Rotary Club Of Clay County Hosting “Building a Healthier Community” Presentation

The Rotary Club of Clay County invites the public to a community presentation entitled “Building a Healthier Clay County Community” on Sunday, November 19 th at 3:30pm at Hayesville First UMC. Mountain Strong, Resilience & Prevention staff member, Lorrie Ross will help us learn how to build a healthier, more caring community in Clay County by understanding and addressing adverse childhood and community experiences.

Lorrie Ross

“In our communities, everyone depends on each other in so many ways. And, while it might not always seem like it at first, people’s lives are connected by threads that hold us all together,” Lorrie said during a recent presentation at the Clay County Rotary Club. “These threads grow stronger when we take on difficult challenges in our lives, such as dealing with the effects of trauma,” which Lorrie is quick to point out doesn’t always mean physical violence. “Instead of suffering alone or trying to get better without any help or by sheer force of will, it’s important to recognize that no person is an island, and we all need the help of others in order to deal with challenges in our lives.”

Unaddressed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have a devastating impact on long term health. Studies have shown that many of us had one or more ACEs and that people in

Appalachian communities typically have a higher number than people who live in other

communities. This presentation will help participants understand what ACEs are, as well as

individual resilience skills for addressing them. And what community members can do to help

build protective factors in Clay County, because one caring adult can make a huge difference in an affected child’s life.

Lorrie’s work with substance misuse prevention began in the mid-2000s when she volunteered with Safe and Drug Free Clay County. She then served as regional coordinator for Safe and Drug Free Communities, helping start prevention coalitions around WNC. After taking a number of years off from prevention work as a career, when Hinton Rural Life Center formed its Council for Collaborative Impact in 2017, Lorrie decided to join its substance misuse task force and ultimately began leading a prevention coalition that was formed out of that group. She continues this work today through a full-time staff position with Mountain Projects’ Mountain Strong Resilience & Prevention program and holds professional certifications for identifying ACESs and resilience training.

Rotary is a global network of 1.4 million neighbors, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who

see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.

The presentation will be held in The Gathering Place fellowship hall at Hayesville First United

Methodist Church, just off the square in downtown Hayesville. Refreshments will be served. For

more information contact the Rotary Club of Clay County at: claycountyncrotary@gmail.com or

call 828-361-0569.