Amish

With more than 84,000 people, Ohio has the second largest Amish population in the country. The number is rising rapidly.

In Ohio’s Amish communities, most children don’t go to school past the eighth grade. One non-practicing Amish woman is raising awareness about it through an unusual platform: ballet.

Entrepreneurship among the Amish is helping rural communities in Holmes County. Local business owners work together to create products at home while passing down traditions and values to the next generation.

Women who leave their Amish community often face employment, culture and mental health challenges as they transition to non-Amish American or "English" culture. Mission to Amish People, Spring Haven Counseling and Amish Heritage Foundation offer support and guidance.

Holmes County in northeastern Ohio has the worst vaccination rate in the state — just 17% — and yet, the county has the state’s lowest rate of COVID spread.

Ohio’s idyllic Amish country, which includes several northeast Ohio counties, looks like a snapshot from the past. Cars navigate around buggies traveling on the winding roads while large billboards lure tourists with homemade cheeses and expertly sewn quilts. But many in this community are resistant to modern medical interventions and are also hesitant to get the COVID-19 vaccine, even as the pandemic has sickened and killed local residents.

The Geauga County Health District has received numerous complaints that some Amish residents in the area are not practicing social distancing, which is needed to slow the spread of COVID-19. Health Commissioner Tom Quade said some residents have expressed concerns that those in the Amish community are still holding church services, going to school and riding in packed vans, known informally as 'Amish taxis' that transport them to grocery stores or their place of work.

Holmes County is home to 23,000 Amish citizens — nearly half of its total population. The county’s health department is getting the word out to this community about social distancing and COVID-19. Health Commissioner of the Holmes County General Health District Michael Derr said Amish citizens in the area tend to be more progressive, and they are following media reports about the virus and protective measures. He said his department sends out mailings with updated COVID-19 information every week to leaders in the community.

Medical personal protective equipment (PPE) is in short supply nationwide due to a surge of COVID-19 patients. Companies have shifted production to make equipment for the crisis, and individuals are stepping up to sew homemade masks. One community highly equipped to help meet this need is the Amish.

"It’s a typical mammogram room—if you went to a hospital it would look exactly the same," says mammographer Valerie Rice. "It’s nothing really different,…