Choose Health Ontario Award

2022 Choose Health Ontario Award Winner, Brian Young!

Brian Young played a significant role in the pandemic challenge. Initially setting up drive thru testing clinics during a time when COVID testing was limited in our county. The testing clinics he ran were a precursor to our Covid vaccine drive thru clinics and allowed for a rapid public health response as soon as vaccine was available. While the public health department lead the clinics from using the incident command principles Brian provided the tactical side of organizing volunteers to assist the clinicians in running the drive thru clinics. Brian made a huge difference to the members of the clinic planning team and provided support that cannot be measured. He helped public health deliver 140 drive thru clinics which allowed us to provide over 33,000 vaccines to our residents. Even post retirement Brian continues to help us with the clinics.

Brian was also instrumental in helping the department partner with our school districts to provide COVID testing to keep children in school. Always willing to go above and beyond, he even drove our first week of testing samples up to Buffalo and helped recruit drivers for the weekly run. This project was a heavy lift for the department and the schools and his support allowed us to be one of the first counties to have the program fully executed. 

2021 Choose Health Ontario Award Winner, Geneva Boys and Girls Club!

The Boys and Girls Club stepped in and rallied dozens of volunteers and partnered with Hobart and William Smith Colleges to fill the gap. Over the course of the pandemic the club, under the valiant efforts of Chris Levin, Executive Director, coordinated the delivery of over 150,000 meals to the community. This club is a vital resource to Geneva and demonstrates that when a community rallies to fill the needs of our most vulnerable children, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. Their work during “normal” times is impactful, however the impact during the pandemic was amazing.

2020 Choose Health Ontario Award Winner, Geneva Reads!

Since 2007 Geneva Reads has been providing new books to Geneva’s children. In 2018-2019 Geneva Reads distributed more than 20,000 books through multiple reading programs, such as; Random Acts for Reading, Project Sweet Sleep, and Reading is Fundamental. 

Students entering 3rd grade reading focus turns from “learning to read” towards “reading to learn”.  Geneva Reads has been instrumental in increasing 3rd graders proficiency literacy rates in Geneva Central School District   in English Language Arts (ELA) from 10% to 14%, while struggling with the districts 3rd grade students’ proficiency rates of 24% in 2015. 

 On Going and Actions 

Community Bookshelves

  • Eleven Geneva community book shelves are stocked with slightly used books donated by community members. Parents are encouraged to take a free book home to enjoy it with their children. Geneva Reads is a well-respected community member. 
  • 2020 Community Reads are: The DEATH AND LIFE OF THE GREAT LAKES by Dan Egan,
  • W is for Waterfall: An Alphabet of the Finger Lakes Region of New York State by Aileen Easterbrook and Johanna Van Dre Sterre, A  LONG WALK TO WATER by Linda Sue Park

Healthy Readers Geneva Reads believes “true culture of literacy begins at birth”

Newborn Every family receives a copy of Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown or Brown Bear, Brown Bear by Bill Martin at a newborn's first well-child visit to Finger Lakes Medical Associates. This collaboration is funded by Geneva Rotary Club and supported by Geneva 2020. 

 WIC Geneva Reads volunteers allow each child to pick a book at every WIC visit; this includes the children that are at home as well. The volunteers are usually retired individuals that give their time and dedication to making sure that no child is left behind without a book, sometimes they are seen running after the mom if she as she was leaving without getting the children their entitled book for that visit.  More than not, the volunteers can be seen reading to a child either in English or Spanish, depending on the child’s native language, while the parent is with the WIC staff.  They go above and beyond EVERY SINGLE TIME, AT EVERY SINGLE VISIT.   Since 2007

Book Fest Every spring, Geneva Reads hosts a Book Fest for the community's kindergarten through second grade children. 

The volunteers are genuinely dedicated to every single person having the equal opportunity to read.  They all have a passion and encourage everyone to read as you can see above with all that they do.  They do this without any expectation of a result or a reward, or any recognition.   

2018 Choose Health Award Winner is.....Supply A Smile!

Supply a Smile is a free dental service program for Ontario County residents who are at risk for falling through dental health care gaps. Dental services are given to those whom are not covered by insurance or Medicaid. The Supply a Smile's program consists of local dentists, hygienists, and volunteers that generously donate their time to provide dental services to those most in need. They are consistently able to assist up to 20 people each month, from September to May, with fillings, extractions and cleanings. 

Deacon Henry Farro Receives 2017 Choose Health Ontario Award

2017 CHOO Awardjpg
Featured left to right, Jack Marren (Victor) the Chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors, Deacon Henry Farro (Geneva) a founding member and Co-Chair of the Food Justice Coalition and Mary Beer, the Director of Ontario County Public Health.
(Created 3/29/2017)

Deacon Henry Farro Receives 2017 Choose Health Ontario Award



On March 28, 2017, Jack Marren (Victor), Chairman of the Ontario County Board of Supervisors and Mary Beer, Director of Public Health, presented the 2017 Choose Health Ontario Award to Deacon Henry Farro of Geneva for his commitment to supporting nutritional health in the community. The award was presented at the 54th Annual Safety Awards Dinner sponsored by the Ontario County Safety Council. 
 
Each year, the Ontario County Health Collaborative recognizes an individual or group for outstanding efforts in health and wellness promotion. Mr. Farro (Deacon Henry, as he is known in the community) is a founding member and Co-Chair of Geneva’s Food Justice Coalition. In addition to coalition work, he has been personally providing free fruits and vegetables to those in need for the last five years. In 2015, Deacon Henry began a gleaning initiative and in 2016, gleaned almost 10,000 pounds of fresh produce with a market value of more than $14,800 for distribution in the Geneva community.
 
The Ontario County Health Collaborative is comprised of representatives from Ontario County Public Health, Rochester Regional Health, Finger Lakes Health, UR Thompson Health, and other community partners. It offers its thanks and congratulations to Deacon Henry Farro!

(Created 3/29/2017)