Make A Difference

23 Austin South Asian | October 2021 Protect Your Feet When Tackling Home Improvement Projects

Did you know many home and yard projects contain hidden dangers for your feet?

The good news though, according to foot and ankle surgeons, is most injuries are avoidable if you take appropriate precautions.

Amber Shane, DPM, FACFAS, an Orlando-area foot and ankle surgeon and Fellow Member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, sees many patients coming in with foot and ankle injuries from home improvement projects gone wrong.

“Feet may be the last thing people think about while working on home improvement projects, but we see so many different types of foot and ankle injuries in our office -- many of which can be avoided with proper shoe wear and extra caution,” Dr. Shane says.

Dr. Shane advises to avoid working in bare feet or in sandals when engaging in any projects around the house, even the projects that seem harmless such as power washing decks or using a ladder.

According to Dr. Shane, if you’re not paying close attention while power washing, and not keeping a firm grip on the machine, the stream from the washer can hit and down a ladder. “Sturdy shoes will provide proper traction to keep a good grip and prevent any slipping. Repeated climbing on ladders

without good support can lead to injuries, including stress fractures and neuromas or nerve compressions,” she says.

your feet instead of your intended object. “The pressure from a heavy-duty power washer is strong enough to take off the superficial layer of skin, especially on the toes.

So, it’s best to wear fully closedtoed shoes to help avoid injury or damage to the skin,” she says.

Dr. Shane recommends wearing a sturdy, supportive shoe with good treads when doing roofing work or projects that require climbing up When working on wood surfaces such as decks or flooring, it’s best to wear closed-toe shoes to save your feet from slivers or puncture wounds from nails or wood splinters.

Dr. Shane suggests, “To help protect your feet from injury, avoid

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wearing flip flops or soft-soled shoes, such as popular foam-type clogs, while in a construction zone with exposed wood.”

If an injury does occur, Dr. Shane recommends contacting a foot and ankle surgeon near you to have the injury properly examined and treated, or for serious injuries, visiting the closest emergency room.

To find a foot and ankle surgeon in your area and for more healthy feet tips, visit the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons’ patient education website at FootHealthFacts.org.

DIY projects can bring tremendous joy and satisfaction to homeowners. At the same time, they are associated with certain risks. Use proper care and precaution to keep your feet safe and injury-free. (StatePoint)x

Make A Difference – Fall Cleaning

By Vidya Kumar

Now that the summer is over, and school has started it is time for fall cleaning to get ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sometimes I do not know how to start the cleaning.

Should it be from the first room as we enter the house, or from the kitchen or should it be the bedroom as most of the things that needs to be shoved somewhere finds a place in the walk-in-closet of the bedroom?

The very thought of fall cleaning sometimes is so daunting that I want to find an excuse not to do any cleaning. So, this time I have thought of a simple method wherein I will write everyday to attack just three tasks and see whether I can complete them and then move on to the next three tasks to complete.

As an example, plan to tackle two boxes as my walk-in-closet is filled with many boxes, take just two shelves to organize and arrange in the pantry and one bookshelf in the library as I have more than 5 bookshelves and one closet in the library to tackle for three tasks rule.

I do not know whether I will be successful or not but at least this is different method and so I am excited about it and looking forward to it.

Halloween

(Continued From Page 18) In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows’ Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although elsewhere it is a more commercial and secular celebration. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows’ Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes, and soul cakes.

The word Halloween or Hallowe’en dates to about 1745 and is of Christian origin. The word “Hallowe’en” means “Saints’ evening”. It comes from a Scottish term for All Hallows’ Eve (the evening before All Hallows’ Day). In Scots, the word “eve” is even, and this is contracted to e’en or een. Over time, (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en evolved into Hallowe’en. Although the phrase “All Hallows’” is found in Old English, “All Hallows’ Eve” is itself not seen until 1556. Halloween costumes are traditionally modeled after supernatural figures such as vampires, monsters, ghosts, skeletons, witches, and devils.Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic archetypes such as ninjas and princesses.

24 Austin South Asian | October 2021 SERVICESPOTTER APP: CONNECTING HOMELESS AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES WITH SERVICES

(Continued From Page 01)

Currently, there are thousands of

individuals experiencing homelessness in Austin.

With tough economic conditions due to COVID, the low-income community has also increased significantly in the last few years.

An independent survey by Arushi in 2020 of the homeless and low-income community in Austin reflected inability by many respondents to avail of the services provided by City of Austin and other charitable organizations.

This is mainly due to unawareness of the available service providers, and lack of availability of easy to access resources with comprehensive information on various service providers in Austin at one place.

The ServiceSPOTTER app is a small step to bridge this gap using technology. The ServiceSPOTTER app has very useful features to assist the community. It has full details of 60+ service providers (e.g., hours of operation, phone#, link to website etc.) for key categories of services i.e., food, clothing, shelter, and health care.

You can explore map directions for the service provider from your current location.

An interactive AI based Chatbot “Spotty” can answer any questions about the services available by category.

The helpline phone numbers are available to call in case of need.

The community volunteers can submit requests to assist the service providers.

You can share your suggestions for adding any missing service provider.

This app could be used by the Homeless and Low-Income Communities, local service providers, who support the homeless and low-income, and community volunteers and City of Austin Divisions who can assist to help the people in need to access the resources by using the App.

The initial response to the app has been very positive. “You nailed it. This is what was needed.” Very positive responses from the users, community, Austin City Council, and Homeless Division of City of Austin.

The app has received 5-star reviews on Apple iOS App store. In the last few months, the app has already been downloaded by over 1100 users and over 5,600 locations have been accessed.

Arushi is currently working with Homeless Division of City of Austin and service providers to promote this app and further expand its functionality, include additional service categories, and add specific programs/events like free breakfast, free clinics, etc.

As of now this app covers service providers based in Austin. The plans are in place to expand this app to cover service providers in Texas State and later nation-wide.

ServiceSPOTTER is available as a free app on the Apple iOS App Store. https://apps.apple.com/us/ app/servicespotter/id1580907480 Scan to download app.

You can see a short video on ServiceSPOTTER on YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/

watch?v=EJgrAwpKOPA Click to See A Short Video or visit the website www.serviceSPOTTER.org for more details.

Arushi Sharma, Founder and App Developer of ServiceSPOTTER App is a Senior in James Bowie High School in Austin with keen interests in technology and volunteering. Arushi has a personal goal to “Use Technology for Solutions”.

Arushi is currently working on research on Uncertainty Quantification, Software Obfuscation, and Encryption. Arushi is an instructor for software languages and other tech programs.

Arushi is the Editorin Chief of Bowie High School Newspaper “The Dispatch” (Top 20 School Newspapers in US). Arushi received a National award from National Center for Women in Technology (NCWIT).

Arushi’s efforts for volunteering were recognized by a National Gold Award from the US President for exemplary volunteer services.

Arushi is the Captain of her High School Golf team.