Armstrong "In The Loop Podcast"

This week's episode features two very special guests from the Butler County Suicide Coalition, Amy Cirelli and Lena Southworth. These two incredible women volunteer their time and services to help reduce suicides through education, resources, and support.

We start off the episode by learning more about what is the Butler County Suicide Coalition and how people can get involved. Amy shares with us about QPR Training (Question, Persuade, Refer) and how this two-hour training is free for those wanting to participate. Participants will learn:
-Myths and Facts about suicide
-How to recognize the signs and potential signs of suicide
-How to ask Questions to assess the situation
-How to persuade the person to stay alive long enough to get help
-How to refer them to a professional for help to get them through the crisis
*For more information or if you'd like to take part in a QPR Training Session, please contact Amy Cirelli by phone at 724-284-5114 or by email: [email protected]

Lena takes us through the importance of September, Suicide Awareness  Prevention Month. There will be two key events held in Butler to remember those we've lost. The first event will be the Suicide Awareness Remembrance Rally on September 7th at 5:00 pm. This will be held at Diamond Park in downtown Butler, PA. This is open to everyone and offers a time of support and remembrance for our community. Please contact Amy Cirelli by phone at 724-284-5114 or by email: [email protected] if interested in participating.

The other event will be held in partnership with the Butler VA Healthcare on September 20th at 5:30 pm. A showing of The Ripple Effect will be shown at the Succop Theater at Butler County Community College. For more information Session, please contact Amy Cirelli by phone at 724-284-5114 or by email: [email protected]

We end the show talking about all of the ways people can reach out if in need of help or resources. Here is the full list if you or someone you know needs help:

Butler County Crisis:
1-800-292-3866 or Text #63288

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
988 *NEW*
Or Call 1-800-273-8255
Text: 988

Veteran's Crisis Line:
1-800-273-8255 and press 1
Text: 838255

The Trevor Project (LGBTQ Youth)
1-866-488-7386
Text: "START" to 678678

Thank you to Amy and Lena for everything they shared and we look forward to attending their events in September! 

This week, we're excited to be joined by Anthony Savannah, President of the Passavant Hospital Foundation. We kick off the show learning about the foundation and the importance of what they do for Passavant Hospital, doctors, nurses, patients, and the community.

Passavant Hospital Foundation has many focuses including education seminars & outreach. Anthony shares with us the various types of classes and seminars that they host throughout the year. For more information on outreach: https://passavanthospitalfoundation.org/outreach/overview

Our main topic for the episode is to talk about fundraisers and most importantly the 10th Annual 4K & 8K Run/Walk. Passavant Hospital Foundation is excited to celebrate this milestone year for the Run/Walk and have added something new to this already wonderful family event. This year, there will be a Kid's Race for children ages 15 Months to 10 Years Old. The Kid's Race will be prior to the 7pm start for the Run/Walk. The Kid's Race details:
On Friday, August 12th at North Park - Pie Traynor Field, the Foundation will be hosting the FIRST EVER Kid's Race for Ages 15 Months to 8 Years Old! Race will begin promptly at 5:45PM and finish by 6:20PM to allow those who are participating in the 4K or 8K race to get to the starting line. 

Distances for the Kid's Race

- 50 Yard Dash (Ages 15 months to 4 Years Old)
- 1/4 Mile Yard Dash (5 Years Old to 10 Years Old) 
- 1/2 Mile Yard Dash (5 Years Old to 10 Years Old) 

Requirements:
- Child must walk/run unassisted.
- A parent MUST walk near the child in 50 Yard dash
- For those who will not have a parent next to them in the race, they must wait at the end of the finish line for their kid.
- We will have an identifier for each child and parent to wear to match.

There is also a Virtual Race for those that can't make it to North Park on August 12th and the details are below:
You have from Monday, August 1st through Wednesday, August 31st at Midnight to complete the 4K or 8K Race on ANY COURSE YOU LIKE. If you choose to do the virtual event, you will receive a FREE T-Shirt, your race bib (your number) and a finish line sign to take a fun photo to show us you completed your race!

For everyone else that would like to Run/Walk:
On Friday, August 12th at the North Park Pool Loop, the starting line will be by the Harmar Pavilion near Pie Traynor Field.
You will need to be arrive no later than 5:45PM before the Allegheny County Police shut down the road.
The race will start promptly at 7:00PM.

All participants will receive a FREE T-Shirt and race bib (your number).

To register for the Passavant Hospital Foundation 10th Annual 4K & 8K Run/Walk:https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/AllisonPark/10thAnnualPassavantHospitalFoundationRunWalk

Sponsorship Opportunities Available: Please call 412-748-6641 or email [email protected] for more information

Special Thanks to Anthony Savannah for joining us!

We're back with a new episode for Armstrong In The Loop Podcast!

This week's episode we have a special guest, U.S Representative Mike Kelly. Mike Kelly is the Representative of the 16th district of Pennsylvania.  Mike Kelly has been in Congress for 11 years.

Mike and Seth caught up since they last spoke in July 2020 and, go over many prime topics in this week's episode.  Some of the prime topics are the new district and what it looks like.  They spoke about topics in the Economy, such as inflation, supply chain issues, gas prices, and also 2023 community funding request. 

If you would like to learn more about Mike Kelly, you can visit his website: https://kelly.house.gov/

Thank you again to Mike Kelly for sitting down to record in the Loop Podcast! Can't wait for what the future holds. 

After a long hiatus, we're back with new episodes for Armstrong In The Loop Podcast!

This week's episode features one of our own Armstrong Neighborhood Channel-produced shows, Around the Town with Marilyn Forbes. Marilyn has been the host since the show's inception in October 2010. Her passion for writing and working for local newspapers made her the right fit for this show produced out of the Connellsville, PA Armstrong office.

Marilyn and Seth travel back in time to relive memories of old episodes, guests, moments, and everything it took to produce this long-running show. Marilyn and the newest Armstrong Neighborhood Channel Producer, David Fedor, have brought the show back out of it's own long hiatus. Check out their season debut episode on West Overton Village & Museum on the Armstrong Neighborhood Channel YouTube Page: https://youtu.be/msHQ6i1HtcI

Marilyn is always open to show ideas and new places to visit. If you have an idea that would make a great episode, please email: [email protected] 


Special thanks to Marilyn Forbes for joining us and reliving memories from 2010-2016! We wish her and David the best! Can't wait to see what fun & exciting shows they produce next.

This week, we welcome back a favorite organization as the Glade Run Lake Conservancy joins us to talk about the upcoming Nature Series. Lisa Busa, Board of Director member, is our guest and the organizer of the 1st ever Nature Series. 

We start off the episode learning about Glade Run Lake Conservancy and their dedication to: preservation, restoration and improvement of Glade Run Lake in Middlesex Township. 

We then switch gears to learn about this exciting Nature Series: 

• Wednesday, May 11th at 6:00pm - PA Black Bears
• Friday, June 3rd at 7:00pm - Leap into Herpetology
• Saturday, July 9th at 10:30am - All About Insects
• Thursday, August 18th at 7:00pm - Bird Walk & Talk
• Thursday, September 8th at 5:30pm - Tree ID Walk & Talk
• Saturday, October 22nd at 5:30pm - Things that Go Bump In the Night

We also take time to learn more about the 2nd Annual Youth Fishing Derby on April 30th: 

For more information about Glade Run Lake Conservancy:
https://www.gladerunlakeconservancy.org/
https://www.facebook.com/GladeRunLakeConservancy

This week's episode features Jessica Burr, Clinical Director of the Butler County Family Reach & Rise Youth Mentoring Program. 

We learn all about this wonderful program and what the Butler County Family YMCA is doing to help children in our area. We find out how a child gets involved, how long a group lasts, what a child can learn, and many more amazing things that you'll want to hear in this episode!

Jessica and her team are constantly looking for volunteer mentors. There are upcoming dates for training if you'd like to volunteer and help children in need:

• May 5 – 5P-8P
• May 12 – 5P-8P
• May 16 – 5P-8P
• May 30 – 5P-8P
• June 4 – 10A-1P

*All dates are required to be a mentor. These can be done virtually thru Zoom if needed

For more information on becoming a mentor: https://bcfymca.org/files/galleries/Mentor_Application_PACKET21.pdf

If interested in registering a child or children, please review this Parent/Guardian Intake Form: https://bcfymca.org/files/galleries/Parent_Intake_Form_GROUP19.pdf

For more information on Reach & Rise or the Butler County Family YMCA: https://bcfymca.org/

Special Thanks to Jessica Burr for joining us for this wonderful episode!

This week's episode features Kathie O'Hara, Marketing Manager of Armstrong Comfort Solutions, as she talks about Armstrong Comfort Solutions and the upcoming Butler County Home Show.

Kathie shares with us the entire backstory of Armstrong Comfort Solutions and what they can provide to those with heating, cooling, or plumbing needs. We discuss different products & services, including commercial services, for anyone living in Western, PA. 

Kathie talks about the exciting acquisition of Matt Mertz Plumbing out of Pittsburgh and what this means for the growth of Armstrong Comfort Solutions. Hear all about the exciting opportunities this will provide and increase the services that they can offer! 

We finish up the episode talking about event season as Home Shows have finally returned to normal capacity! The Butler County Home Show returns April 8th-10th at the Family Sports Center on Rt 68 in Butler. There is Free Admission and tons of exhibitors for visitors to stop & see. There will be a free shuttle for those attending at the Butler Farm Show, minutes from the Family Sports Center. For more information on the Butler County Home Show: http://butlercountyhomeshow.com/

Armstrong Comfort Solutions will also be attending the North Hills Home Show on April 22nd-24th. Another event that is free to attend at the North Park Sports Complex. For more information on the North Hills Home Show: http://northhillshomeshow.com/

To learn more about Armstrong Comfort Solutions:
Website: https://armstrongcomfort.com/

Call them today: 833-789-9100
Available 24/7

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArmstrongComfortSolutions

Twitter: https://twitter.com/armstrongHVAC

This week's episode is one we'll never forget! Greg Rhoton, Armstrong Neighborhood Channel Producer & Creator of Telly Award Winning shows (Street Scene, Counterpoint- A Musician's Tale), joins the show to co-host this episode. Greg was able to connect us with Youngstown's own JD Eicher. JD is a phenomenal musician and creative genius in the music industry.

We learn all about JD's start in the music industry, at the age of 23, and where his career has taken him over the years. We talk about how the pandemic wiped out the entertainment/music industry and forced him to get super creative. JD created his own Patreon subscription page which has hundreds of hours of content that can only be seen by subscribing.

JD also shares two songs off his newest album, Majesto Sessions. We first take a listen to Kamikaze and finish the episode with Back To Me. Both can be found on JD's Spotify Page: https://open.spotify.com/artist/410MPX0LjYx4PFgIJsBbPT?si=YGYu25aDS1K0WiIrBqz7vQ

Before we end the episode, JD talks about his experience working with award-winning American Novelist, Nicolas Sparks. This story is one for the ages and helped give JD the idea of writing his own novel. He recently released The Lights Along Majesto which is a companion book to JD's newest album Majesto Sessions. 

We greatly appreciate JD spending an hour with us for this episode!

Please check out JD Eicher by visiting:

Website: https://jdeicher.com/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jdeicher
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jdeicher/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/jdeicher
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jdeichermusic
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/410MPX0LjYx4PFgIJsBbPT
*All tour dates and concerts can be found on JD's website

This week's episode features an organization that may seem new or unheard of to many but has been around for several years, Family Guidance. Sami Bartek, Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, joins us to share the full story of Family Guidance and what they do in the community.

We start off with getting to know Sami and the backstory of Family Guidance. We learn about the One2One Mentoring program and their Promise Camp held each summer in Clinton, PA. Sami explains the One2One Mentoring program and how successful their program is for children in this region. Their success stories are quite amazing and just shows that if people are willing to help & volunteer their time, this program can help those in need. We spend time learning about the 6 week Promise Camp that helps to give children an opportunity that they wouldn't receive if it wasn't for Family Guidance. We go thru a typical day/week for the kids and learn that the camp is available to rent during the offseason.

How can people get involved:
-Be a Mentor
-Work at camp in the summer
-Renting Promise Camp
-Done in a day projects- Volunteer opportunities for groups and organizations to help with projects at the camp. Examples are beautification projects by planting flowers and landscaping or painting/cleaning up the camp sites
-Promise Camp collection drive- Every spring Family Guidance starts to collect items that children might not have or bring to camp such as shoes, shirts, towels, etc. Full list is available on the Family Guidance website

For more information on Family Guidance:
- Website: https://familyguidance.net/
-Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FamilyGuidancePA
-Twitter: https://twitter.com/FamilyGuidance
-Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/familyguidance/
-Promise Camp Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/promise.camp/
-Or email Sami Bartek: [email protected] 

This week's episode is thanks to Tricia Pritchard of the Butler Buzz. She put us in contact with Matt Meiers, founder of So Many Angels. Matt's wonderful organization provides hope, inspiration, and encouragement to children with cancer & other life-threatening medical conditions so that they can become whoever they want to be WHEN they grow up! 

We start off the episode by getting to know about Matt and how So Many Angels started. Matt's background in photography and helping organizations such as Make A Wish, gave him the inspiration to use his skill set to create one-of-a-kind images of children being superheroes, princesses, and much more! 

So Many Angels will be holding their first Pittsburgh event for families to get photos taken and experience what So Many Angels has done for over 100 children. The photo session will be held on Saturday, March 12th, 2022 at the UOMC Lemieux Sports Complex in Cranberry Township. This is free to families of a child battling cancer or other life-threatening medical conditions! See the information below:

Location: UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex
8000 Cranberry Springs Dr, Cranberry Twp, PA 16066

Please try to arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled session time and have your child in costume ready to go!

After a few short instructions, we will start the photo sessions!

You will be met at check-in by a volunteer who will escort you to your photo station.

Then, the kiddos will take center stage, and we will take their photos! While we do not discourage photos or video being taken at the event, we really want you to sit back, relax, and watch your kid be a kid during their session!

• There is NO CHARGE for this.
• The session is only for children aged 3 through high school with life-threatening illnesses who have signed up through the sign-up page SoManyAngels.org on the event page. The Likeness Release must be signed.
• You will receive one (1) edited photo, and you will not see the edit until you see your canvas print!
• You will receive one 16x24 inch printed, ready to hang canvas with the edited photo.
• It may take up to 30 days for So Many Angels to deliver the canvas.
• All canvases will be shipped to the address you provided on your information form unless other arrangements have been made.
• You are encouraged to like/share/comment on So Many Angels' social media posts.

Thank you again for allowing us to serve you!

For more information about So Many Angels:
Website: https://somanyangels.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/somanyangels1

Twitter: https://twitter.com/somanyangels1

Instagram: =https://www.instagram.com/somanyangels/


Special thanks to Matt Meiers for taking time to join us for this week's episode!