that in addition to the stress animals, you'll
find some additional information at our booth that you'll find interesting.
So a few other groups that again we're out there
(04:07):
all week. We're in the Gold Merchant's building towards the
back is depending on which way you come in. If
you come in one side, we're all the way in
the back by the door on the left hand side,
but if you come in that way, we're right there
on the right when you come in. So it depends
on which way you come into the Gold Merchant's building.
(04:27):
But you can't miss us, especially because we're going to
have a big banner with all our stress animals on
it behind our booth, and we have friendly board members
and contract partners and other volunteers at our booth. Yes,
we will have fair information. We'll even have some signs.
You may want to pick up your sign as you're
leaving so you don't have to lug that through the
(04:49):
fair with you, but that would be great pr for us.
If you'd like to do that, feel free. But if
you want a levy sign or other levey information, feel
free to stop buy and get that. But we're going to,
you know, try to call attention to some of the
populations that we've noticed some of the more challenging outcomes
(05:10):
with to try to do more to focus in so
our veterans. We've got some gifts and specific give ways
that we think might be helpful to our veteran community,
and just talking about the resources like the landing zone
that meets over at the Professional building, so stop buy
for some of those and those will be available every day.
(05:31):
We've got some notepads in our red, white, and blue
wrist bands and seniors. That's another group besides veterans, that
we really wanted to focus in on. So we've got
some puzzle books, things that engage the mind. We know
from the best available research that one of the best
(05:53):
protective factors as we age is to stay involved mentally
and physically. I've had the opportunity to speak to several
of the Golden Center groups. I'm not done yet, I've
got a few more. But every time I engage with
the Golden Centers in Ashton County, they're just wonderful people.
(06:13):
But they also they tell me, Uh, David, I feel
good because I'm I'm active, I'm doing things physically with
my body, but I'm also my mind is engaged in conversation,
in these word finds, in cards. Uh. You know, it
really doesn't matter what it is, as long as your
mind is staying active and you're connecting. You're not isolating,
(06:35):
but you're you're involved in a variety of different ways.
So we'll have some things for our seniors there also
for our farming community, Connie Butler shout out. She's one
of our board members. She has done a wonderful job
trying to be our liaison to the farm and agg community.
(06:57):
We'll have some special notepads, particularly for our farmers that
will be made available. So several groups veterans, seniors, older adults,
and are our farmers as well as our younger people.
But we are trying to target some of those those
populations that we know have some of the poorer outcomes
(07:20):
and we want to do a better job of engaging
with those different groups. So another exciting partnership that has
emerged is with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. Martha over there
is boy. She is kind of a visionary when it
comes to how to involve the community and community organizations
(07:44):
in the work of the symphony. So Martha understands that
music does impact mental health. We've had previous episodes on
the Keeping Ashland Healthy podcast where we've had on folks
that are involved with music therapy and are offering that
at at Uh Samaritan and in other places. We know
(08:07):
the impact of music on our moods, on our well
being and relieving symptoms, whether it's anxiety, depression, et cetera.
It's critical. So Martha being involved with the symphony, she said, David,
you know, we understand that sometimes the cost of attending
(08:29):
a symphony event can be a barrier for some folks.
So she is offering, you know, free entry to the symphony,
and we're going to have some of those tickets available
at the booth during the fair and throughout the year.
But these are basically an opportunity for folks that maybe
(08:52):
wanted to go to the symphony but could not because
of finances. You know, there's so many things. The price
of things have gone up, so it is more and
more challenging. Some of these what some might call extras
have to be put to the side temporarily. Well, you know,
Martha I want to try to overcome that, and we
(09:12):
agree with her, so we're partnering with her as well
as apple Seed, a CADA and Catholic charities. They also
have these tickets. So if you would like to attend
the symphony, and again there's no limit on how many
times you can go, stop by the booth for that.
We can talk to you more about that. The only
thing Martha is asking, and I think it's very reasonable,
(09:34):
is if you do take a ticket and you do attend.
We've made it really easy to give us feedback. What
did you think? That's all we're asking for. Just did
you enjoy it? Did you not enjoy it? What impact
you put it in your own words. So when you
pick up the ticket, there'll be a QR code, there'll
be a pretty simple way to give us feedback. And
(09:56):
again all anonymous, but Martha wants to be able to
demonstrate her board and others, you know, the positive impact
that that effort is having on individuals and families in
the community, So there will be information. You know, each
day of the Ashton County Fair has got a different theme,
(10:18):
so obviously our giveaways are going to try to match that.
So again, you know, for on Kid's Day, we have
some of our more fun kid themed giveaways. Also, we
try to schedule it such that our community liaisons, our
school community liaisons are working the booth primarily on Friday,
(10:39):
so stop by and see your favorite liaison. My understanding
is a lot of the school districts allow the kids
at least sometime perhaps on that Friday to get out
to the fair, if not at other times throughout the week.
So I mean we are going to be there. I
cannot believe I'm recording this in advance of the fair.
I'm hoping and that'll drop a few days before the
(11:02):
fair starts. But it is going to be here very soon.
I believe it starts on the fourteenth of September. So
hopefully you're ready for the fair and we would be
thrilled if you can stop by in the Gold Merchant's
building and see the Mental Health and Recovery Board. I
will be out there, Sandy and Patty. Maybe Patty, you
(11:23):
know she's working on the finances. I don't know if
they sh'll want to come out, but you will definitely
see all our board members, our agency partners at Apples
de Cada and Catholic Charities, other local partners that have
agreed to work the booth with us. Just say hi.
You don't even have to take a stress pig if
you don't want to, but who wouldn't want to, You
(11:46):
can just stop buy and say hello. I'll have some
Keeping Ashland Healthy mugs in case you would want one
of those. They're really good, but it's got that doctor
Ashley on it with me. Now they're a collector's item.
If you didn't hear that episode. My longtime sidekick got
a gig over at Alone College and we wish doctor
(12:07):
Ashley all the best as she's doing that important work
and training up a new generations of counselors and social workers.
But the mugs are still good. And you know, doctor
Ashley and I did almost one hundred episodes together, so
those are all available on the iHeart app or wherever
you get your podcast. You can listen to those, so
(12:30):
stop by see us. We're excited. We enjoy interacting with
the community and please understand, feedback is very much appreciated,
So whether it has to do with the levy some
of the services that are provided at our agencies, I
like hearing from folks that just have observations about mental
(12:51):
health substance use in the county. That's great feedback that
I can give to our board members or you can
give it to them directly when you see them working
the booth. Love it. I mean we, you know, part
of what we do as a mental health and Recovery
board in our county is constantly try to stay vigilant
and aware of the changing needs in our community so
(13:13):
that as we get into contract season every year that
we try to make sure we're funding the right things.
We can only know that the quote unquote right things
is if you tell us enough people, let us know
where the gaps are, where the needed increases might be,
where maybe something isn't an issue anymore but used to be, etc.
(13:34):
So we've got formal ways of doing that through needs assessment,
but these informal mechanisms of talking to folks, going to meetings,
those are still critical data points in how we go
about our work. So I'm looking forward to meeting as
many of you as possible. Just appreciate all the folks
that put on the Ashen County Fair. There's a lot
(13:57):
of hands involved as you might imagine. And again a
shout out to not only my staff and board members,
but all of the volunteers that we have helping us
work the booth. So I hope to see you all
soon at the Ashland County Fair. Get your stress animal.
Five different animals this year, but you have to stop
(14:18):
by on the different days of the fair to collect
them all. See you soon.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Thank you for listening to another episode of the Keeping
Ashland Healthy podcast.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
The podcast is a.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Production of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County, Ohio.
You can reach the board by calling four one nine
two eight one three one three nine. Please remember that
the Board funds a local twenty four to seven crisis
line through Applese Community Mental Health Center. It can be
reached by calling four one nine two eight nine sixty
one one one. That's four one nine two eight nine
(14:51):
sixty one one one. Until next time, Please join us
in keeping Ashland healthy.
Welcome. You're listening to the Keeping Ashland Healthy Podcast, a
podcast production of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of
Ashland County, Ohio. Thanks for joining us and welcome back
to another episode of the Keeping Ashland Healthy Podcast. This
is David Ross with the Mental Health and Recovery Board.
Happy to be back on talking about the Ashland County Fair.
(00:26):
So the Mental Health and Recovery Board. Over the last
I would say four or five years, we've really made
a conservative effort to try to do a better job
of engaging with the community at our fairs. And one
of the ways we've done that is through I think
better giveaways.
Speaker 2 (00:43):
We try to make a reason for people to stop
by the booth. But the other thing that's happened has
been I think we've noticed in the community and maybe
in the nation less stigma around mental health substance use issues.
Some of that do to what we all went through
during the pandemic, but there is a greater recognition that
(01:05):
it's okay talk about stress, anxiety, substance use issues openly.
I think back twenty years. Yes, audience, I don't look
at but I'm that old when folks wouldn't even come
up to talk to us, you know, they were afraid
to come to the mental health table, and in fact,
we had more people coming to our booth when we
(01:28):
left it unmanned, so things have really changed. Now we
are thrilled that so many people come up to our
booth and at the Ashton County Fair we are in
the Gold Merchants Building. People feel much more comfortable engaging
in conversation talking about some of the giveaways, but also
(01:49):
the services we offer and where to get help, etc.
So it's been a wonderful change. But one of the
things that we really notice enjoyed was our stress Cow.
So the stress cow giveaway, you know, was so popular
and we wanted to think of a way this year
(02:11):
to just celebrate the hard work and the dedication of
all the four age students, the family members, everybody that
supports our four h young people, that we said, let's
go all in with these stress relievers. So we have
assembled a herd of stress relievers. So what we did
(02:33):
was we've got five different animal stress relievers that we're
going to be rolling out at different days of the fair,
and we try to coincide the animal with that animal
that's being shown, you know at the fair. So let
(02:54):
me go through some of these different days, and again
we're only going to offer them on that day. So
you see what I'm doing here. I want you to
come to our booth multiple times. On Sunday we will
have our stressed chicken, so stop by on Sunday if
you want to get the chicken. Monday we're giving away
our stress sheep. Tuesday it's picks. Stress Picks on Tuesday
(03:21):
is the big giveaway. On Wednesday the stress horse, so
horses are given away on Wednesday, and then last but
not least, on Thursday, the stress cow the original. So
you know, not only stop by cheer on our amazing
four age exhibitors, but collect the entire herd if you can,
(03:44):
and if you can't make it, send a friend, a
family member, say go get my stress pig. So our
hope is that in addition to the stress animals, you'll
find some additional information at our booth that you'll find interesting.
So a few other groups that again we're out there
(04:07):
all week. We're in the Gold Merchant's building towards the
back is depending on which way you come in. If
you come in one side, we're all the way in
the back by the door on the left hand side,
but if you come in that way, we're right there
on the right when you come in. So it depends
on which way you come into the Gold Merchant's building.
(04:27):
But you can't miss us, especially because we're going to
have a big banner with all our stress animals on
it behind our booth, and we have friendly board members
and contract partners and other volunteers at our booth. Yes,
we will have fair information. We'll even have some signs.
You may want to pick up your sign as you're
leaving so you don't have to lug that through the
(04:49):
fair with you, but that would be great pr for us.
If you'd like to do that, feel free. But if
you want a levy sign or other levey information, feel
free to stop buy and get that. But we're going to,
you know, try to call attention to some of the
populations that we've noticed some of the more challenging outcomes
(05:10):
with to try to do more to focus in so
our veterans. We've got some gifts and specific give ways
that we think might be helpful to our veteran community,
and just talking about the resources like the landing zone
that meets over at the Professional building, so stop buy
for some of those and those will be available every day.
(05:31):
We've got some notepads in our red, white, and blue
wrist bands and seniors. That's another group besides veterans, that
we really wanted to focus in on. So we've got
some puzzle books, things that engage the mind. We know
from the best available research that one of the best
(05:53):
protective factors as we age is to stay involved mentally
and physically. I've had the opportunity to speak to several
of the Golden Center groups. I'm not done yet, I've
got a few more. But every time I engage with
the Golden Centers in Ashton County, they're just wonderful people.
(06:13):
But they also they tell me, Uh, David, I feel
good because I'm I'm active, I'm doing things physically with
my body, but I'm also my mind is engaged in conversation,
in these word finds, in cards. Uh. You know, it
really doesn't matter what it is, as long as your
mind is staying active and you're connecting. You're not isolating,
(06:35):
but you're you're involved in a variety of different ways.
So we'll have some things for our seniors there also
for our farming community, Connie Butler shout out. She's one
of our board members. She has done a wonderful job
trying to be our liaison to the farm and agg community.
(06:57):
We'll have some special notepads, particularly for our farmers that
will be made available. So several groups veterans, seniors, older adults,
and are our farmers as well as our younger people.
But we are trying to target some of those those
populations that we know have some of the poorer outcomes
(07:20):
and we want to do a better job of engaging
with those different groups. So another exciting partnership that has
emerged is with the Ashland Symphony Orchestra. Martha over there
is boy. She is kind of a visionary when it
comes to how to involve the community and community organizations
(07:44):
in the work of the symphony. So Martha understands that
music does impact mental health. We've had previous episodes on
the Keeping Ashland Healthy podcast where we've had on folks
that are involved with music therapy and are offering that
at at Uh Samaritan and in other places. We know
(08:07):
the impact of music on our moods, on our well
being and relieving symptoms, whether it's anxiety, depression, et cetera.
It's critical. So Martha being involved with the symphony, she said, David,
you know, we understand that sometimes the cost of attending
(08:29):
a symphony event can be a barrier for some folks.
So she is offering, you know, free entry to the symphony,
and we're going to have some of those tickets available
at the booth during the fair and throughout the year.
But these are basically an opportunity for folks that maybe
(08:52):
wanted to go to the symphony but could not because
of finances. You know, there's so many things. The price
of things have gone up, so it is more and
more challenging. Some of these what some might call extras
have to be put to the side temporarily. Well, you know,
Martha I want to try to overcome that, and we
(09:12):
agree with her, so we're partnering with her as well
as apple Seed, a CADA and Catholic charities. They also
have these tickets. So if you would like to attend
the symphony, and again there's no limit on how many
times you can go, stop by the booth for that.
We can talk to you more about that. The only
thing Martha is asking, and I think it's very reasonable,
(09:34):
is if you do take a ticket and you do attend.
We've made it really easy to give us feedback. What
did you think? That's all we're asking for. Just did
you enjoy it? Did you not enjoy it? What impact
you put it in your own words. So when you
pick up the ticket, there'll be a QR code, there'll
be a pretty simple way to give us feedback. And
(09:56):
again all anonymous, but Martha wants to be able to
demonstrate her board and others, you know, the positive impact
that that effort is having on individuals and families in
the community, So there will be information. You know, each
day of the Ashton County Fair has got a different theme,
(10:18):
so obviously our giveaways are going to try to match that.
So again, you know, for on Kid's Day, we have
some of our more fun kid themed giveaways. Also, we
try to schedule it such that our community liaisons, our
school community liaisons are working the booth primarily on Friday,
(10:39):
so stop by and see your favorite liaison. My understanding
is a lot of the school districts allow the kids
at least sometime perhaps on that Friday to get out
to the fair, if not at other times throughout the week.
So I mean we are going to be there. I
cannot believe I'm recording this in advance of the fair.
I'm hoping and that'll drop a few days before the
(11:02):
fair starts. But it is going to be here very soon.
I believe it starts on the fourteenth of September. So
hopefully you're ready for the fair and we would be
thrilled if you can stop by in the Gold Merchant's
building and see the Mental Health and Recovery Board. I
will be out there, Sandy and Patty. Maybe Patty, you
(11:23):
know she's working on the finances. I don't know if
they sh'll want to come out, but you will definitely
see all our board members, our agency partners at Apples
de Cada and Catholic Charities, other local partners that have
agreed to work the booth with us. Just say hi.
You don't even have to take a stress pig if
you don't want to, but who wouldn't want to, You
(11:46):
can just stop buy and say hello. I'll have some
Keeping Ashland Healthy mugs in case you would want one
of those. They're really good, but it's got that doctor
Ashley on it with me. Now they're a collector's item.
If you didn't hear that episode. My longtime sidekick got
a gig over at Alone College and we wish doctor
(12:07):
Ashley all the best as she's doing that important work
and training up a new generations of counselors and social workers.
But the mugs are still good. And you know, doctor
Ashley and I did almost one hundred episodes together, so
those are all available on the iHeart app or wherever
you get your podcast. You can listen to those, so
(12:30):
stop by see us. We're excited. We enjoy interacting with
the community and please understand, feedback is very much appreciated,
So whether it has to do with the levy some
of the services that are provided at our agencies, I
like hearing from folks that just have observations about mental
(12:51):
health substance use in the county. That's great feedback that
I can give to our board members or you can
give it to them directly when you see them working
the booth. Love it. I mean we, you know, part
of what we do as a mental health and Recovery
board in our county is constantly try to stay vigilant
and aware of the changing needs in our community so
(13:13):
that as we get into contract season every year that
we try to make sure we're funding the right things.
We can only know that the quote unquote right things
is if you tell us enough people, let us know
where the gaps are, where the needed increases might be,
where maybe something isn't an issue anymore but used to be, etc.
(13:34):
So we've got formal ways of doing that through needs assessment,
but these informal mechanisms of talking to folks, going to meetings,
those are still critical data points in how we go
about our work. So I'm looking forward to meeting as
many of you as possible. Just appreciate all the folks
that put on the Ashen County Fair. There's a lot
(13:57):
of hands involved as you might imagine. And again a
shout out to not only my staff and board members,
but all of the volunteers that we have helping us
work the booth. So I hope to see you all
soon at the Ashland County Fair. Get your stress animal.
Five different animals this year, but you have to stop
(14:18):
by on the different days of the fair to collect
them all. See you soon.
Speaker 1 (14:25):
Thank you for listening to another episode of the Keeping
Ashland Healthy podcast.
Speaker 2 (14:29):
The podcast is a.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
Production of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Ashland County, Ohio.
You can reach the board by calling four one nine
two eight one three one three nine. Please remember that
the Board funds a local twenty four to seven crisis
line through Applese Community Mental Health Center. It can be
reached by calling four one nine two eight nine sixty
one one one. That's four one nine two eight nine
(14:51):
sixty one one one. Until next time, Please join us
in keeping Ashland healthy.
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