Project Ricochet

06/24/2026

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT…PROJECT RICOCHET…JUNE 27th LOADING

💚💙 …

06/24/2026

🌸 TRIBE Women's Wellness Initiative Baby Shower Sponsorship Program 🌸

Project Ricochet, in partnership with The Floating Lotus Doula Services and Aetna Better Health of Kentucky, is excited to announce that applications are now open for our 2026–2027 Baby Shower Sponsorship Program!

We will sponsor up to 10 baby showers for expectant mothers during the program year.

Each sponsored shower may include:

Baby shower celebration assistance - $50.00 gift certificate for cake and punch.
Diaper bag and baby essentials.
Diapers and wipes.
Baby blanket.
Self-care and wellness items.
Maternal health education and support.

Our goal is simple: to celebrate, support, and uplift mothers and families throughout their pregnancy journey.

If you or someone you know could benefit from this opportunity, we encourage you to apply today.

📋 Complete the application here: https://forms.gle/CypxugUYUgQqLSDM8

Learn More About TRIBE HERE: https://kyblackfamilyconference.com/TribeWellness

Questions? [email protected]

06/19/2026

Juneteenth celebrations underway across Kentucky

Friday, June 19th, is National Freedom Day across the Commonwealth. There are many amazing efforts and venues to observe the holiday, reflect on African American history, and celebrate emancipation.

Read More Here: https://www.wuky.org/wuky-news/2026-06-18/juneteenth-celebrations-underway-across-kentucky

06/18/2026

🎉 I am honored to be presenting at the 2026 National Conference on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in Nashville, Tennessee, July 22–24.

The Prevention Showcase: The Power of Story in Youth Gambling Prevention, will explore how storytelling can serve as a powerful prevention strategy by helping young people critically examine risk, build resilience, strengthen decision-making skills, and engage in meaningful conversations about gambling-related harms.

Through Project Ricochet's Bet On You! Reclaim Your Power initiative, we have witnessed how culturally relevant narratives, lived experiences, creative expression, and community-centered approaches can transform prevention messaging from information-sharing into genuine engagement and empowerment.

Youth prevention is not simply about warning young people about risks. It is about helping them see themselves as the authors of their own stories and equipping them with the tools to make informed choices that support their future goals and well-being.

I am grateful to the National Council on Problem Gambling for the opportunity to contribute to this important conversation and to learn from colleagues across the country who are advancing prevention, treatment, research, and recovery efforts.

If you'll be attending , I'd love to connect.

We Are Stronger Together!

KY Represent!!!

06/16/2026

New Ricochet Effect Podcast Episode:

Menthol ci******es have often been discussed as a matter of personal preference. But what if menthol was never simply about flavor?

In Continuum 2 of Breaking the Cycle: Menthol as Mechanism — Addiction by Design, Not by Chance, I continue my conversation with Dr. Valerie Yerger of the African American To***co Control Leadership Council (AATCLC) to examine how menthol's cooling and anesthetic properties were intentionally leveraged to facilitate initiation, increase ni****ne dependence, and sustain to***co use across generations.

Together, we explore:

🔹 Menthol as a mechanism of addiction.
🔹 Product engineering and sensory manipulation.
🔹 Targeted marketing and community saturation.
🔹 Health equity implications of menthol to***co use.
🔹 The role of policy, prevention, and community advocacy.

This conversation invites listeners to move beyond individual behavior and examine the broader systems, environments, and decisions that shape health outcomes.

Thank you to Dr. Valerie Yerger for sharing her expertise and decades of leadership in to***co prevention and health equity.

Listen Here: https://www.wuky.org/podcast/the-ricochet-effect/2026-06-15/continuum-2-breaking-the-cycle-menthol-as-mechanism-addiction-by-design-not-by-chance-with-dr-valerie-yerger

***coPrevention

06/09/2026

🎉 Exciting News from the Kentucky Perinatal Association (KPA) 2026 Annual Conference! 🎉

The 2026 Kentucky Perinatal Association Conference brought together healthcare professionals, public health leaders, researchers, community advocates, doulas, community health workers, and maternal-child health champions from across the Commonwealth to strengthen Kentucky's commitment to healthier outcomes for mothers, infants, and families.

⭐ Historic Milestone ⭐

I am deeply honored to share that I was elected to serve on the Kentucky Perinatal Association Board. This appointment represents an important step forward for community-centered maternal and infant health leadership in Kentucky. As one of the first non-clinical professionals elected to the Board it reflects a growing recognition that improving maternal and infant health outcomes requires more than clinical care alone.

Health outcomes are shaped by social determinants of health, health outcomes, community engagement, workforce development, culturally responsive outreach, and trusted community partnerships. Along with Project Ricochet's TRIBE Women's Wellness Initiative, I look forward to bringing the perspectives of community health workers, community-based organizations, public health practitioners, and the families we serve into statewide conversations and decision-making.

Through my work with Project Ricochet, maternal health initiatives, the Barbershop and Beauty Salon Initiative, CHW workforce development programs, and health equity collaborations, I remain committed to building bridges between healthcare systems and communities throughout Kentucky.

Thank you to the Kentucky Perinatal Association membership for your confidence and support. I am excited to work alongside an incredible group of leaders dedicated to advancing maternal and infant health across the Commonwealth.

We are building healthier families, stronger communities, and more equitable health outcomes for all Kentuckians.

Find out more information about TRIBE here: https://lnkd.in/e6fRy68b

06/08/2026

CANCELLED DUE TO WEATHER ALERTS -

The PR Health: Farm Rx Path to Cardiovascular Wellness and Health for All

PR Health: Farm Rx: Community Garden
Lexington Housing Authority – Sixth Street Office
635 E. Sixth St, Lexington, KY 40508

Educational Sessions: REGISTER HERE: https://forms.gle/SeQpxCAjTjtriWRJ6

Session 2 – June 2026 (Onsite)
Community-Engaged Nutrition Education for Underserved Populations

Date: Tuesday, June 9, 2026, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Lexington Housing Authority – Sixth Street Office, 635 E Sixth St, Lexington, KY 40508

This onsite workshop focuses on co-created recipes, meal preparation demonstrations, and culturally aligned nutrition strategies that support cardiovascular wellness.

From More Information:

Sixth Street Community Lead: Tania Whitfield

Project Ricochet
Dr. Quinton Marks, Ph.D., CCHW
VP of Operations | PR Health: Farm Rx

Tania Whitfield

06/02/2026

05/29/2026

SNAPSHOT: FREE III Monthly Impact Report | May 2026

Through our Healing Beyond the Chair Initiative, Project Ricochet continues bringing overdose prevention, recovery support, and community healing into trusted spaces throughout Fayette County.

📍 Well Groomed Barbershop Flagship Site
470 E New Circle Rd #4
Lexington, KY 40505

May Highlights:

✅ 24 Outreach Encounters
✅ 9 Naloxone Education Conversations
✅ 7 Fentanyl Test Strip Education Sessions
✅ 5 Warm Referrals to Services
✅ 18 Overdose Prevention Materials Distributed
✅ 12 Wellness Check-Ins
✅ 10 Resource & Support Information Shares
✅ 12 Art Installation Participants

Featured Community Art Installations (Colin Cook, Urban Art Collective):

🎨 Recovery Begins With Us
🎨 Stories of Survival
🎨 Remember. Repair. Recover.

Together, we are reducing stigma, strengthening recovery pathways, and building healthier communities through trusted relationships, education, and hope.

Do you need to talk? Speak with someone today.
988 Su***de and Crisis Lifeline (24/7)