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ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Belmont County Board of Commissioners — minus one member quarantined due to COVID-19 exposure — heard about a partnership Wednesday between the county and Jerry's Walk, a local nonprofit organization focused on bringing awareness to seniors who are at risk of committing suicide.
The organization was started by the family of Jerry Williams after the death of their father. It is based in St. Clairsville.
Sandy Williams, one of Jerry Williams' children, spoke about the mission to the Belmont County Board of Commissioners. Commissioner Josh Meyer was unable to attend the meeting, having entered quarantine after being in contact with someone infected with COVID-19.
"We started Jerry's Walk about four years ago," she said. "We lost him to suicide in 2011, two days before his 75th birthday. We, as a family, were determined to find out more about suicde and make sure we could do everything we could do to not only to save lives, but to spare other families the pain."
Williams said the organization holds an awareness walk every year in April at St. Clairsville Memorial Park. She said the coronavirus has meant some adjustments this year.
"We will do something virtually, but in the meantime we're trying to stay active in the community and let people know that we're here," she said. "Right now, with people being lonely and isolated, it's more important than ever that we as a community check in on people and make sure they're OK, because while we haven't seen an uptick in suicide, the possibiltiy is certainly there during the pandemic."
Belmont County Senior Services Director Dwayne Pielech said the Williams family reached out to his department to offer assistance. He said their help will be valuable and particularly timely, occurring during the COVID-19 pandemic when the county's 10 senior centers are closed and are expected to remain closed through the winter as cases surge and deaths related to the virus spike, particularly among senior citizens.
"We continue to try to be proactive. These are very difficult times," Pielech said, adding that while his staff continues to provide daily meal deliveries and transportation to medical appointments, his office also attempts to help meet the social and emotional needs of senior citizens through regular "reassurance calls" to more isolated seniors.
Pielech added the loss of socialization at the senior centers is taking a toll.
"That's the No. 1 thing that we keep hearing that they miss the most," he said, adding Jerry's Walk will provide welcome assistance. "We thought this might be a great opportunity with their expertise, the role that they play in the community and their mission. We have people on the front lines."
Pielech said the nonprofit group is producing a training video for meal delivery drivers and other staff who interact with seniors under social distancing precautions. The training will focus on how to recognize the warning signs of someone struggling with mental and emotional issues and the possible precursors of suicide. Staff will also have contact numbers for suicide prevention resources.
"Early next year ... we're going to require all of our employees to be trained," Pielech said. "If we go to a home and see (a senior) that's really having difficulty, the employee can immediately call one of the professional contacts."
Pielech added he hopes his department will be able to participate in Jerry's Walk in April.
Williams said suicide of the elderly can be overlooked, noting the organization also gave $1,000 to the senior services department for gift baskets and tokens for seniors who might be alone or in need.
Commissioners J.P. Dutton and Jerry Echemann commended Jerry's Walk, as well as the Department of Senior Services for it's initiative during the pandemic.
"This partnership makes so much sense, and I don't know if it could have come at a more critical time than right now," Dutton said.