Logan County Loves Transit
February was Ohio Loves Transit month. RTC Services celebrated all month, with a special emphasis on February 13. We had swag bags for every rider that day, and rider Arguimedes Aguirre won a $25 pass. Mr. Aguirre loves RTC Transportation, it gets him to his job safely and reliably.
Russ Foust, RTC Transportation Director, agrees, “RTC Transportation is your safe, reliable choice for transportation in Logan County. Our drivers love what they do, and make it their mission to meet the needs of our riders every day.”
RTC Transportation was started to make sure our clients could get to programming and their jobs in the community. In 2013 the Logan County Commissioners asked if RTC would be interested in taking over TLC Transit. The board saw the value for RTC, as well as the county, and gave a resounding yes.
In June RTC Transportation will celebrate 10 years of serving Logan County. June 6 we will have an open house for our new building as well as celebrating 10 years of transit.
Sensory Room Coming to RTC
Our family was leaving a local theater production recently, as was everyone else that attended the sold-out event. There were 500 people trying to squeeze through 2 sets of double doors all at the same time. I looked down at my granddaughter and saw the fear in her eyes. She was being shuffled around by adults and couldn’t see in front of her. She also gets anxious in crowds, and this was a doozy for her. She was in a full-blown panic attack.
My husband and I hurried her outside and had her take deep breaths. She was fine after a couple of those, and we continued with our evening. Our “moment” was rather tame compared to what many others face though.
RTC is always looking for ways to ensure that our clients have the best experience, both in programming and when they participate in community events. Like my granddaughter, many of our clients are easily overwhelmed by a plethora of things; sights, sounds, smells or crowds, to name a few.
We are also blessed to live in a time where our developmentally disabled population is encouraged to live their best lives. They love to explore new activities and continue those they enjoy just as we all do. To that end, there are schools and churches that are now offering Sensory Rooms to those who need a safe place.
Sensory Rooms are designed specifically for the needs of those who are easily overwhelmed and overstimulated in certain situations. The rooms help them step away from whatever chaos they are facing into a more peaceful setting that offers stress relief, aromatherapy, a chance to focus and more. I even read an article that said Nationwide Arena now offers a Sensory Room so they can include those who might need a break from the chaos of hockey and other shows.
Last year, RTC received a $10,000 KFC grant with the help of our local KFC restaurant. That money will be used to add a sensory room to our programming for those who need a break from the chaos. This is a long time dream of Kylee Purtee, RTC’s Day Program Supervisor, who says;
“The sensory room will be an asset to our clients, including some who work, to ground them as needed. We have one young man who likes to hide in small spaces, like between bookshelves, because he craves the tightness. Right now we use bean bags, but a private space with weighted blankets would be so much better for him. Another client has extra energy at times. A treadmill would be the perfect way to allow him to burn that energy positively.”
RTC can’t wait to bring the sensory room to our Columbus Ave. site. It will make a difference for so many.
RTC Spotlights
Creamy Chicken and Rice Soup
A must-have for those cold, blustery days.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 stick celery chopped finely
- 2 medium carrots peeled & chopped finely
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 3/4 cup uncooked white jasmine rice
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound uncooked chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces/strips
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the olive oil, celery, carrots, and onion to a soup pot over medium-high heat. Sauté for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the garlic and flour and cook for about a minute.
- Slowly pour in the broth and stir/scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot until the flour has dissolved.
- Stir in the Italian seasoning, rice, and cream. Increase the heat to high, and once the soup comes to a gentle boil, give it a good stir, then reduce the heat so it’s simmering and cover the pot with the lid slightly ajar. Simmer the soup for 10 minutes with occasional stirring.
- Add in the chicken and cook for another 7-10 minutes or until the chicken and rice are both cooked. Season with salt & pepper as needed.
Here we grow again!
We are getting closer to completion! We can’t wait to celebrate with you!
We have 3 new podcasts up this month:
Scott Marks from OPRA talks about what’s new and what’s needed in our industry.
Russ Foust and Dave Bezusko discuss the value of RTC Transportation and how it meets the needs of so many.
Brian Zak discusses his journey to RTC, and reasons to work here.
Mark your calendar for RTC’s Amazing Race on July 27. Teams of 2 will be racing through downtown Bellefontaine with clues to solve and tasks to complete. Sign up will begin in February so start looking for your partner now!
February Memories
