We wrapped the Festival of Faiths warmed by the formidable spirit of community and the sacredness of love. Aptly, this year’s theme “Sacred Heart, Sacred Mind,” iteratively offered opportunities to reflect on the embodiment of love.
We left inspired by the idea that leading with love is the most essential way to invite healing into our lives. We also considered the expansiveness of love not only as a healing practice, but also as a critical catalyst for transformation, internally and communally. The more healing that we usher into our lives and neighborhoods, the more transformative change can occur.
Every person who graced the stage tendered so much wisdom and compassion that the energy in the room was palpable. We invite you to be moved from the comfort of home by digging into sessions like “Is Love a Privilege?” and “Loving the Stranger.” In fact, you can view the full roster of sessions from this year’s Festival of Faith via the FOF YouTube channel. We’d truly love to hear your thoughts. Send us a message with your ruminations or related inspirations!
We hope the power of love warms and grounds you this holiday season. May it grant you a deserved healing.
A new Kentucky website was launched earlier this year which tracks environmental indicators related to health equity. Launched by the state Department for Public Health, the initiative is notable for reflecting comprehensive, county specific data which is able to be visualized in a multitude of ways. The information reflects transparent sourcing and includes additional maps and resources for various concerns including vulnerability maps for exposure to radon, ticks, and other diseases.
To those who celebrate the Festival of Lights, we're wishing you a blessed and peaceful holiday!
May your heart be warmed by the glow of your Hanukkah candles. 🕎
”We link arms with folks like that who want to tell the stories of their communities. We want to offer those stories, and we accompany them in the process of developing nonfiction, like documentary, books, radio stories, exhibits, in which they document the richness and vividness of their communities from the inside.” -- Darcy Thompson, Executive Director of the Louisville Story Program
The University of Louisville recently held its School of Medicine's 5th Annual Celebration of Faculty Excellence wherein one of the noted awardees, Sanjay Srivastava, Ph.D, was honored with the Outstanding Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity Award in Basic & Applied Sciences. Dr. Srivastava has done outstanding work on behalf of the Division of Environmental Medicine and the Envirome Institute.
We are also thrilled to recognize Rochelle Holm, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Environmental Medicine and Christina Lee Brown Envirome Institute, who has been invited by the UN Refugee Agency to advise the agency on a pathogen-detection project in Malawi. The Dzaleka refugee camp shelters 50,000 residents in overcrowded conditions with extremely limited water and sanitation services.
We are proud of both scholars and are thrilled they’re being honored for their tremendous contributions at UofL Health, within our community, and across the globe.
Mayor Greenberg announces a database which publicly tracks gun violence data for Louisville Metro.Data dates back as far as 2010 and updates on a daily basis to remain as accurate as possible. While it is easy to “other” those impacted by gun violence, the reality is that it exists across nearly every Metro Council District and zip code in Louisville. To echo our Mayor, we need this information to be better and to do better as a city – “We need change, and this data can help advocate for change." To learn more, review the Gun Violence Dashboard and catch the recent WDRB interview with Mayor Greenberg.
A new bipartisan initiative for gun control - which retains ownership - has reached Frankfort.
We invite you to learn more and to join us.
A COMMON GROUND STRATEGY
Whitney/Strong and Sandy Hook Promise are dedicated to finding common-ground solutions to gun violence. Together, they are balancing Kentuckians’ culture of firearm ownership with public safety and the urgent need to ensure the mental health and wellness of gun owners.
A CRUCIAL STEP FORWARD: LEGISLATIVE HEARING
After four years of tireless advocacy, the Interim Joint Judiciary Committee Meeting marks a significant milestone. It’s not just another meeting; it's a vital stepping stone towards the passage of essential legislation like CARR and The Safer Kentucky Act. Witnessing the journey from interim hearings to potential law, you're a part of a pivotal moment in shaping Kentucky's future.
OUR SOLUTION: CRISIS AVERSION AND RIGHTS RETENTION
Nearly 80% of individuals considering suicide give some sign of their intentions. Studies show perpetrators of mass violence experience three to five “mental health stressors” in the lead-up to their acts of violence. When the signs are visible, CARR is the tool.
FOR MORE ON CARR, THE SAFER KENTUCKY ACT, AND THE BIPARTISAN EFFORTS EFFORTS OF OUR LEGISLATIVE LEADERS, PLEASE VISIT THIS SITE.
December 15 - the first hearing on gun safety legislation since November 2019. This meeting marks a major milestone in our ongoing efforts to promote safety and justice. Be a part of this milestone by joining us in Frankfort.
Louisville is getting $12 million for trees. Here's where the money will be spent.(TheCourier Journal) We are excited that our community will have the opportunity to continue learning from findings of the Green Heart program. The Envirome Institute has continued to underscore the need for trees to be understood as critical investment in the health of our community. We celebrate this grant from the U.S. Forest Service and applaud the ongoing commitment of Louisville Parks and Recreation to protect Louisville’s tree canopy.
The Kentucky Climate Consortium, a statewide research network, in partnership with the University of Kentucky, the University of Louisville, and Northern Kentucky University have collaborated to catalog Kentuckians experiences with climate change. Collecting experiences via audio recordings, the oral history project has already documented over 100 hours worth of interviews. PBS Kentucky recently featured an episode on the initiative. Learn more about the efforts by clicking here to catch the KET spotlight.
Jazz at the Filson: A Holiday Jazz Party
December 17, 2023 Purchase Tickets Here
The Filson Historical Society
1310 S. 3rd St., Louisville
The Holiday Jazz Party will feature songs by Tony Bennett played by the original Dick Sisto Seelbach Trio, the Tri-Tones, made up of Sisto, Tyrone Wheeler on bass, and Jason Tiemann on drums. The trio will be joined by jazz vocalist and longtime friend, Owsley Brown III, on a few select tin pan alley classic standards. In addition, the trio will feature many of the selections that were a mainstay at the Old Seelbach Jazz Bar. Songs of Love and Peace will prevail and make for warm a holiday party.
TARC celebrates 50th anniversary with 24th annual design a bus contest.
TARC is turning fifty in 2024 and wants Louisville kiddos and teens to design a bus! This year’s art theme, in partnership with Kentucky Science Center, is The Periodic Elements of Louisville. Submissions should focus on illustrating “significant places of importance in our community that make us who we are.” The Design-a-Bus contest is open to all elementary, middle, and high school students in Jefferson, Oldham and Bullitt counties in Kentucky, and Floyd and Clark counties in Southern Indiana. Twelve winners will be selected. For further specifications regarding submission guidelines, learn more here.
UofL Health expanding access to health care in south Louisville: UofL Health’s Mary and Elizabeth Wound Care and Hyperbaric Medicine Center opened in the Hazelwood/Cloverleaf neighborhoods in late November. The center will focus primarily on treating symptoms associated with diabetes in an effort to curtail potential amputations, but will also treat those with traumatic injuries and surgical wounds. In 2025, UofL Health will be opening a community pharmacy and has recently announced the return of labor and delivery services to the area. We are thrilled UofL is making such significant strides to provide greater access to quality healthcare for south Louisville.
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