Belmont County CARES Program nurse practitioner Ryan Gallagher, Director Chad Zambori, and Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley Program Officer Jess Puglisi-Sanders pose with the CPR mannequins purchased through the $2,000 given to the CARE’s program by the Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley. T-L Photo/GAGE VOTA

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — The Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley has given $2,000 to the Belmont County CARES Program to provide CPR classes for residents.

CARES Director Chad Zambori said that the funds gave him the opportunity to purchase several CPR mannequins, an AED machine, and a table cover that will be used at events where the CARES Program will be providing information.

“The mannequins are up to date now to where they give feedback, to give the proper depth, give the proper rate, and to make sure people are doing CPR the right way. That way, we’re able to make sure that they’re giving proper compressions when needed,” Zambori said. “The mannequin set includes adult, child and infant, so each one of them has feedback on it, and we’re able to see exactly what we’re getting.”

He added that the AED machine be placed in one of the county vehicles they go throughout the county, in case it’s needed.

The final item purchased was the table covering that has the CARES Program and the Cumberland Trail Fire District’s name and information on it. He said it will be useful for when the organization is working at events because until now they would just set up at a table without any information, so residents will now be able to know what organization he’s with when they walk past his booth at events.

“We do a lot of public events, community engagement to where we just had a bare table there and people didn’t really know who we were,” Zambori said. “So we’re now able to kind of get the word out and let everyone know who we are and what we do and a little bit more engagement.”

Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley Program Officer Jess Puglisi-Sanders said that this is the first time the organization has given money to the CARES Program but is hopeful that it won’t be the last.

“This is the first time that this particular fund has been granted to the CARES Program,” she said. “And we are really, really excited that this exists in the county. We know that there’s lots of unfilled needs. There’s a lot of opportunity for education, and this just makes the community stronger.”

She added that the organization has a multitude of funds that are designed to do great charitable and philanthropic things throughout our community.

“The Snively Fund is a field of interest fund that we hold. It is for the benefit of Belmont County residents. We know the great work that the CARES program does throughout the county, and we thought this would be a great way to help them boost their services and awareness,” she said.