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Among many other things, the pandemic has brought a renewed emphasis on indoor air quality, especially in office settings. In many cases this has taken the form of greater attention paid to HVAC systems to reduce the chances of disease transmission. But even setting aside the germ factor, according to many estimates the indoor air we breathe is up to five times more polluted than our outdoor air.

The reasons for this are obvious: Indoors, we get less ventilation, thus trapping toxins like formaldehyde, benzene and VOCs from paints, furniture and other finishes. We can combat the situation with expensive air purifiers, but what about the simple houseplant?

Plants, of course, consume carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, so any plant does at least a little good in contributing to indoor air quality. But can plants also reduce those toxins we’re breathing?

The research on this offers differing answers. Again, any plants are probably better than no plants, and while plants do indeed remove carbon dioxide, ozone and other pollutants from the air, some research suggests that it takes a large quantity of plants to make a measurable difference. A NASA study, however, trends in the opposite direction, saying that only 15 to 18 houseplants in a 1,800-square-foot area can make a meaningful difference in removing pollutants.

All of this is one reason for the growing popularity of plant walls (or green walls, or vertical gardens) in commercial settings. Green walls are living design features that can be employed on existing walls or created to divide spaces, and the design possibilities are limited only by imagination. Plants can grow together and intermingle to create a stunning, forest-like effect, all while working around the clock to filter the air you breathe.

Which plants are best? There are many choices, but favorite plants for better air quality include the humble ficus, aloe vera, spider plants, and flowering varieties including peace lily, gerbera daisy and chrysanthemum.

One word of caution: It is possible to overdo it. Plants (and the soil they grow in) will increase the moisture content in a given space, and if done to excess might introduce molds or other toxins to the air. Monitor humidity and air quality carefully.

And as a side benefit, you might want to volunteer to be among those responsible for the care and upkeep of your office plants. Research demonstrates that gardening, indoors or out, reduces stress.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and while it’s always an important time for awareness-raising, this year brings a bit more urgency.

As with so many parts of our lives, the pandemic caused significant setbacks in the rates of screening and early detection, both vital parts of the fight against breast cancer. While the long-term result of that situation is still unknown, it’s safe to say that there will be a greater need in the coming months and years.

We encourage you to join in both raising awareness (by wearing pink, especially on Real Kids Wear Pink Day, Friday, October 22^nd) and by donating to any number of related charities to support low- or no-cost mammograms for those who need them, among many other efforts.

We’d also like to highlight the important work of the William E. Kahlert Regional Cancer Center in Carroll County, Maryland. Located in on the Carroll Hospital campus in Westminster, the Kahlert Center is a program of LifeBridge Health’s Sinai Hospital.

The Kahlert Center is accredited by the Commission on Cancer as a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program, providing outpatients with a full spectrum of cancer care services from diagnosis to support services and other resources including nutrition counseling and support groups.

Specific to this month’s theme, The Center for Breast Health at Kahlert provides centralized resources and fully integrative care to meet each individual’s need. This goes well beyond medical care to their Wellness Boutique and Studio YOU, offering prostheses, wigs, hats and more. And the Tevis Center for Wellness features supportive therapies ranging from massage to acupuncture to reiki, to help manage pain and ease anxiety.

We’re proud to have the Douron Team involved in our Think Pink campaign in October, and will be putting together Cancer Care Packages for donation to the William E. Kahlert Regional Cancer Center.

More than 280,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected diagnosed in women in 2021, with nearly 50,000 additional non-invasive cases. However you choose to do so, we hope you’ll find ways to support this vital cause in this important month.

The effects of the pandemic on our overall mental health have been well documented, and as we enter September, National Suicide Prevention Month, there’s good cause to take a closer look.

Surprisingly, suicides decreased by six percent nationally in 2020 (source: Healthline). This runs counter to well-documented increases in nearly every other mental health category as we were all challenged by increased isolation. The prevailing theory around the decrease is that despite our physical separation, watershed events like the COVID-19 pandemic often result in an increase in our overall sense of community.

Not all the news is good, however. The CDC reports that from mid-2020 through early 2021, emergency room visits for suspected suicide attempts among teens, especially girls, showed a sharp increase. In February and March of 2021, the incidence of those visits was more than 50% higher than for the same period two years prior. Clearly, the pandemic has taken a toll on our teens.

The National Suicide Prevention Month website asks us all to #Bethe1To:

Ask. People with suicidal thoughts feel relief when someone asks after them in a caring way.

Be there. People are likely to feel less depressed and isolated when someone listens to them without judgment.

Keep them safe. A simple but effective means for reducing suicides is to remove weapons and other possible lethal means.

Help them stay connected. Helping someone at risk to create a network of individuals to support them can encourage them to take positive action.

Follow up. Studies demonstrate that supportive, ongoing contact following an individual’s release from care can make a difference in suicide prevention.

By being alert to the mental health of those around you, and especially teens, you can make a difference.

August 26^th marks Women’s Equality Day, commemorating the 1920 adoption of the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which prohibited both the states and federal government from denying the right to vote based on gender. Observed since 1973, Women’s Equality Day reminds us that as far as we’ve come, there’s still work to be done on the women’s rights front.

You’re probably familiar with Helping Up Mission (HUM), which since 1885 has helped countless individuals – men and women alike – to overcome poverty, homelessness and addiction. Providing services around the clock 365 days a year, HUM does vital work in Baltimore.

That’s why we’re so honored to be involved in the latest project at HUM, and just in time to honor the  women of Baltimore and surrounding areas: A new Women’s and Children’s Center is taking shape at 1216 East Baltimore Street and is expected to be complete by year’s end (take a virtual tour here).

Offering complete services for 250 women and accompanying children, the Women’s and Children’s Center is a seven-story, 145,000-square-foot facility. Services will include spiritual and pastoral counseling, mental health and substance abuse treatment, medical and dental care, educational and workforce development services and much more. It’s a beautiful facility, designed with comfort and care in mind.

We’re thrilled to be involved in the design and furnishing of this amazing project as it enters the final stages of construction, and we encourage you to support the important work of HUM and their new Women’s and Children’s Center. To donate to their Inspiring Hope campaign, click here.